Bishops Announce Call To Prayer For Life, Marriage And Religious Liberty

            Beginning later this month and continuing throughout 2013, all dioceses and archdioceses throughout the country - as a sign of solidarity – will participate in a special “Call to Prayer for Life, Marriage and Religious Liberty.” The details of this Call to Prayer were established at a November meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. There are five components, or key points, to this prayer-filled initiative:

1.     Parishes are encouraged to hold a monthly Eucharistic Holy Hour for Life, Marriage and Religious Liberty. This will start Dec. 30, the Feast of the Holy Family, and continue on or near the last Sunday of every month throughout the Year of Faith (which ends on Christ the King Sunday – Nov. 23, 2013).

2.     Catholic families and individuals are encouraged to pray a daily Rosary for the preservation of Life, Marriage and Religious Liberty.

3.     Churches are encouraged to include, as part of the Prayers of the Faithful at all Masses, specific intentions concerning respect for all human life from conception to natural death, the strengthening of marriage and family life, and the preservation of religious liberty at all levels of government and society, both within our country and throughout the world.

4.     The Catholic faithful - clergy, religious and laity - are encouraged to participate in voluntary penance for the intent of the dignity of Life, Marriage and Religious Liberty. One form of such penance, as suggested by the USCCB, is fasting and abstinence from meat on Fridays, throughout the year. According to Bishop Charles C. Thompson, such voluntary penance is intended to stress the importance of spiritual and bodily sacrifice in the life of the Church.

                        “Personally, I will be abstaining from meat on Fridays throughout the              remainder of the Year of Faith,” said Bishop Thompson. “At the conclusion of             this special year of grace, I will determine whether to maintain this particular             form of penance or substitute another type of voluntary penance.”

5.     A second “Fortnight for Freedom” (the first Fortnight took place from June 21 to July 4, 2012) is being planned for June/July 2013. The 2013 celebration will highlight the Church’s three-fold intention of prayer for Life, Marriage and Religious Liberty.

These five components have been proposed and developed by the collaborative efforts of three particular committees of the USCCB - namely the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, and the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. 

A website with the plan for the Call to Prayer, providing additional resources, is available at www.usccb.org/life-marriage-liberty. You will also be able to find links and information on the Message website (www.themessageonline.org) in the weeks and months to come.

The ultimate purpose for such prayer and sacrifice is to promote a culture favorable to the inherent dignity of life, marriage and religious liberty.