Chai Brady
The Archbishop of Dublin has urged all parishes to hold a special moment of ‘Prayer for Life’ on the weekend of Saturday May 19 and Sunday May 20, saying “the Church and believers must always be pro-life”.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin thanked priests in his diocese for their pastoral efforts to promote the protection of the unborn.
Dr Martin will soon be sending out material to priests that could be used in “animating” the pro-life ceremony. He said it could “simply be” a period of adoration and reflective prayer. He added in the statement that the event could be announced over this coming weekend.
“In our time, the Church and believers must always be pro-life,” the archbishop said, adding that the Church is called to protect life and to support those facing crises in their lives: “The new family of Jesus, the Church, must always be a beacon of support for life at its most vulnerable moments and a beacon of support at any vulnerable moment of any woman or man along the path of life.”
Dr Martin explained that being thoroughly pro-life requires the Church to work to protect the unborn, those who are vulnerable at the end of their lives, and at “many other moments” in life.
“Being pro-life means recalling all of us to reflect on the deeper meaning of life and to reject many of the paths of superficiality that just lead away from fulfilment.”
He added that the Church is called to be pro-life not just in words but in deeds through being a Church that reflects the loving care of Jesus, “…especially for those who face challenges and who grapple to understand the challenges of their lives”.
Dr Martin’s comments come against the background of a statement from the leadership team of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) that criticised parishes for allowing pro-life campaigners from addressing congregations at Mass.