Environment the theme for Respect Life Sunday 2019
Respect Life Sunday 2019 on 13 October has the environmental theme which asks: “What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us?”
To help mark the day, look at this short video showing young people talking about their concerns about climate change.
“You might ask why focus on the environment when we currently face significant challenges to the protection of human life from the abortion and euthanasia legislation before Parliament”, says Dr John Kleinsman, director of the Nathaniel Centre, the bioethics agency of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference.
“The Bishops have already expressed their strong views on these issues and will continue to do so. Secondly, as Pope Francis has noted, there is an intrinsic connection between the way we treat the environment and the way we treat those who are most vulnerable at the beginning and end of life. The social and the natural, the human and the environmental are closely entwined.
“We hope that this Respect Life Sunday will provide an opportunity to recognise the connections between the many ethical issues we face. We also hope that this video will help to inspire meaningful dialogue between generations about all the serious threats to life we face."
A pastoral letter from the Bishops asks us all to "be missionaries of healing and hope and offer the best of ourselves to the building of a better world", click here to view.
As well as the video and Bishops letter, the following resources have been created to help parishes spread the message of Respect Life Sunday:
- Posters in Powerpoint format
- Posters, one, two and three
- Facebook banners, one, two and three
- Instagram posts, one, two and three
- A Climate Fact Sheet
- Liturgical Resources: