GOSPORT, England, April 10, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – A religious community in England is launching a weekly international “pro-life Holy Hour” on Thursday to pray for the ending of abortion. The hour will be live-streamed globally on Radio Immaculata.
“Our pro-life Holy Hour is an initiative aiming at creating a chain of people around the world to pray together for the sake of human life so that it might be acknowledged by everyone as a mystery, naturally and supernaturally, to be honored and respected,” said Father Serafino M. Lanzetta Superior of the Marian Franciscans to LifeSiteNews.
“Life is a mystery, a great mystery. It is the very beginning of everything. This is the reason why we must support it as best we can,” he added.
The live Holy Hour will take place every Thursday from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM GMT. It’s launch date is set for April 12. The Friars have developed an app for both Android and Apple devices so people can more easily tune in for the Holy Hour.
The Franciscan friars say that prayer is needed more urgently than ever to end the estimated 1 million abortions that take place each week globally.
“As believers in Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord of Life, our pro-life vocation and mission becomes even more urgent and compelling. Through our pro-life activities and actions we wish to show everyone the love of the Lord of life who became Himself a Baby and laid in a Mother’s womb,” said Father Lanzetta.
The friars say that Jesus asked his disciples to watch and pray with him for one hour.
“How can we respond to the attack on the dignity of human life, so prevalent in our times in the ‘culture of death’ in which we are immersed? St Maximilian Kolbe, Patron of the Pro-Life Movement, explained to his Friars that only Prayer can lay the foundation for the conversion of hearts,” the friars say about the Holy Hour.
“In many developed countries, such as those in North America and Europe, where the attack on the unborn is most pronounced and where the capacity to change this intrinsically evil legislation seems almost impossible, we must through God’s mercy and Mary’s intercession seek to make the notion of abortion unthinkable,” they add.
The friars say that abortion has made a mother’s womb become the “most dangerous place.”
“What can we do? Jesus Christ instituted the most holy Sacrament, Tradition tells us around 7.00pm on Maundy Thursday. Then he went to Gethsemane and Calvary. Then let us keep watch with Jesus Christ Our Saviour, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the Heavenly Court in this hour. Were you there when they crucified your Lord? We can respond confidently, saying, ‘Yes, Lord, we watched with you,’” the friars state.
The Franciscan friars are asking those who wish to become part of the Holy Hour to invite others to join in.
“Let us defeat this diabolical attack with the power of prayer so that our hearts will be one and we will be like the multitude of believers in Acts 4:32 who ‘had but one heart and one soul.’”
Editor's note: Diane Montagna contributed to this report.