HONG KONG (SE): The life-giving nature of love as exemplified by the Virgin Mary was remembered on Pro-life Day, May 31, as the Diocesan Commission for Marriage and the Family organised a Mass at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Caine Road, and a subsequent film screening.
Father Dominic Lui Chi-man, in his homily, said that the global fertility crisis was caused by a lack of faith and hope, urging the congregation to fight against “the culture of death.”
Pro-life Day has been observed in the diocese since 2017, commemorating the visit of the pregnant Virgin Mary to her also expecting cousin, Elizabeth.
Earlier on May 25, Father Gervais Baudry celebrated a thanksgiving Mass for miscarried and aborted babies at St. Raphael’s Catholic Cemetery [Cheung Sha Wan] which concluded with a prayer for the departed in front of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Pro-life organisations participated in the gathering and the Mass, including representatives from Catholic hospitals, the Fu Hong Society, the Diocesan Pastoral Centre for the Disabled, the Caritas Hong Kong Family Service, the Hong Kong Catholic Marriage Advisory Council, and the Birthright Society among others .
In his homily Father Lui, who is director of the Bioethics Resource Centre at Holy Spirit Seminary of Theology and Philosophy College, explored the relationship between faith and fertility as well as the cultural challenges facing our society.
The more people leave God, the more lost they are and the less they dare to love. As a result of God’s absence, there is only pain and loss of hope, creating a culture of death and waste, and leaving a generation without hope
Father Lui
He noted that the Virgin Mary’s desire for children illustrates the life-giving nature of conjugal love. In contrast, he cited statistics over the past 30 years showing that as many as 51 countries are unable to properly replace the previous generation due to declining fertility.
“The more people leave God, the more lost they are and the less they dare to love. As a result of God’s absence, there is only pain and loss of hope, creating a culture of death and waste, and leaving a generation without hope,” he said.
Father Lui believes issues caused by the culture of death have recently become even more acute as the French Parliament voted on March 4 to enshrine the right to abortion in the constitution. He emphasised the importance of faith in restoring a transcendent perspective on life, moving individuals away from self-centredness and toward a greater understanding of family and love.
Father Lui concluded by calling for the protection of all vulnerable individuals, including the unborn, the sick, the suffering and the elderly.
Prayers were offered for Church leaders, pro-life workers, couples facing trials, and charity groups. A prayer for life, written by Pope John Paul II, was recited at the conclusion of the Mass.
Pro-life group members then attended a gathering on the ninth floor auditorium of the Catholic Diocese Centre. A micro-movie produced by the commission and other pro-life groups entitled “At the Crossroads of Life” was shown to illustrate the struggles of a father whose wife’s life was in danger during delivery, but both mother and child survived.
During his message before the screening, Father Lui explained that the foetus is not a part of the mother’s body, and the longer the pregnancy lasts, the more independent the foetus becomes. He said that a mother should not consider that she has the right to have an abortion because the value of life is greater.
Faith is at the core of this hope, which is strengthened through shared belief, enabling individuals to extend compassion and support to those in need
Deacon Gabriel Lau
Doctor Wilson Chan, currently working at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, remarked that while the law permits abortions before 24 weeks, this artificial act is not consistent with the Church’s teaching as life is a gift from God which no one has the right to take away.
Observing that 44 million abortions are performed each year, half of them under unsafe conditions, he stressed the detrimental effects abortions have on the body, the mind, and the soul of a woman.
He also shared about his wife’s miscarriage and how they coped with the help of faith, and that the remains of the foetus were buried in Angel’s Garden, Cheung Sha Wan.
Deacon Gabriel Lau, chairperson of the commission, concluded the gathering saying that pro-life communities share a common mission to save, develop, and protect life despite the challenges. He urged them to remain hopeful, as symbolised by the Year of Jubilee theme “Pilgrims of Hope.”
He said, “Faith is at the core of this hope, which is strengthened through shared belief, enabling individuals to extend compassion and support to those in need.”
At the end of the gathering, a round of applause was given to parents and communities present who care for vulnerable people.
