Blessed is the Fruit of Your Womb was the theme for Day for Life 2007 marking the 40th anniversary of the Abortion Act. Here’s the message released to mark the day.
Pope John Paul II’s encyclical letter Evangelium Vitae – The Gospel of Life re-affirmed the dignity of every human person, created and loved by God. It sought to 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.”
Evangelium Vitae invited 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.” It appealed to every person, in the name of God, to respect, protect, love and serve life, every human life.”
“Human life is a precious gift to be loved and defended in each of its stages” Pope John Paul II
What does the Church mean by pro-life?
To be pro-life means to promote human dignity and development in every sphere of life; to say ‘yes’ to life. The Church is opposed to all direct attacks against innocent human life e.g. abortion, abortifacient pills and devices, the abortion pill and the morning after pill, destructive embryo and embryonic stem cell research, genetic engineering, euthanasia, etc. because it believes that every life has purpose, meaning and inherent value.
What alternative does the Church offer?
2007 was the 30th anniversary of Cura in Ireland; the 10th anniversary of The Cardinal Winning Pro-Life Initiative in Scotland and the 30th anniversary of the Life Care and Housing Trust in England and Wales. All these groups are charities caring for women in a crisis pregnancy situation. Through these agencies and many individual committed the Church has for many years been at the forefront of offering practical, emotional and spiritual care to women and babies in need. In recent years this care has developed to include specific services to the many women, and men, who suffer grief, pain and loss following an abortion experience.
How does the Church promote a ‘Culture of Life’?
During the past 40 years, the Church—local and universal—has been at the forefront of challenging people to think more deeply about ‘life’ issues. Through such prophetic documents as Humanae Vitae, Evangelium Vitae and the promotion of Day for Life, the Church desires to share with everyone the reasons for her pro-life beliefs. There is a consistent vision at the heart of the pro-life issue. The Church has answers worth hearing and questions and challenges to share aimed at helping people to come to that deeper understanding demanded by the seriousness of the current situation.
The Catholic Church is a pro-life Church. For us, being pro-life is not an optional extra – it’s at the heart of what we believe.
‘We believe in one God … maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen’ The Nicene Creed.