SW News: The Church in Italy will observe the 45th Day for Life on the first Sunday in February with the theme "Death is never a solution."

The theme for this year’s Day for Life comes from the Book of Wisdom in the Old Testament: God "created all things for their own purposes; the creators of the world are bearers of salvation, since there is no poison of death in them." (Wis 1:14). All around the nation, the Movement for Life has put up information booths to "promote its efforts in defence of nascent life" and raise funds for women and children in need.

Ahead of the 45th Day for Life, the Episcopal Conference of Italy (CEI) issued a statement. Pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses were the primary targets of the bishops' advocacy for a "culture of life" since they were "the most vulnerable in today's society." Other groups mentioned were refugees escaping violence and those who are victims of human trafficking.

The bishops were surprised to learn that "for all of them, fast and easy shortcuts occasionally succeed, resulting in issues being solved by murdering the unborn, the sick, the afflicted, and those seeking to flee war, poverty, or misery." According to the CEI statement, deciding to end one's life is never a good idea since it confines rather than liberates the soul.

After making their points, the bishops questioned whether or not abortion could be considered freedom for a woman who feels she has no choice but to terminate a pregnancy.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Italian pro-life organization Movimento per la Vita (Movement for Life, MpV), Marina Casini, is reportedly appealing to the Maltese to maintain their current abortion policy while a bill to change it is debated in Parliament.