On the occasion of the Day for Life to be celebrated in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland next Sunday, June 21, Pope Leo XIV assured his prayers “for all parents who suffer the loss of a child, especially a baby.” The Pope addressed the bishops of these nations with a message signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The message also asked that the parents “find comfort and peace in the knowledge of God’s love for them” and for the child they have lost. “This divine love gives meaning to the life of each person and, far from ending with death, invites us to a new fullness in eternity,” the Pope affirmed.
According to a statement shared by the Irish Bishops’ Conference, Pope Leo XIV sent his best wishes and prayers for those participating in the Day for Life, which focuses on “wonder at the full humanity of the child in the womb,” as well as efforts to support mothers and fathers who have suffered the loss of a baby. He also urged these parents to find support in the Church community, “especially in a life nourished by prayer and the sacraments.” Convened under the title “Wonder at the Child in the Womb,” the day seeks to remind us that every human being is endowed with infinite dignity from conception, “simply by existing, by having been willed, created and loved by God,” as the Pope recalled in his recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.
The Episcopal Conferences of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland remind us that fatherhood “is a vocation full of joys and hopes, but also of sorrows and worries.” This year they especially acknowledge the pain of parents who have lost a child before birth or during childhood, leaving them with a message of hope and comfort: fullness in eternity. The day coincides with Father’s Day and aims to focus on the suffering of parents, which brings physical and psychological consequences, as well as the helplessness of not knowing how to support their family or express their own pain. Consequently, the Church wishes to be especially close to these parents, emphasizing spiritual and pastoral accompaniment.
The prelates remind us that “God has created, willed, and deeply loved every child from all eternity, including those who lose their lives before birth or shortly thereafter.” The Word of God “reveals the sacred humanity of the unborn child,” they emphasize, and parents understand how precious and unique the child they have lost is: “They know that no other child will ever be able to replace him.” They also insist that science is clear in stating that life begins at conception. “The more we learn from science, the more we understand the Church’s teaching on the unique value of the unborn child,” they emphasize, adding that every human being is not only a body “but also an immortal soul, with a unique and eternal relationship with God, our Creator.” The Church “has always rejected voluntary abortion” and pledges to “work and pray so that our society values the life of every child,” especially in the early stages of human existence.