Archbishop Wilson calls Catholics to pray Rosary for Life this May

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Archbishop John Wilson has urged Catholics to join him in praying the Rosary for Life this May.

The Month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the prayer initiative encourages people to call on her intercession for those in our society who are facing growing threats of abortion, war, marginalisation and assisted suicide.

The Rosary for Life is prayed through the Joyful, Sorrowful, Luminous and Glorious Mysteries, each one offered for the most vulnerable in our society: unborn children at risk of abortion, victims of war and persecution, people with disabilities, and the elderly and vulnerable.

This prayer campaign is being launched at a critical moment, as proposals in Parliament to permit abortion up to birth, along with MPs vowing to try again to legalise assisted suicide, pose a grave and growing threat to the most vulnerable in our society.

On the sanctity of unborn life and calling for an end to abortion, Archbishop John said: "Unborn children have been called by God and they have been named by God. Their names, like yours and mine, are already carved on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As followers of the Lord Jesus, we are called to walk in his ways and proclaim his truth, and that means opposing abortion and giving a voice to the voiceless child in their mother's womb".

On war and peace, Archbishop John said: "In the face of war, we must be clear that God demands peace. I am not a politician, nor a statesman. I am a disciple and a shepherd. I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I know as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, each of us is called to be a beacon of his peace".

On protecting disabled people, Archbishop John said: "Our Church and our society, must be a place of welcome and belonging for all - especially our disabled brothers and sisters… let us be witnesses to the truth that every person is indispensable to God and deserving of dignity and respect".

On protecting elderly people and the vulnerable, especially against the risks of assisted suicide, Archbishop John said: "We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. Life is not ours to dispose of - our duty is to support and care for our brothers and sisters who are suffering".

Each of the Mysteries is accompanied by a reflection from the Archbishop, Scripture readings and prayer intentions for each decade. It is available in video, audio and written format at rcaos.org.uk/rosaryforlife. The Mysteries and their intentions:

Joyful Mysteries (1 May - 9 May): pray for unborn children and an end to abortion
Sorrowful Mysteries (10 May - 16 May): pray for peace and for victims of war
Luminous Mysteries (17 May - 23 May): pray for people with disabilities
Glorious Mysteries (24 May - 30 May): pray for the elderly and vulnerable

Pray the rosary. Encounter Christ. Defend life.

All resources are available, for free, at: www.rcaos.org.uk/rosaryforlife. The audio versions are available to download for free via all major Podcast platforms.

Further Links

To oppose the deeply troubling threats to the most vulnerable in our society and support the campaign for life, visit: https://righttolife.org.uk/.

To pray and support the campaign for peace see: https://paxchristi.org.uk/

To pray and support the campaign against Assisted Dying see: Read more about Care Not Killing: https://carenotkilling.org.uk/