His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he will hold a “Vigil for All Nascent Human Life” on Saturday, November 27 at St. Peter’s Basilica. The vigil, held on the eve of the first Sunday of Advent, is a call from the Pope to all Catholics to pray for an end to abortion.
We at the League applaud the Holy Father and thank him for remembering the most vulnerable among us as we approach the feast of the Nativity of Our Lord.
The Holy Father has also requested that “all Diocesan Bishops (and their equivalent) of every particular church preside in analogous celebrations involving the faithful in their respective parishes, religious communities, associations and movements.” In other words, Pope Benedict would like this to be a worldwide prayer event.
I’m happy to say that Cardinal George of the Archdiocese of Chicago has heeded the call and will be celebrating the Vigil for All Nascent Human Life at 6:30 p.m. at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago (map) which will include Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. Cardinal George has even written a letter encouraging all his priests to do the same at their parishes.
So find out if anything is happening on November 27 at your parish, and if not, speak with your pastor to see if something can be arranged. More information and all the rubrics the Holy Father will use for the vigil are available on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops website.
