Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
Archbishop John Sherrington has announced the theme for this year’s Day for Life in a reflection for the Feast of the Annunciation.In his contemplation on the Virgin Mary’s ‘Yes’, Archbishop Sherrington calls to mind that:
“God chose to enter the world as an unborn child, embracing the fullness of human existence from its earliest stage. His coming reveals that at every point of development, the child in the womb is a unique and irreplaceable human person. This truth is now even reflected in certain civil procedures such as the granting of baby loss certificates to bereaved parents who lose a little one during pregnancy.
”Turning towards the Day for Life, Archbishop Sherrington announced:
“This same truth will form the theme of the forthcoming Day for Life, which will take place on Sunday, 21 June. The day will invite us to reflect on the humanity of the unborn and to acknowledge with compassion the deep grief experienced by parents who lose a child before or shortly after birth.”
Pope Leo XIV has sent a message to Sarah Mullally on the occasion of her installation as Archbishop of Canterbury, assuring her of his prayers and invoking “grace, mercy, and peace… in truth and love”.
The installation service, historically known as an enthronement, took place in Canterbury Cathedral on 25 March. In the presence of some 2,000 guests, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, it marks the symbolic start of Dame Sarah’s public ministry as the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has announced that the traditional Palm Sunday procession, which goes from the Mount of Olives up to Jerusalem, has been cancelled and will be replaced by a moment of prayer for the city at a location yet to be determined.
In a statement, the Cardinal explained that the Chrism Mass of Holy Thursday, usually held in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, has been postponed to a later date, as soon as the situation allows and possibly within the Easter season.
In a recent interview with Radio Maria, Bishop Paul Hendricks, Lead Bishop for Artificial Intelligence for the Bishops’ Conference, spoke about the ethical questions which AI raises and shares how the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales is engaging with technological developments.
Recognising the rapid progression of AI, Bishop Hendricks explained that while it isn’t yet possible to share a definitive Bishops’ Conference policy, it is nonetheless important to be part of the conversation, especially given the ethical concerns which AI raises.
Responding to a recent report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlighting that the period 2015-2025 is the hottest 11 years on record, Bishop John Arnold, Lead Bishop for Environmental Issues for the Bishops’ Conference, said:
“I was alarmed to see the recent World Meteorological Organization report suggesting that the climate is more out of balance than at any time in recorded history."
On 24 March 2026, Archbishop John Sherrington, Archbishop of Liverpool, formally opened a new safe house for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking operated by Medaille Trust. Speaking at the unveiling of the plaque Archbishop John welcomed it as a place of safety, refuge and sanctuary.
The new safe house is providing support for up to 18 male survivors at a time in Liverpool. Aside from safe and secure accommodation survivors will benefit from wraparound support including a dedicated caseworker and assistance with access to healthcare, legal support and help to begin the process of recovery.
Archbishop Richard Moth, Liaison Bishop for Prisons for the Bishops’ Conference, has welcomed the implementation of the Sentencing Act 2026 that has seen significant reform to short jail terms. The changes came into force on Monday, 23 March.
“I welcome the recent introduction of the reform of short prison sentences. In my role as Liaison Bishop for Prisons, I have repeatedly advocated for a statutory presumption against short custodial sentences, except as a last resort."
On Saturday 21 March, Bishop Stephen Wright, Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle and Chair of Trustees of CAFOD, blessed a new 8.24 hectare woodland creation project comprising 7,500 trees is getting underway at Emmaus Youth Village in Consett, Country Durham. The project is designed to support biodiversity, education and community wellbeing and is the flagship project for further local environmental conservation.
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is running a national campaign called Faith in Safeguarding to help faith communities and faith-based organisations better understand the legal duty to make barring referrals – the requirement under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 to notify DBS when someone is removed from a role due to safeguarding concerns.
The Faith in Safeguarding campaign raises awareness of the legal duty to refer – the process organisations must follow by law when there are safeguarding concerns about individuals in regulated activity, increasing understanding of when referrals must be made, how the process works, and why it matters.
Archbishop Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham and Chairman of the Bishops’ Conference Department for Dialogue and Unity, has expressed his deep sadness and closeness with the Jewish community following an antisemitic attack on four Hatzola ambulances.
Lamenting the “deliberate destruction of emergency vehicles that serve people of every background”, Archbishop Longley called for solidarity with the Jewish community and condemned “any act that seeks to instil fear or undermine their sense of safety and belonging in our shared society.”
Archbishop Richard Moth, Archbishop of Westminster, has issued a statement following an antisemitic arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish community charity in north London.
Four ambulances belonging to the Hatzola ambulance service, were found on fire in the early hours of the morning on Monday 23 March.
Last week, the House of Lords, in a misguided and sinister move, backed legislation to decriminalise abortions up to birth. Although the current legal limit of twenty-four weeks will remain for doctor-induced abortions, it will soon be legal for mothers themselves to kill their unborn child at any moment they wish up to full term. This is a truly shocking development. When abortion was first legalised in 1967, abortions in England and Wales were few and far between, yet by the end of the 1990s, almost 175,000 a year were taking place. Today there are over 300,000 a year – one in every three babies conceived. Abortion has been normalised, even though we know that as well as destroying the baby abortion greatly damages the mother.
Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, has written to the world’s Jains to mark their forthcoming Mahavir Janma Kalyanak Diwas celebrations.
Mahavir Janma Kalyanak Diwas falls on Tuesday, 31 March – the 90th day of the year. On this day, Jains celebrate the birth of the 24th Tirthankara, or Supreme Preacher, Shri Mahavir Bhagwan — Lord Mahavir — the last Tirthankara of this time cycle.
The Dicastery’s theme for the message is Christians and Jains: Promoting a virtuous use of media resources to build fraternity and peace.
Sunday 19 April – 4:30pm
Join with the Bishops of England and Wales to pray a Holy Hour for the dignity of all human life as peers in the House of Lords continue to debate whether to make Assisted Suicide law.
On Sunday, 19 April at 4:30 pm (UK time), the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales will hold a Holy Hour to pray for the promotion of a culture of life in our lands.
We are asking the parishes and Catholic communities of our two nations to unite and hold a Holy Hour on the same day as the Bishops.
When Bishop Jim Curry, our Lead Bishop for the Holy Land, and Dr Harry Hagopian, our former consultant on the Middle East North Africa region, last offered their thoughts on a podcast together, it was to contribute to the final episode of ‘Middle East Analysis’.
Just as we were lamenting the fact that the series had been placed on hold to consider its long-term future, something cataclysmic and literally earth-shattering took place that shook us from our self-imposed slumber to record a ‘special’ on the war in Iran and its wider regional consequences.
We’re encouraging our listeners to deepen their relationship with Christ through Scripture during Lent. As well as talking about the books of the Bible, Our Biblical Apostolate Manager, Fleur Dorrell, offers some achievable top tips to help us go deeper into Scripture as we journey towards Holy Week.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has passed through the House of Commons and is now with the House of Lords. Our clear principled objection to the Bill remains. The House of Lords has a responsibility to scrutinise the Bill in depth and reject it if necessary.
Unlike MPs, Members of the House of Lords do not have constituents, meaning there is not a Peer whose job it is to represent you based on the area of the country in which you live. For this reason you should take some time to think about which Peer you will write to and why, such as whether you have a personal or professional connection with them, or you have professional expertise in medicine or healthcare.
Please visit this link for full guidance to help you write to a Peer.
During Holy Week we follow Christ from his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem to the foot of the Cross as sorrowful bystanders to His Passion, before rolling back the stone of the empty tomb and the joy of the Resurrection.
Passion Sunday, or Palm Sunday as many people commonly know it, marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final Sunday of Lent – a day we commemorate the triumphant arrival of Christ into Jerusalem, just days before the crucifixion.
Lenten Resource
Our 2026 Lenten resource seeks to encourage an appreciation of what is given in Christian Baptism. God desires what is best for each of us while respecting our freedom to choose. To express our acceptance of the wonderful gift that God offers us, with open hearts and a willingness to change for the better, all we need to do is ask.
Lent resource
Throughout Lent, and particularly on Good Friday, we follow Our Lord Jesus Christ to the foot of the Cross as we commemorate His Passion and death through the Stations of the Cross.
This Lent, The Mark 10 Mission is introducing young people to this traditional Lenten devotion in an engaging and accessible way by providing online Stations of the Cross designed specifically for children.
On Friday 20 March, Bishop Gerard Bradley, a newly-ordained Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Southwark, joined Georgia Clarke from the Archdiocese, and Greg Finn from The Mark 10 Mission to present a half-hour Stations of the Cross reflection for young people.
Lent resource
Welcome to the Catholic Truth Society's Lent Retreat with Newman, an online retreat designed to help you to go deeper into the Gospels of Lent through the preaching of St John Henry Newman.
Lent resource
CSAN's Lent 2026 page offers a curated collection of spiritual resources to support parishes, clergy, and lay leaders throughout the season. Here you will find homily notes for each Sunday of Lent, alongside recommended books and other reflective resources, all designed to help deepen prayer, encourage conversion, and accompany communities on their Lenten journey.
The Maryvale Institute offers a full range of programmes for every ability, from easy short courses to a five-year PhD programme. Want to deepen your faith? Thinking about getting more involved with your parish, Catholic organisation or Diocese? Would you like to teach in Catholic institutions? One of these courses may be for you.
St George's Roman Catholic Church