Often scattered, the pews of the church always fill up at Christmas. This year, the French episcopate has decided to take advantage of this enthusiasm which it knows is unique in the year to send a political message. The Conference of Bishops of France (CEF) has in fact recommended that a universal prayer on the subject of the end of life be read, in all parishes of the country, at the end of the homily at Christmas mass.
The Church has never hidden its unfavorable position with regard to a possible legalization of euthanasia, calling, through the voice of its prelates in various forums and other press interviews, rather for a generalization of euthanasia. offering palliative care throughout the territory. In the prayer that they recommend priests to recite, the bishops also refer to their opposition to abortion, speaking of the two ends of existence, its beginning and its end.
“On this Christmas night/day, when God comes to visit our humanity and live a life similar to ours, we pray to you, Lord, with all the parishes of France, for the respect and protection of life, of its conception to its natural end. » And to continue by appealing directly to politicians: “May the light of Bethlehem enlighten our rulers so that those who are responsible for drawing up and voting on the law become more aware of the fact that all life is a gift for humanity, that all life is worthy and respectable. » Prayer finally calls everyone to commit “more with the most fragile and vulnerable to build an authentically human civilization”.
Spiritual time
Universal prayers are texts read during mass every Sunday, in order to pray for the world, society, politicians. Already in 2012, the bishops of France had asked priests to read a prayer against marriage for all. In 2020, it is the bill extending medically assisted procreation to all who were the subject of a prayer intention of this kind in all parishes.
In addition to the opportunity to reach more faithful than usual during Christmas masses, it is also the possible presentation, at the beginning of 2024, of a bill on the end of life which, of course, decided the bishops to make this recommendation. “The episcopate clearly sees that the bill is in the works and wants to have its influence in the debates in its own way: their way of doing it is to talk to everyone about it at Christmas”explains a priest.
For Vincent Jordy, archbishop of Tours and vice-president of the CEF, there are two stages in the way the Church engages on the issue. First, the political time during the various meetings with the authorities, such as with the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, in March, or the current Minister of Health, Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, in September. “During these interviews, we presented our reasonable arguments which were also developed by associations of caregivers, philosophers, jurists…”, he explains. Today has come, he continues, the spiritual time. “It’s Christmas, a time that shows us that God has so much respect for human life that he made himself one of us. And we want to take this moment to say that this life has value at all times regardless of the age and health of the body. »
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