Catholic Union Deputy Director, James Somerville-Meikle, writes:
Last Saturday I joined over 8,000 young Catholics for FLAME at Wembley Arena. It was an extraordinarily powerful and moving event.
In a testament to its reach and diversity, there were messages of support from Pope Francis along with TV stars Ant and Dec. Ant’s brother, Fr Dermott Donnelly had been the driving force behind FLAME for so many years before his death last summer.
The keynote speaker, Cardinal Luis Tagle, urged those present to “rise up” and give life to their faith through their lives. You don’t need to look very far to see where Catholics are called to rise up in our world today.
There is a need to rise up in support of the dignity of life and those who now face arrest for being silent witnesses for Christ outside abortion clinics. There is a need to rise up to help the stranger and the refugee. And there is a need to rise up in support of the victims of war and genocide.
The Catholic Union along with many other groups and individuals are working hard to share the Church’s message on these matters. Find a cause that inspires you, and rise up!