[Mosaic logo composed of people's faces, with Jesus appearing at the centre.]

[Photo of Bishop Bernard Longley]

Day for Life was initiated by the late Pope John Paul II. He wanted to encourage the Catholic church throughout the world to celebrate and to highlight the gospel truth about the sanctity, the holiness of life from its very beginning until its natural end. And in particular, to reflect on the ways that we could, in prayer, in discussion and also in engagement with civil society, encourage people to understand what is at the heart of the gospel, that life is God's gift, and life is to be lived and to be cherished.

The Catholic church in England & Wales responded to Pope John Paul's invitation to celebrate and keep Day for Life in 2002, and it was agreed that we would use a three-year cycle of related themes. The first year, we were reflecting in particular upon issues at the beginning of life. It was natural in that particular year to concentrate on the experience, the presence, the reality of abortion within our own society. The second year looked at families and the gift of children, so there was in particular a focus on the way in which we welcome children within our families, family life and encouraging the strengthening of family life. And the third year in this cycle, naturally and logically then, looking at cherishing the evening of life.

More recently, the Bishops' Conference of England & Wales have been in discussion with the Bishops' Conferences in Ireland and Scotland, so as to see whether we can't celebrate Day for Life around the same themes.

This year we decided that we could work together on a different set of issues. In particular, looking at the whole range of life issues through the idea of the prism of people living with disability. It was important that we find a way of reflecting both on the experience of people living with disability, valuing their experience, valuing their presence within the life of the church, within the community - but also looking at the particular threats to life, the question of abortion, to abort a baby, a foetus, where there has been detected some disability, and supporting such families and people facing such choices.

I think one of the criticisms which is levelled against those who work pro-life is that their efforts and energy are concentrated on the issues around abortion and euthanasia and therefore that there is a narrow range of issues that become their focus. Then there is a critique that what happens in-between, how concerned are you for the way that people live, the issues of justice, the quality of life in-between its beginning and its end. And I believe that this year's Day for Life, with its focus on disability, actually draws together the whole spectrum of people's experience of life. Here, people with disability can teach us something about the value of life from its very beginning until its natural end.

I'm very aware that in parishes, there are many people who are committed to working pro-life and who are glad of this opportunity that Day for Life offers to contribute something, and I would like to encourage individuals in parishes who are already engaged in another way with pro-life work to use Day for Life, to become part of the local teams that help to promote it, contact your local parish priest, make sure that the materials are being as widely used as possible in your parish setting, and encourage others also to look at the website and to sign up, so there is the possibility of a continuing involvement and we have the chance to build up a national network of those who are willing and have the energy and time to be more and more involved.

[www.dayforlife.org]

[End]

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