(ZENIT News / Rome, 01.15. 2026) – Since December 28, 2021, at the Curia headquarters of Villa Giovanna D’Arco — in the city of San Remo on the northern coast of Italy –, the bell for unborn children has been ringing every evening at 8:00 p.m. in the church tower as a «daily call to conscience.”
Renamed «Abortion Bell» by local members of the Democratic Party and the Left, such as Enrico Loculano, regional councilor, Eduardo Verda, councilor of Imperia, and Maria Spinosi, progressive from Ventimiglia, who harshly criticized the initiative of the local Bishop Antonio Suetta, who proposes the sound in remembrance of aborted babies.
«This bell was born from the desire to give voice to those who could not speak, to keep alive in the heart of the Church the memory of unborn children lost to abortion,» states the Diocese’s website. «It rings every evening as a daily reminder of conscience, prayer, and mercy. Its sound will be an invitation to silence, reflection, compassion, and hope.» The bell was blessed on February 5, 2022, during the Day of Life Prayer Vigil at the Co-Cathedral Basilica of San Siro and bears the inscription «Forty days of life, December 28, 2021 – February 6, 2022. To all unborn children.»
Bishop Suetta commented on the website provitaefamiglia.it: «I’m not responding to the controversy, because it’s a controversy I expected and it doesn’t offer anything new. They always repeat the same refrain, that the ‘Bell of Life’ is precisely what it aims to correct. Abortion is not a right, it’s a crime; it’s not a conquest of civilization, it’s a tragedy. Abortion is not a solution to problems, but the press, as always, takes up the topic with the typical slant of the prevailing culture and propaganda.»
When asked about the continuation of the initiative, he replied: «It has been well received by the faithful. People are sensitive to this issue and have shared and valued the initiative, which will undoubtedly continue. It should be noted, among other things, that it’s not a new initiative, because the bell marks the end of the Jubilee in our Diocese and the Liturgical Memorial of the Holy Innocents.»
The initiative has inevitably generated controversy against a Bishop known for his stance against Law 194, which facilitates abortion in Italy, as well as against the so-called «rights of the LGBT+ community.» The Bishop clarifies: «Unfortunately, there is a certain deafness to the issue because today we are very influenced by political correctness and by much confusion surrounding our position. Many people believe that if a practice is permitted by State law, it automatically becomes legitimate. And that is precisely the purpose of our initiative: to offer a different perspective from the one they want to impose on public opinion.»
The President of Arcigay Imperia, Pierluca Viani, declared: «In a world torn apart by atrocious conflicts, where innocent lives are shattered by wars, one would expect a spiritual guide, who prays for the good of humanity, to raise his voice against these true brutalities, instead of dedicating bells to so-called ‘Unborn Children.’ In my opinion, the bells should be dedicated and rung in honour of the victims of armed conflict, rape, violence, and poverty: the true evils of the world.»
Bishop Suetta stated that there is no turning back and the bell will continue to ring at 8:00 p.m. to «remind us that every life is a gift, that every human being has infinite dignity, and that the Christian response to the wounds of the world always involves love, acceptance, and truth.»
