Our Day for Life Praised in Rome

29 January 2008

President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Archbishop Sgreccia has praised a special day focussed on life issues that is well supported in the Clifton Diocese.

Day for Life was celebrated on 1 July last year and Bishop Declan urged people around the Clifton Diocese to back the national day.  

The collaborative working between the Bishops’ Conferences of Ireland, Scotland and England and Wales was praised by Archbishop Sgreccia during a recent visit by Right Reverend Bernard Longley, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster who is the Bishop responsible for Day for Life in England and Wales.  The General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference, Monsignor Andrew Summersgill also met with the Archbishop in Rome.  The Secretary and Coordinator to the Academy, Monsignor Calipari and Father George Woodall were also present at the meeting. 
 
Archbishop Sgreccia said that the materials prepared jointly by all three Conferences, helped raise awareness and inform the lay faithful about the Church's teaching on life. He recognised the generosity of parishioners up and down the country who gave to Day for Life each year, so that pastoral initiatives associated with life could be supported.

The President also provided examples of what happens in other parts of the world on the day dedicated to raising awareness about the dignity of life from conception to natural death.
 
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill was also discussed during the course of the meeting and members of the Academy were each given a copy of the new parish resource pack, prepared by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales to raise awareness about the Bill and provide guidance to parishioners on how they can voice their concerns.  Bishop Declan has written to all parishes about this concerning Bill.  
 
Day for Life 2008 in England and Wales focuses on mental health, and takes place on Sunday 6 July.

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