In a telegram for the Day of Life observed by the Church in England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, Pope Leo calls on Catholics to continue to bear witness to the God-given dignity of every person without exception.
By Christopher Wells
Pope Leo XIV has expressed his “spiritual closeness” to all those taking part in the 2025 “Day for Life,” promoted by the bishops’ conferences of England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
The annual commemoration is dedicated to “raising awareness about the meaning and value of human life at every stage and in every condition.” The theme for the Jubilee year, “Hope does not disappoint: finding meaning in suffering,” is inspired by Romans 5:5-6, where St Paul “invites us to see that Christian hope is not just naïve optimism but, rather, an unshakeable trust in the power and presence of God who is with us always,” the bishops write. “This hope,” they say, “can endure the darkness of human suffering and even see beyond it.”
This year’s Day for Life, the Bishops’ say in a Message for the observance, “is an invitation to pray for those who suffer and to remain with them like the Good Samaritan, bearing witness to their unique and unrepeatable value.”
In a telegram addressed to Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool – the English and Welsh bishops’ point man for life issues – Pope Leo says the Jubilee Year theme, “seeks to draw people’s attention to how the mystery of suffering, so prevalent in the human condition can be transformed by grace into an experience of the Lord’s presence.”
The Holy Father goes on pray that through “common witness to the God-given dignity of every person, without exception, and to the tender Christ-like accompaniment of the seriously ill, all in society will be encouraged to defend rather than undermine a civilization founded on authentic love and genuine compassion.”
Pope Leo concludes his message by entrusting the efforts of those taking part in the day “to the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel” while imparting his Apostolic Blessing upon them “as a pledge of fortitude, joy, and peace in the Risen Lord.”
