From April 12 to 14, 2024, in Zagreb, Croatia was held the 6th International Pro-Life Conference „Now choose life“, which according to the organizers themselves, the association „Croatia for Life“, and the reactions of the participants, was one of the best and of the highest quality conferences in general.

This Conference brought together 15 speakers from Croatia and the world, and during all three days different topics related to the protection of life could be heard.

The conference opened on Friday with the testimony and speech of Patricia Sandoval, an American pro-life activist who went through the hell of three abortions, working at Planned Parenthood where she saw what abortions really are, then drugs and homelessness and all the way to God's incredible mercy.

After Mrs. Sandoval, Fr. Ante Bešlić spoke about the spiritual consequences of abortion. An interesting lecture was given by bioethicist Marina Katinić Pleić, whose lecture was entitled “View of human life before birth through the centuries” After their speeches, Fr. Bešlić and Ms. Katinić Pleić answered questions from the audience, so Friday ended with that interesting panel.

On Saturday, the Conference touched on aspects of the battle for life in Italy, which was discussed by Mr. Antonio Brandi; Slovenia, which was discussed by the deacon of the Archdiocese of Ljubljana, and previously the head of the "40 days for life" in Ljubljana, Matjaž Venta; Poland, which was discussed by Mr. Filip Łapiński and the Netherlands, which was discussed by Mr. Daniel Eijkelenkamp.

It is very useful for everyone gathered to hear how the organization Center for Bioethical Reform is fighting for life in Great Britain, and that was what Mrs. Ruth Rawlins spoke about. Ruth presented her ten-year experience of fighting for life, and discovering the horror of abortion, as one of the more successful ways of fighting for life.

Saturday was marked by three more lectures. First, the vice-president of the association "Croatia for Life", Mrs. Petra Milković, gave a lecture on the messages about life of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac.

The second was the testimony of Martina from Switzerland, originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who now lives and works in Switzerland and is the mother of two girls. In her shocking testimony, Martina spoke about her second pregnancy, the no chance her little girl was given for life.

The third lecture was held by Mr. Ante Čaljkušić, president of the "Croatia for Life" association, about all the works of art that the Association made for the purpose of spreading the culture of life. There are videos, songs, the documentary film "40 days...", a monument to the murdered pregnant woman on Ovčara, Ružica Markobašić, books, and he also spoke about the current project, the first feature-length pro-life film in Croatia, "Hunting Tesla".

Sunday was concluded with four topics. Luka Tripalo, a pharmacist by profession, spoke interestingly and inspiredly about whether there is room for conscience in your pharmacy. 

After Mr. Tripalo, Slavica Janković, master of nursing and midwifery, who worked at KBC Zagreb for 46 years (and is the president of the Croatian Catholic Association of Nurses and Technicians), shared her many experiences of preserving life in the workplace, which is dictated by professional ethics.

Rev. Ivica Berdik, pro-life senior as the organizers call him and all the pro-lifers who founded the pro-life movement in Croatia, presented just a fraction of his rich experience working in the protection of life and moved everyone present to tears.

Mr. Gordon Macdonald, from the organization “Care not kill”, guided the participants through the international practice of the law on enabled suicide and euthanasia.

At the end, the gathered people heard shocking and touching testimonies about saving lives made by the association “Croatia for Life” which over the past 10 years has known about more than 160 children saved from abortion, and the members of the association presented all the projects and programs they implement for the purpose of spreading and winning the culture of life.

The association will continue to organize such useful conferences, and the next, 7th international conference will be held from May 2 to 4, 2025.