A bell for unborn children rings nightly at 8:00 p.m. in San Remo, Italy, initiated by Bishop Antonio Suetta as a 'daily call to conscience.' Local Democratic Party members and progressives have criticized the initiative, renaming it the 'Abortion Bell.' The Diocese states the bell honors the memory of unborn children lost to abortion and serves as an invitation to reflection and prayer. Bishop Suetta defended the initiative, calling abortion a crime and a tragedy, and confirmed the bell ringing will continue due to positive reception from the faithful. The bell's ringing coincides with the end of the Jubilee in the Diocese and the Liturgical Memorial of the Holy Innocents.
about 2 months ago
Since December 28, 2021, a bell at the Curia headquarters of Villa Giovanna D’Arco in San Remo, Italy, has rung every evening at 8:00 p.m. to honor aborted unborn children.1
Blessed on February 5, 2022, the bell serves as a "daily call to conscience," promoting prayer, reflection, mercy, and hope, with an inscription commemorating the 40 Days for Life campaign.1
Local left-wing figures, including Democratic Party members like regional councilor Enrico Loculano, Imperia councilor Eduardo Verda, and progressive Maria Spinosi, have dubbed it the "Abortion Bell" and harshly criticized Bishop Antonio Suetta.1
Arcigay Imperia President Pierluca Viani argued the bell should honor victims of wars, rape, violence, and poverty instead of "so-called ‘Unborn Children’" amid global conflicts.1
Bishop Suetta dismissed the controversy as predictable propaganda, asserting abortion is a "crime" and "tragedy," not a right or civilized conquest.1
He emphasized the initiative counters political correctness, reminds people that state legality does not equal moral legitimacy, and has been positively received by the faithful, tying it to the end of a diocesan Jubilee and the Memorial of the Holy Innocents.1
The bishop confirmed the bell will keep ringing at 8:00 p.m., underscoring every life's dignity and the Christian call to love, acceptance, and truth.1
Suetta, known for opposing Italy's Law 194 on abortion and LGBT+ "rights," aims to challenge imposed cultural narratives through this persistent reminder.1
Investigate Catholic doctrine on unborn life and liturgical memory
Catholic teaching unequivocally affirms that human life is sacred from the moment of conception, entrusting every person with an inviolable right to life as a gift from God. "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being." This principle, rooted in natural law, Scripture, and Tradition, extends explicitly to the unborn, who must be treated as persons deserving full protection. "Every human life, from the moment of conception until death, is sacred because the human person has been willed for its own sake in the image and likeness of the living and holy God." Similarly, "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception", and "Because it should be treated as a person from conception, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed like every other human being."
This doctrine condemns direct abortion as an intrinsically evil act, a grave moral disorder that no circumstance, law, or intention can justify. Pope John Paul II declared, "direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being." The Church's canonical tradition imposes excommunication latae sententiae on those who procure a completed abortion, underscoring its severity while calling for repentance and conversion. Recent papal teaching reinforces this: Pope Leo XIV has rejected abortion as denying the gift of life, urging support for mothers instead of practices that suppress it. Pope Francis echoed Vatican II, naming abortion and infanticide "abominable crimes" and the unborn as "the example of innocence par excellence." Humanae Vitae further excludes "all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons"** as unlawful.
The Church's liturgical calendar preserves the memory of innocent lives lost through violence via the Feast of the Holy Innocents on December 28, within the Octave of Christmas. This commemorates the children of Bethlehem slaughtered by Herod in his rage to destroy the Christ Child, as recounted in the Gospel: "When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under" (Mt 2:16). These infants, unable to profess faith yet honored as the first martyrs for Christ, are called a "tender flock of lambs" in tradition, evoking tenderness, sympathy, and indignation against their killers.
Instituted by the fifth century, the feast falls in Christmastide to highlight how the newborn Savior's light pierces darkness, even as it provokes hatred. The Roman liturgy uses purple vestments, omitting Gloria and Alleluia in compassion for the weeping mothers, symbolized by Rachel's lament (Mt 2:18; Jer 31:15). Hymns like "Salvete flores martyrum" celebrate them as flowers of martyrdom accompanying Christ's entry into the world. Popular piety has long fostered acts of worship, charity for mothers, and promotion of adoption on this day.
The Church intentionally links the Holy Innocents' memory to contemporary threats against unborn life, viewing Herod's massacre as a prototype of abortion's violence. "On this day, it is appropriate to recall the vast host of children not yet born who have been killed under the cover of laws permitting abortion, which is an abominable crime." This connection draws from the Gospel's warning of tyrannical power over the vulnerable, paralleling modern laws that enable the destruction of innocents. The USCCB urges parishes to include pro-life prayers in Masses, vigils like the National Prayer Vigil for Life, and support for those grieving lost children, fostering a culture of life through liturgy and action.
Scripture supports this: 1 John proclaims God's light cleansing sin through Christ's sacrifice, offering hope amid human darkness (1 Jn 1:5-2:2), while Psalm 124 sings of divine deliverance from overwhelming floods, akin to escaping Herod's snare (Ps 124:2-8). The Innocents, baptized in blood, exemplify innocence vindicated by God.
Pastoral efforts emphasize prayer, fasting, and education to dismantle the "culture of death," as John Paul II urged.
In summary, Catholic doctrine safeguards unborn life as sacred from conception, rejecting abortion as murder, while the Feast of the Holy Innocents liturgically honors these proto-martyrs and extends their witness to today's unborn victims. This unified teaching calls the faithful to prayer, advocacy, and charity, transforming grief into Gospel action for life's protection.