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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy!”  With these words, inspired by the Holy Spirit and faithfully transmitted to us by the Church, we set ourselves the task of considering this beautiful pro-life scene.  How can we not be moved by this event, where two pregnant mothers encounter each other?  It is their unborn children, interestingly, that instigate a radical transformation for the whole world.  “Although he was conceived in sin – original sin – like other men, St. John the Baptist was born sinless because he was sanctified in his mother’s womb by the presence of Jesus Christ (then in Mary’s womb) and of the Blessed Virgin.  On receiving this grace of God St. John rejoices by leaping with joy in his mother’s womb – thereby fulfilling the archangel’s prophecy (cf. Lk 1:15).”  We need to slowly meditate upon this gospel and ask our Blessed Mother to obtain for us the grace to be defenders of human life, especially the most vulnerable, the unborn child.  With the words of this gospel and the grace of God, we will wake up Cyprus and the whole world with our conviction in the sacredness of human life.   Together we will study the teaching of the Church on life and those crimes committed against life, especially abortion.”

+Selim Sfeir

Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus