Day for Life 2010 on the meaning of Christian death and care for those who are dying

09 Sep 2010

PRESS RELEASE
9 September 2010

Day for Life 2010 on the meaning of Christian death and care for those who are dying

The Catholic Church in Ireland will celebrate the Day for Life 2010 on Sunday 3 October. The theme for this year’s Day for Life is the meaning of Christian death and care for those who are dying – Lord for your faithful people, life is changed, not ended.

Speaking about this year’s theme in a special video interview Bishop Fleming, Bishop of Killala and the Bishops’ Conference Day for Life delegate said: “The Day for Life celebrates life as given to us by God. This year’s theme talks about life and gives us a very rich view of the Catholic position of life, namely that no matter how long or how short life is and no matter what condition it is lived in, life has a value because it is given to us by God.”

Bishop Fleming’s interview in available as part of a special feature which is now available on the Catholic Bishops’ website – www.catholicbishops.ie. This special feature includes:

  • Video interview with Bishop John Fleming
  • A Pastoral Letter from the Bishops’ on this year’s Day for Life theme, which is available to download in English, Irish and Polish. This pastoral is being circulated to parishes around the country and will be available on Sunday 3 October
  • Video interview with Marie Gribbons, a chaplain at St Francis Hospice in Raheny who talks about what its like to care for those who are dying
  • Parish Newsletter Resources for use on the two Sundays preceding Day for Life and for Day for Life itself
  • A video reflection with music and text which was filmed at St Francis Hospice in Raheny
  • Background information on Day for Life which has been celebrated in Ireland since 2001
  • Information on the special Day for Life Mass

RTÉ 1 television will broadcast a special Day for Life Mass from St Patrick’s Cathedral in Ballina, Co Mayo at 11.15am. The Celebrant will be Bishop John Fleming.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

  • Day for Life was initiated by Pope John Paul II, to encourage the Catholic Church worldwide to promote and celebrate the sacredness of life. In his 1995 Encyclical Letter, Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life), the late Pope John Paul II proposed that “a day for life be celebrated each year in every country.”  The primary purpose of this day should be “to foster in individual consciences, in families, in the Church, and in civil society, recognition of the meaning and value of human life at every stage and in every condition” (EV #85).
  • Day for Life is the day dedicated to celebrating the dignity of life from conception to natural death.  Since 2001, the following themes have been chosen to celebrate the annual ‘Day for Life’:

2001: Proclaiming the Gospel of Life
2002: End of Life Care – ethical and Pastoral Issues
2003: The Wonder of Life, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope John Paul II
2004: Life is for Living – A Reflection on suicide
2005: Cherishing the Evening of Life
2006: Celebrating the life and presence of people with disabilities in the Church and in society
2007: Blessed is the fruit of your womb – dedicated to protecting all human life
2008: Mental Health – mental ill-health can happen to anyone
2009: Focus on suicide, particularly the pastoral dimensions of this difficult and sensitive subject
2010: Focus on the meaning of Christian death

  • Since 2005, the Irish Bishops have united with the Bishops of Scotland, and England and Wales, by jointly publishing a Day for Life Pastoral Letter with a common theme. Day for Life 2010 will be celebrated in parishes throughout Ireland on Sunday 3 October. It has already been celebrated in Scotland and in England and Wales.

Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678
Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer 087 233 7797