Videos, podcasts…Catholic Bishops across Ireland, Scotland, England & Wales get to grips with new technologies to celebrate Day for Life

The Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Ireland, Scotland and England & Wales have joined together to celebrate this year’s Day for Life – a day instigated by the late Pope John Paul II, dedicated to celebrating the sanctity of human life from its very beginning to its natural end. This year’s Day for Life will celebrate the life and presence of disabled people in the Church and in society today and will call for those lives to be respected and defended in full. The day will be marked on July 2nd 2006 in parishes throughout England and Wales.

The new Day for Life website - www.dayforlife.org - features the first ever podcasts from the Archbishop of Glasgow, The Most Reverend Mario Conti, and the Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, The Right Reverend Bernard Longley, as well as video clips featuring the integral part played by disabled people within the life of their parish and community. In addition to the website over 500,000 leaflets are being sent out to parishes throughout England and Wales to raise awareness of the gift of human life – that all human lives are to be valued, celebrated, cherished and respected.

“We are all people made in the image and likeness of God. Every person has an inherent dignity, purpose and value in the world and needs to be loved and accepted for who they are and not just for what they can or cannot do,” says Bishop Bernard Longley. “We must promote a more just and humane society in which all can reach their full potential. Day for Life provides the opportunity for us to appeal to every person to respect, protect, love and serve life, in all its steps of development and it is not just about one Day, it is something that needs to be lived out each and every day of the year.”

Shane’s story forms a central part of this year’s Day for Life. Shane is 8, is blind and has limited communication abilities (as a baby he contracted neonatal meningitis). His mum Samantha is determined that he will take part in the parish First Holy Communion preparations and adapts the traditional teaching material to a foam picture book to suit Shane’s needs. Shane loves the book and loves being involved in the parish preparations with the other children; they love having him around too. The book has a transformative effect on Shane’s life – he is able to remain still for 45 minutes at a time, something unheard of before, and the 70 year-old parish priest feels renewed in his faith by the whole experience.

During his visit to England in 1982, the late Pope John Paul II commented that: “We begin by imagining that we are giving to (the sick and the disabled); we end by realizing that they have enriched us.”

To see Shane’s story and to listen to the podcasts from Bishop Bernard Longley and Archbishop Mario Conti, log onto www.dayforlife.org.

ENDS

Further information:

Maggie Doherty, Media Officer, CCN
t. 020 7910 4802 | e. Maggie.Doherty@cbcew.org.uk | m. 07760 251 954

Notes to editors

www.dayforlife.org - This newly created lively, upbeat website includes video and audio interviews (podcasts) celebrating the lives of disabled people. 

The Purpose of Day for Life

In his encyclical letter Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), which was
addressed to the whole Church, and to all people of good will, the late John Paul II wanted to:

• reaffirm the dignity of every human person, created and loved by God
• renew the commitment of the Church to the "defence of the world's poor, those who are threatened and despised, and whose human rights are violated." (EV#5)
• invite people of good will to reflect on the "extraordinary increase and gravity of threats to the life of individuals and peoples, especially where life is weak and defenceless." (EV#3)
• appeal to every person, in the name of God, to “respect, protect, love and serve life, every human life" (EV#5).

The late Pope proposed that "a day for life be celebrated each year in every
country." The primary purpose of this day should be "to foster in individual
consciences, in families, in the Church and in civil society a recognition of the meaning and value of human life at every stage and in every condition. Particular attention should be drawn to the seriousness of abortion and euthanasia, without neglecting other aspects of life which from time to time deserve to be given careful consideration" (EV#85).

What is Day for Life 2006 for?

• To celebrate the life and presence of disabled people in the Church and in society today.
• To defend the lives of the disabled, often threatened before birth by genetic screening and procured abortion, or by being denied necessary medical treatment when ill or old.
• To promote a more just and humane society in which all can reach their full potential.

Previous themes:

Day for Life 2001 - Holy Family – Every Day is a Day for Life
Day for Life 2002 - No Day for Life
Day for Life 2003 - Blessing of Children
Day for Life 2004 - Blessing of Families
Day for Life 2005 - Cherishing the Evening of Life

What is a Bishops’ Conference?

It is an expression of the collegiality of the Bishops. Through it they proclaim the gospel to the people of England & Wales as a whole.

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