‘DEEP FRANCE IS WAKING UP!’
FR. KRYSTIAN GAWRON
The Encyclical ‘Evangelium vitae’ of John Paul II has an extremely prophetic character. It was a warning against ‘the war against life’ in the scale of the planet
Conferences of the United Nations Organization in Rio de Janeiro, Cairo, Beijing, Copenhagen and Johannesburg were trying to enforce a strategy of ‘the war against life’ in EU countries in an institutional way.
Culture of death
The impulse of the natural self-defence of humankind was manifested (and is still manifested) by non-governmental organizations, with the whole range of anthropological motivations. However, in the meantime, ‘the war against life’ is taking place in particular countries. ‘The culture of life’ lasts with the ‘culture of death’. Here there is no place for passive onlookers. It is necessary to define oneself – and definitely!
It is 35 years since the Catholics in the United States (and not only the Catholics) reveal, through manifestations, genocidal character of abortion which in the USA, during 41 years, has killed 55 million of the unborn. Even American bishops were sued to court for their participations in the anti-abortion manifestations. However, they do not give up the fight for ‘the culture of life’. In January 2014, the Episcopal Conference of the USA was conducting the Great Novena under the name: ‘Nine days for Life’. This movement is spreading to new countries. In the recent time it has become very noticeable in Spain.
France does not want to be left behind. ‘Law of Simone Veil’ lays responsibility onto the consciences of voters for killing 40 thousand defenceless babies every year. So, in 2005 a social movement of opposition was established in France, which demands abrogation of this law, and also the so-called Marches our la Vie have been organized. Participants of this year’s marches dressed up in costumes of national colours of Spain started fighting more definitely for the same purposes in France.
Against law of abortion
The first Pro-Life March on Sunday 19 January 2014 was attended by 40 thousand people. It was also attended by bishops. The purposes were defined very clearly: 1) abolition of the law of Veil; 2) protest against governmental intents of introducing law of euthanasia, with the warning against trivialization of the pro-life debate; 3) defence of democracy. It may be a shocking fact that there is a necessity to defend democracy in France – ‘a tutoress of nations’. For, here totalitarian law was established that advising someone not to have abortion undergoes punitive proceeding with the perspective of 2 years of imprisonment or a fine up to 30 thousand euro!
A day of wrath
Sunday 26 January was called by demonstrators in Paris (65 thousand) the ‘Day of wrath’. The so-called Deep France is waking up. The French were protesting against trivialization of life whose sign was, among the others, treating the human embryo as ‘a laboratory material’. They expressed their anger because of the tougher censorship, dictatorial raising taxes and liquidation of family benefits. On the “Day of wrath’ the French expressed their definite attitude in the defence of family rights and protesting against the so-called law of Taubira which legalizes homosexual couples having the right to adopt children. Unfortunately, the demonstrators were joined by people with completely different demands causing excesses and the French authorities assiduously put it all on the account of organizers in order to depreciate the manifestation.
The French nation against the anti-family policy
The most important Pro-Life March took place in France on Sunday 2 February 2014. It was attended by 500 thousand people! A similar march in Lyon gathered 40 thousand people. Shouts, slogans, demands were similar. People were marching with banners presenting a pregnant woman with the inscription: ‘Neither for sale nor for letting’. The whole France was represented. Inhabitants of Bordeaux, Saint-Malo, Thionville and Nicea arrived in Paris. Young and elderly people – the whole range of generations. Peacefully, with dignity but persistently, they were unmasking the anti-family policy, laws destroying the society, like the gender ideology smuggled into school curriculum.
Demonstrators do not expect a big result. The street leading to the headquarter of the prime minister was blocked. It is as if the government of France was holding the power from bunker – being deaf to social protests. The French people experienced it previously, when the government had ignored the big social protest. Demonstrations: neither the first one – over a million of participants, nor the second one – over two million of participants, had any response! Well, many participants of these manifestations were severely punished, not saying about high fines which were imposed on organizers. The main organizer even received an injunction of eviction from her flat in Paris! So, the French people are still waiting (more and more impatiently) for the nearest elections, whose result seems to be prejudged – especially after the last scandals concerning the presidential couple. Will the ‘Deep France’ really resist these tendencies in the nearest elections? Time will show. However, it is seen more and more clearly that here the natural self-preservation instinct has appeared.
Poland as a ‘parrot of nations’?
The same question refers to ‘aping’ tendencies from France in our Homeland. The recent legislative excesses of the French government are destroying the previous honourable name of France as the ‘tutoress of nations’. Will Poland stop being ‘a parrot of nations’ at last? Pope Francis appealed ‘that the Christians should courageously demand the recognition of their dignity, identity and rights’. As long as it is possible, everyone has a duty to follow the moral imperative of conscience in every voting.
(AA)
"Niedziela" 7/2014