Two days, two priorities

In Poland, over the past few years, March 24 and 25 have been devoted to life and to the respect of its value. Following a parliamentary provision adopted with almost unanimous vote in 2004, March 24 is celebrated as the National Day for Life, while since 1998 the Church established that March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, is the Day for the Sacrality of Life.The right to life and the play of the media. The archbishop of Katowice, Msgr. Damian Zimon recently underlined that “these days are an occasion for prayer and reflection on the need to defend human life from the moment of conception to its natural termination, the defence of the right to life by nature is one of the key themes of the Magisterium that has gained major attention vis à vis the ongoing campaigns in support of euthanasia and of In Vitro Fertilisation”. The archbishop of Warsaw Msgr. Kazimierz Nycz in his pastoral letter for Lent has addressed the themes of the right to life and euthanasia. “The exploitation of the problem of In Vitro Fertilisation along with current debates on euthanasia are both upsetting and painful”, the prelate declared. Msgr. Nycz voiced his “distress when confronted with tragic stories of incurable patients conveyed by the media”. “These highly emotional cases – the prelate pointed out – “are accurately chosen by the media to mislead the public opinion onto reaching the wrong conclusions, that risk justifying anti-life initiatives”. “Indeed, often the cases portrayed are a cry of help, a tragic request of solidarity on the part of those suffering the heavy burden of diseases whose therapies last many years”. “In this framework, reopening the debate on the right to euthanasia isn’t only a palliative presented to the public opinion – he criticizes – rather, it’s a planned strategy to deviate consciences and corrupt the ethical foundations based on the defence of life”. A special prayer for children in the mother’s womb. “May these days be days devoted to prayer and apostolate, and for reflection, education and culture in favour of the civilization of life and love, both in the Church and within society”. With these words, on Saturday March 21 some hundred faithful gathered in the Marian Sanctuary of Jasna Gora in Czestochowa to pray on the occasion of the pilgrimage for life. In the course of the Eucharistic liturgy, celebrated by the President of the Council for the Family of the Polish episcopacy, Msgr. Kazimierz Gorny, the faithful adhered to spiritual adoption, which is an intention of prayer for children that are still in their mother’s womb and risk being put to death. Spiritual adoption is a nine-month prayer for the child and his parents. In a special letter, participants in the pilgrimage for the defence of life thanked Pope Benedict XVI “for his determined defence of the life of each human being from the moment of conception to its natural death and for the defence of the rights of the family”. The family, a bulwark against the economic crisis. This year’s Days for Life in Poland focus on the family. According to 92 % of the Polish population, in order to be happy, human beings need the family. 78% of interviewees – across all social strata – declared that a happy family life represent life’s most important mission. According to experts, theories on the depreciation of family values to the benefit of individualism that are affecting developed societies cannot be applied to Poland. However, despite the importance of the family, figures show that in Poland one marriage every three ends in a divorce. The family, experts say, “is an important value precisely because it’s difficult to achieve”. Economic figures appear to confirm the importance ascribed to the family. Family businesses in Poland account for over 50% of the GDP, supplying 60% of all employment. Most family businesses are not only marked by innovative capacities and flexibility, they are also the most fit to face the current financial crisis. During a recent conference organized in the framework of the celebrations of the Day for Life and in favour of the family, the archbishop of Warsaw and Prague Henryk Hoser recalled that the family “is the only place where love is safe”, and highlighting that “the future of humanity passes by the family”, he underlined that the family “is the most common and therefore most valid token of hope for mankind”.