AMERICA/PUERTO RICO -
Ponce (Agenzia Fides) - "I am counting on the presence of the Catholic youth, who are called to be courageous witnesses of life," says Bishop Felix Lazaro of Ponce in a statement sent out to all the parishes, apostolic movements, the Pontifical Catholic University, and the Superintendent of Catholic Schools, asking them to participate in Pro-Life Day. The Puerto Rican Bishops' Conference has designated March 25, feast of the Annunciation and "the day on which the Word of God took on human nature," as the most appropriate feast for celebrating Pro-Life Day.
Bishop Lazaro explains the reasons that led the Bishops to make this decision: "Alarmed by the many risks that Christian marriages and families are exposed to, and the growing campaign in favor of abortion and the creation of rights without objective foundation in human nature and invented by merely human laws – inhuman, I would say – that call it a mother's right to kill her own unborn child; and as it concerns such an important issue as human life that is in jeopardy..."
This explains why he later goes on to call on various institutions, especially the youth of the parishes, apostolic movements, the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, and the Catholic School System, asking that they "participate through their own activities in this event" that will take place at the Cathedral in Ponce on Wednesday, March 25, from 12-1pm, in defense of life and right to life for the unborn.
"Life itself is in jeopardy," the Bishop says. "And we cannot allow the plague of abortion to continue taking innocent lives. It is time to place an end to the iniquity and as human persons who preach love and peace, we lift our voices in favor of life and no more abortion."
The Bishop concludes by recalling that "the effort that we all make will be rewarded in Heaven and our names will be written in the Book of Life."
(RG) (Agenzia Fides 12/3/2009)
