SALT LAKE CITY — Bishop Oscar A. Solis celebrated the traditional Mass for the Unborn and Ceremony of Light at the Cathedral of the Madeleine on Jan. 21. Several priests of the diocese concelebrated, including Father Martin Diaz, cathedral rector.
The gathering was “to remind ourselves of the precious gift of life God has given and blessed us [with],” and was a time to pray in a special way for the millions of children lost to abortion, the bishop said in his homily, speaking in both English and Spanish. “Life comes from God; it is sacred from the moment of conception until natural death. For this reason, we protect and defend every human life especially the innocent life in the womb of their mother, the poor and the vulnerable, the sick, the elderly, homeless and addicts, those incarcerated and on the death row, the migrants as well as the refugees.”
Catholics must profess the “absolute truth” that “the sanctity of the life of every person is God’s will and design,” the bishop said. “Abortion not only denies a helpless innocent child of the fundamental right to life but is a grievous sin against God and brings misery and suffering to the mother, their family, society and humanity.”
Protecting life is just not a matter of the Catholic faith, but plain common sense, he said, adding that the Mass and the March for Life on the next day “give us the opportunity to involve God’s help and save precious lives. We believe we cannot do it alone, but we must rely on the power of God’s grace for with God everything is possible.”
Since abortion was made legal in the United States 49 years ago, millions of lives have been lost to abortion, he said, but “the constant prayer, courage and perseverance of so many is gaining ground,” especially with the Dobbs case now before the U.S. Supreme Court, which many hope will restrict or abolish abortion in most instances.
Regardless of the outcome of the Dobbs case, “We must expand our efforts to provide care for mothers and children and reach out to women in crisis, struggling to make a choice for their future and life of the world,” Bishop Solis said.
At the end of the Mass, he gave a “special message” to the people of the diocese, extending his gratitude to them for their “collaboration and support in promoting a culture of life by protecting the life of every human person whether born or unborn, young or old.”
As part of that culture of life, the pandemic safeguards in every parish in the diocese are “not a political matter,” the bishop said. “Wearing masks in order to protect the life, safety and health of our brothers and sisters is not a political thing. It is a moral obligation. It is upholding the principle of life that we are given, blessed by God, to nourish, to safeguard and to protect. In the words of our Holy Father, it is an act of love to receive the vaccine, to wear masks and to do everything in our power to see to it that we prevent the spread of this infectious disease that put our brothers and sisters in hospitals and for others who could not survive it and died. It is an act of sacrifice to help our medical workers, those first responders [who] for two years have been giving their lives that others may live. It is safeguarding the life of all laborers who work day in and day out in their factories, in their workplace, grouped together to provide nourishment and sustenance and food on our table. As we celebrate this Mass to promote the Gospel of Life, let us walk the talk, let us build a culture of life by contributing in the prevention of the spread of this infectious disease, not by following politicians but following what our conscience and our faith and what our Church leaders teach us. Love one another, see to it that we continue in protecting and saving lives in the best way we can, in the little act of charity that we can do. … I hope that you understand that I stand in this church not to be political. I stand here as a shepherd of the Church and pastor to the pastoral care of every person whose life I have to preserve, to safeguard and protect. My dear friends, I ask for your prayers, I ask for your understanding, I ask for your support. Let us all respect life in every age and stage from conception to natural death. This is the genuine and authentic principle of our Christian faith. It is about saving lives and protecting the life of every human person, and may God bless us in all our efforts.”
Following the Mass, those who attended carried candles in honor of the victims of abortion outside and placed them on the steps of the cathedral. The Knights of Columbus offered an honor guard for this Ceremony of Light.
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