"In the Palm of My Hand"

Today the Church in Ireland marks its annual "Day for Life".  Requested by Pope John Paul II in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae, it is to remind us Catholics of our responsibility to play a part in the pro-life cause and to promote a culture of life as a means of eventually exorcising the culture of death which seems to be gripping the western world at this time.

Many think Ireland is abortion free - technically and legally not so.  Due to various botched referendums, abortion is permissible if the life of the mother is in danger.  Thanks to the Irish Medical Organisation, our doctors' professional association,  no abortions have been carried out (as far as we know) because, I believe it is regarded as professional misconduct and a doctor can be struck off for conducting one.  But this situation will not last.  It is likely, given the political and economic situation at the moment, that after the next election, the new government will probably be a coalition of Fine Gael and the Labour Party - we have to see which one will have the majority and assume the senior role.  If it is Labour, then abortion will come into Ireland, possibly even abortion on demand - Labour is avidly pro-abortion and has campaigned for previous governments to legislate for it.  Of course, socially, Ireland has changed, and I think many more support abortion now.

So our Day for Life may become even more important for us in the years ahead and as the Church in Ireland, if we are truly disciples of Christ and worth our salt, we will have to rise to face this challenge.  There can be no fudging on issues of life - that is one element of the Irish Church which is just going to have to be burnt off in our programme for renewal.  We have a long road ahead to work on public opinion, and so we will need ideas, pastoral charity, but also the courage to speak the truth even if people do not like it.  We can learn from the Trojan work of pro-life organisations and the Church in the US where, thanks to many years of hard slog and suffering, they have helped promote the Gospel of Life, so much so that the upcoming generation is pro-life and, we pray, Roe v Wade may be overturned.  So we have friends in other countries with expertise and support for our common cause - I believe that falls into the concept of communion which is at the heart of our lives as Christians.

In the meantime, in all of this we cannot forget the women hurt by abortion.  While we try and dissuade women from having a abortion, we must also help those who had and now discover the reality - that the peace and well-being pro-abortion groups say they will have, doesn't materialise.  Guilt plagues them. There are many marvellous organisations who help these women and we should support them.  One which I know is Rachel's Vineyard, who do wonderful work, bringing to the women who come to them, a listening ear, but also the news of God's mercy, forgiveness and healing.  Keep them and their work in your prayers.

"What does God say to us? He says: "Even if a mother could forget her child, I will not forget you. I have carved you in the palm of my hand." We are carved in the palm of His hand; that unborn child has been carved in the hand of God from conception and is called by God to love and to be loved, not only now in this life, but forever. God can never forget us."

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta