Marco Carvalho
On Saturday, March 21st, the Church of Saint Joseph’s Seminary welcomed a Way of the Cross for the Protection of Life. By organizing the initiative, the Macau Diocesan Commission for Life encouraged repentance and the contemplation of Christ’s suffering, highlighting at the same time the dignity and sacredness of human life.
The Seminary of Saint Joseph hosted last Saturday, March 21st, a Via Crucis for the Protection of Life. Organized by the Macau Diocesan Commission for Life, the penitential walk took place from 10:00 a.m. to noon, with participants assembling at the Seminary’s Church before processing along the traditional Stations of the Cross.
Held during the season of Lent, the initiative invited reflection on the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ to highlight the dignity and sacredness of human life from conception to natural death. The way of the cross encouraged contemplation of Christ’s suffering, repentance, renewal and a commitment to defending life amid contemporary challenges such as abortion and euthanasia, which the organizers linked to a “culture of death” and individualism.
The event featured Scripture readings, periods of meditation, prayers, and communal singing, all centered on Christ’s Passion. The Macau Diocesan Commission for Life described the Via Crucis as a profound Catholic tradition for fostering awareness of life’s value, praying for healing and mercy for those affected by threats to life. The organization hopes the Messiah’s suffering may inspire daily discipleship, so that the participants feel encouraged to “take up their own cross” while embracing the power of the Resurrection.
The event concluded a series activity promoted by the Macau Diocesan Commission for Life since the beginning of Lent. From February 20th onwards, the Commission began promoting on its Facebook page a “Rosary for the Protection of Life”, to encourage communal prayer for human dignity.
The penitential walk aligns with Catholic teaching on the inviolable dignity of human life, as articulated in Pope St. John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical “Evangelium Vitae” [“The Gospel of Life”]. The document emphasizes that the Gospel centers on abundant life through Christ and critiques practices undermining it, a theme frequently echoed in the commission’s undertakings. The Via Crucis reflects ongoing efforts by the Macau Diocesan Commission for Life to promote and defend human dignity across all stages of existence, through prayer, reflection and community action. The activity also took place amid the Catholic Diocese of Macau’s ongoing celebrations marking the 450th anniversary of its founding, which began in late January and will last until January 2027.
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