Let’s Celebrate Life Conference

Warsaw, Poland

Sunday 23 June 2024

For the second year running, a pro-life conference has been organized in Warsaw at the Collegium Bobolanum Catholic Jesuit Academy by young people. The aim of the event was to galvanize young people to be ambassadors equipped for pro-life mission. The event was attended by 50 people. Speakers from 40 Days for Life and Pro-Life Europe attended the event.

Since last year’s workshop, a strong alliance and network of young people have organized two 40 Days for Life campaigns. They are at the beginning of starting a strong and influential pro-life apostolate. Zosia Rogala, Filip Lapinski, Zofia Bernardyn-Senatorska, Annamaria and Eliasz Grubinski along with their team have helped to make this a reality.

The foundation of a new apostolate and association is important because Poland remains at a crossroads in the heart of Europe, and needs to be ready for battle in order to retain her pro-life laws. The opportunity to bring leverage and scale to a new effort, with the translation of materials, introduction and implementation of successful projects to Poland and also evangelizing and engaging young people makes such a development not only providential but pertinent and vital to the protection of Polish traditions, values and customs. The right to life is the very first right.

Poland continues to have one of the strongest pro-life laws in Europe and worldwide, inconceivable in other Western secular countries that staunchly advocate abortion. Despite a new liberal Government, the President and the constitutional court have indicated that the law will not change in the immediate near future.

The ban on eugenic abortions in Poland galvanized a very large number of militant radicalized pro-abortion marches all over Poland in 2020. It was reported that the militant pro-abortion activism of the 2020 Marches alienated the more moderate end of those in favor of abortion and as a result despite huge marches nothing substantive was achieved at the time for the pro-abortion movement.

At this time the pro-life movement is united in Poland. Abortion in Poland is allowed in cases of rape and for mental and physical illness so there are abortions happening in hospitals and being ordered by psychiatrists in mental hospitals. A large amount of the population Poland is apathetic on abortion, but many people are pro-life for traditional reasons. Some people are not attracted to pro-life activism because of its aggressive and “bloody” image and reputation.

Despite the current situation, many young people today remain unengaged or hostile to the pro-life message and without doubt even just in the short term future and beyond there will be multiple attempts at abortion law reform. Young people need an invitation to personally participate in the pro-life movement in a peaceful, prayerful and constructive way.

During the Let’s Celebrate Life Conference, the institutional and financial power and size of the abortion industry worldwide was shared to help the audience understand the magnitude of the problem of abortion and why the issue of abortion is so important. The humble and hopeful beginnings of 40 Days for Life was shared and compared to the foundation of a new Polish pro-life association to provide hope and context for the new group to write their own story. The successes of 40 Days for Life and current situation of the pro-life movement worldwide were summarised. It was good to proclaim many of the tremendous successes of 40 Days for Life with a goal to infect the young people with enthusiasm. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Pamela Delgado shared a video message from the 40 Days for Life International team. Maria Czernin, President of Pro-Life Europe shared the work of setting up groups in University campuses across Europe. Antanas Urma from Vilnius, Lithuania shared his testimony of setting up a new chapter on campuses and the impact they have had in a neighboring country.

At the end of the event a small concert was held, followed by a drinks reception and after party.  It is desired to have local 40 Days for Life campaigns all over Poland, and with other organizations interested in 40 Days for Life in Poland, it might not be that long before the country has an established network of nationwide vigils and campaigns. Such a plan will be accomplished all in God’s will and timing.

Please continue to pray for Poland: for young people willing to rise up to defend life, family and tradition; for the protection and retention of pro-life laws but also for a new generation of Polish pro-life activists willing to be prayer warriors for life and to leave no stone unturned when it comes to celebrating, defending and cherishing every single unborn Polish life. To God be the glory!