EUROPE, LET US LIVE

MAŁGORZATA CICHOŃ

On 17 November this year, the First European Pro-Life Congress ended in Cracow. – We hope that nearly 2 million votes of citizens who do not agree to financing abortion and experiments on human embryos from the EU budget, will be respected! – say leaders of the European Civilian Initiative ‘One of us’

So far they have known one another mainly from telephone or email contacts. They met together for the first time just in Poland. The initiator of the initiative ‘One of us’, the euro-deputy Carlo Casini explains: - The greatest life defender was a bishop in Cracow – John Paul II, who told us: ‘I ask you to regard a conceived baby as a human being with all his rights’. And we answer: It is just One of us!

The Italian politician, speaking to the Pope’s compatriots, said: - In you homeland you have the Master of Life, read his encyclicals and implement them in your life. Thanks to ‘Solidarity’ you destroyed the Berlin wall. Today there is a different wall which divides people who are for life and against life. This wall should be destroyed! Carlo Casini thinks that ‘One of us’ is a real chance to achieve it: - Our Civic Initiative developed in all 28 EU countries, and in 20 countries (against 7 necessary) it was possible to exceed required conditions. Among other initiatives we are also number one, as far as the number of collected signatures is concerned!

Ecumenism of life

Pro-Life activists met together in Cracow in order to sum up what had been achieved so far, get prepared for presentation of the Initiative in the forum of the European Parliament, and also reflect on how to use the network of cooperation. – We created a kind of ecumenism of life. The net is composed by both the Catholics and the orthodox or protestants. Many people joined in who are not religious at all. We created this network, so that Europe regained its dignity. It is Europe which is a real embryo which exists and which must develop. I speak about Europe of values, Europe of the truth! – says Carlo Casini.

The Euro-deputy admits that there have been attempts for many years to create an international pro-life movement. Although during the congress in Cracow it was not possible to establish a formal structure, ‘this federation somehow started existing, because it is based on facts, not on words’. A coordinator of the European Initiative ‘One of us’ from Spain, Anna del Pino, in an interview with ‘Niedziela’ confirms: The directors’ committee established by us will have a new task now: to prepare the status of the federation. I cannot still speak about a specific date of establishing the structure, because its establishment is not easy, considering the fact that it is to comprise 28 countries. Consultations are needed, and we met here for the first time. However, we feel great support of citizens of Europe and this motivates us for further action – says del Pino.

Pray and work

Being asked how we, citizens, can support this Initiative in this phase, one of the Brussels co-operators of Anna del Pino answers: - Pray. Now, the intention is that the Union would verify the collected votes positively.

Fr. Tomasz Kancelarczyk from Foundation of Little Feet from Szczecin, who participated in the panel of Polish pro-life organizations the conference, says: - The Initiative ‘One of us’ is a capital, a step towards enforcing issues in the defence of life. We must use it, but the victory is the fact that the federation of European pro-life movements will exist.

The priests adds that we must be aware of the enormous abortion lobby. He encourages everybody to join in the ‘Prayer Window of Life’(information: www.dlazycia.info): - It is a box of prayer full of prayers from 60 religious communities, convents and seminaries, also those abroad, from example, in Ukraine, France, Kenia. The issue ‘One of us’ will be the intention of our prayers.

Euro-deputies, present at the European panel (Carlo Casini, Konrad Szymański, Jan Olbrycht, Mirosław Piotrowski) emphasize that apart from the fervour of defence of life, we also need competence, courage and systematic, planned action. The Italian politician thinks that with the current attitude of euro-deputies, among whom ‘logics of silence’ is dominating, a full victory of the Civic Initiative will be possible in the next cadence of the Parliament. – Our work forces us to reflection, it is an initiative of epochal and historical character! Casini emphasizes that people who supported ‘One of us’ should choose such political groups so that this initiative would be progressing.

Man, fight!

A significant moment of the congress was granting dr. Wanda Półtawska an Award of Mother Theresa of Calcuta – a reward granted by European pro-life movements.

Dr. Wanda Półtawska gave a lecture entitled: ‘A man’s role in defence of life’ in which she emphasized that it is a man’s role which decides about human life. She noted that a man’s role is important in bringing up for responsibility, chastity and marital faithfulness. – Men, your role is to promote the concept of men’s chastity – she said. – A child’s life depends on a father. All killed babies in Europe are babies whose fathers turned out to be irresponsible!

The lecturer added that we should acknowledge the holiness of man’s and woman’s body. She recommended men to defend this basic value, against the EU legislation which allows for and promotes crimes against life. - Fight against the trend of the world – it is your task! - emphasized the friend of blessed John Paul II.

(AA)

"Niedziela" 47/2013

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl