March
for Life celebrates growing momentum
By Deborah Gyapong
Canadian
Catholic News
OTTAWA (CCN) — The largest ever March for Life May 13 marked a growing
momentum in the pro-life movement.
The crowd celebrated
the recent defeat of the euthanasia and assisted suicide Bill C-384 and
Parliament’s vote not to include abortion in a Canadian-led G8 maternal
and child health initiative.
“These are two tangible, visible steps that we are moving toward a culture of life in Canada,” said Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl
Anderson on
Parliament Hill.
He cited studies that show 64 per cent of women were pressured into
having abortions
and 83 per cent regretted having one.
“There are no winners in abortion, there are only dead children
and
wounded men
and women,” he said.
But the legal vacuum that provides no protection for the unborn child
up until birth led to a call for justice and courage from Cardinal Marc
Ouellet.
“We support
this stance of the government not to finance abortion in countries of
the Third World,” said the Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada.
“But we would like some more courage, to do something more in Canada
on behalf of the unborn.”
“The
battle for life, the right for life, this battle is a spiritual battle
so we pray,” the cardinal said. “It is also a cultural battle
and it is a juridical battle, so that’s why we come together and
we ask for justice.”
Ouellet saluted
the courage of those willing to stand up for life and family, especially
those from Quebec, where he said there is a great need to rebuild the
culture of life.
He spoke of
the need to defend life not only from conception, but until natural death.
The raging debate over abortion in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s promised Canadian-led G8 initiative made the mainstream news media take notice of the usually ignored event.
About 21 members of the Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus greeted the marchers
from the steps in front of Centre Block. Caucus Chair Rod Bruinooge urged
support for Roxanne’s Law, a bill to make it illegal to coerce a
woman to have an abortion.
The three-day event began with a pro-life mass May 12 celebrated by Canada’s
new Apostolic Nuncio Pedro Lopez Quintana, followed by a candlelight vigil.
On May 13, both of Canada’s historic basilicas drew standing room
only crowds.
In his homily at Notre Dame Cathedral, Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast
reminded Catholics that even if the truth is not immediately evident,
its power “triumphs over deceit, lies, ignorance and evil as Christ
rose triumphant over the grave.”
“Whether the message we bring is accepted or not, we walk with Christ,”
he said.
 |
|