Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor reflects on 'Day For Life'

The Catholic Church in England & Wales will celebrate its annual Day For Life on 1 July. Reflecting on this Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor issued the following statement today: "The Catholic Church believes that every life has been created by God in his own image and likeness. This means that all life is sacred, with value and meaning at every stage and in every condition, from the moment of conception to the point of natural death. It is for this reason that the Church strongly opposes abortion because it is the taking of an innocent human life. "I would urge all Catholics, especially those who hold positions of public responsibility, to educate themselves about the teaching of the Church, and to seek pastoral advice so that they can make informed decisions with consistency and integrity. "The long-standing tradition of the Church teaches that anyone who freely and knowingly commits a serious wrong (that is, a mortal sin) should approach the Eucharist only after receiving faithfully the Sacrament of Penance." Source: CCN