At a special ceremony held on Tuesday, the “Voice of the Unborn” bell was cast in Jan Felczyński’s bell foundry in Przemyśl in eastern Poland. The bell is meant for Zambia, and the archbishop of Lusaca, Alick Banda, participated in the ceremony remotely.
“I am glad that I can participate in the birth of the bell for Zambia,” said the archbishop. “The ‘Voice of the Unborn’ bell brings hope for the world, for the people and for the future. Every gift that can be given by people starts from the gift that is life,” he added.
He stressed that the bell that was created for Zambia will help make the entire world hear “the cries of children that will touch the hearts of people.
“Together, we can change the world and help the unborn secure their right to life,” the archbishop added.
The bell will be displayed at the Infant Jesus Cathedral in Lusaka and later will visit many towns and villages in Zambia.
It was the fourth “Voice of the Unborn” bell that was cast in Przemyśl on the initiative of the Polish Foundation “Yes to Life.” Bogdan Romaniuk, the founder of the foundation, explained the bell will be consecrated by Pope Francis in the first quarter of 2023.
“Its voice will sensitize people and prompt them to defend the inalienable right to life of the conceived child and remind of the tragedy of abortion,” said Romaniuk.
The “Yes to Life” foundation, through various initiatives, promotes the need to protect human life from the moment of conception until a natural death. One of these projects is the “Voice of the Unborn” bells, which aims to mobilize people to protect human life.
In 2021, two “Voice of the Unborn” bells were cast, which were consecrated by Pope Francis in Rome and transported to Ecuador and Ukraine. On Dec. 8, the third bell tolled in the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, reminding all that the life of every human being is sacred.
The casting of the next bells in the Polish foundry is currently being discussed and are expected to be sent to Mexico and France.
The Catholic Church arrived in Zambia by the end of the 19th century. Polish missionaries played a major role in the country’s evangelization. According to 2020 statistics, Catholics made up 32.6 percent of all Zambians, 85.5 percent of whom are Christian.
The bell for Zambia features an element in the shape of genetic code and the words of the Fifth Commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.”
There is also a symbol of the joint episcopal rings of the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, and Archbishop of Lusaca Emmanuel Milingo, with the inscription: “The symbol of a spiritual bond between the Catholic Churches of Poland and Zambia, Warsaw 1970.”
