"May everyone, according to their possibilities, professionalism and skills, always feel driven to love and serve life, from its start to its natural sunset". This is the invitation made by the Pope at yesterday’s Angelus, focussed on Pro-life Day. "It is everyone’s responsibility went on Benedict XVI to receive human life as a gift to be respected, protected and promoted, all the more so when it is weak and in need of attention and care, both before birth and at its terminal stage". “The civilisation of a people is measured against its ability to serve life", warned the Pope, quoting the theme of the Message of the Italian Bishops Conference for this year’s Pro-life Day and joining the Italian Bishops "in encouraging all those people who, tiredly but joyfully, without fuss and with great devotion, take care of their elderly or disabled parents and all those people who regularly spend part of their time helping people of all ages whose lives have been hard hit by many different forms of poverty". Then, with reference to the Day of Consecrated Life, the Pontiff exhorted people to "pray" for those who choose such "special consecration", which he defined "a priceless asset for the Church and for the world". Finally, the Pope wished that may "Lent be a time of true conversion for all Christians, called to giving an increasingly genuine and brave testimony of their faith".
