Meanwhile on the Emerald Isle, worthwhile witness is working
Thursday, 15 February, 2024
By Robert Colquhoun
Director of International Campaigns, 40 Days for Life
Ireland has changed beyond all recognition from a religious powerhouse facilitating missionaries internationally to a secular country, relinquishing its religious and cultural heritage. Such a transition was poignantly exemplified by pro-abortion advocates celebrating in Dublin following the abortion referendum result in 2018, one of the only countries in the world to democratically vote to introduce abortion. In 2022, 8,156 abortions were reported in the Republic of Ireland.
A huge amount of canvassing for the pro-life movement was organized at the referendum (on a non-religious basis). Many pro-lifers gave up witnessing after the referendum defeat. With the pro-life movement somewhat in disarray after such a heavy and comprehensive defeat of its pro-life laws, the landscape has changed considerably. Gianna Care bravely has a brilliant network of crisis pregnancy centres in the country to help those in crisis pregnancies.
Ireland was once a sign of hope for the pro-life movement in Europe, withstanding relentless international secular enthusiasm for abortion, but on the legislation front the defence walls did not hold. Now is the time for change. What is needed for a spiritual foundation for the complete spiritual transfer of ownership from a culture of death to a culture of life.
Despite national buffer zones being debated and encouraged recently, Gript media reports that more pro-life prayer vigils are happening across the country, and that the battle for the right to life of the unborn is far from over.
40 Days for Life has now been happening in Cork and Galway for several years now, and it is hoped a nationwide network of prayer vigils, campaigns can develop in the coming years. Prayer vigils can help solidify the already present conscientious objection to abortion and be the spiritual powerhouse for hope needed in the country even on the cusp of introducing euthanasia.
The Galway 40 Days for Life campaign is outside the hospital where the Savita Halappanavar case produced many lies for the pro-abortion movement in 2012. The vigil is at a busy intersection, where the witness is powerful, opposite a statue of St Patrick where there are hundreds of bypassers every hour, with strong feedback both positive and negative from passing cars. One simple campaign with a few people praying can witness to thousands in the space of one day.
A procession through the city centre of Galway leaves many passers by mesmerized by the beauty of a Catholic procession with a statue of the Virgin Mary. The procession passes by the high street with loudspeakers, singing and in joyful procession with flags - it’s a powerful witness.
A recent media article notes a new prayer vigil in Cavan, and a gentleman from Limerick is keen to know more. At present there is the opportunity for a national network of prayer vigils to re-evangelise, renew and restore Catholic faith, heritage and culture. The public witness to end abortion is one of the most powerful things that can be done to be a substantive witness to the culture of life, rather than cursing the darkness. At first little steps are made, but before long with small continued growth the unthinkable is possible.
Speaking at a conference of the Roundtower association in Galway, I publicly witnessed a solid number of individuals who are able to be the remnant, rebuilding and revitalizing society. What is needed is a modern day St Patrick ready to scatter the modern day snakes out of Ireland. Contemporary woke ideology, rationalism and modernism will soon be dead, while nothing survives in a vacuum, a return to traditional moral values, family culture and pro-life values is what can revitalize Ireland. Inflation and immigration have hurt the resident population along with savagely repressive covid measures.
The pathway for renewal is already marked out: a network of prayer vigils in every major town across the country as a public witness of hope in a time of darkness. Time and time again we have witness a similar pathway for growth in European countries.
First, it is necessary to overcome the fear of witnessing in public. Second, it is necessary to form oneself, so that one can know pro-life apologetics and witness to others. Third, we must cast our nets into the deep for a large catch, ready to transform the culture one person at a time. There is already a strong remnant in Ireland with a deep faith to carry out this mission and task, and now is the time to begin.
Director of International Campaigns, 40 Days for Life
Ireland has changed beyond all recognition from a religious powerhouse facilitating missionaries internationally to a secular country, relinquishing its religious and cultural heritage. Such a transition was poignantly exemplified by pro-abortion advocates celebrating in Dublin following the abortion referendum result in 2018, one of the only countries in the world to democratically vote to introduce abortion. In 2022, 8,156 abortions were reported in the Republic of Ireland.
A huge amount of canvassing for the pro-life movement was organized at the referendum (on a non-religious basis). Many pro-lifers gave up witnessing after the referendum defeat. With the pro-life movement somewhat in disarray after such a heavy and comprehensive defeat of its pro-life laws, the landscape has changed considerably. Gianna Care bravely has a brilliant network of crisis pregnancy centres in the country to help those in crisis pregnancies.
Ireland was once a sign of hope for the pro-life movement in Europe, withstanding relentless international secular enthusiasm for abortion, but on the legislation front the defence walls did not hold. Now is the time for change. What is needed for a spiritual foundation for the complete spiritual transfer of ownership from a culture of death to a culture of life.
Despite national buffer zones being debated and encouraged recently, Gript media reports that more pro-life prayer vigils are happening across the country, and that the battle for the right to life of the unborn is far from over.
40 Days for Life has now been happening in Cork and Galway for several years now, and it is hoped a nationwide network of prayer vigils, campaigns can develop in the coming years. Prayer vigils can help solidify the already present conscientious objection to abortion and be the spiritual powerhouse for hope needed in the country even on the cusp of introducing euthanasia.
The Galway 40 Days for Life campaign is outside the hospital where the Savita Halappanavar case produced many lies for the pro-abortion movement in 2012. The vigil is at a busy intersection, where the witness is powerful, opposite a statue of St Patrick where there are hundreds of bypassers every hour, with strong feedback both positive and negative from passing cars. One simple campaign with a few people praying can witness to thousands in the space of one day.
A procession through the city centre of Galway leaves many passers by mesmerized by the beauty of a Catholic procession with a statue of the Virgin Mary. The procession passes by the high street with loudspeakers, singing and in joyful procession with flags - it’s a powerful witness.
A recent media article notes a new prayer vigil in Cavan, and a gentleman from Limerick is keen to know more. At present there is the opportunity for a national network of prayer vigils to re-evangelise, renew and restore Catholic faith, heritage and culture. The public witness to end abortion is one of the most powerful things that can be done to be a substantive witness to the culture of life, rather than cursing the darkness. At first little steps are made, but before long with small continued growth the unthinkable is possible.
Speaking at a conference of the Roundtower association in Galway, I publicly witnessed a solid number of individuals who are able to be the remnant, rebuilding and revitalizing society. What is needed is a modern day St Patrick ready to scatter the modern day snakes out of Ireland. Contemporary woke ideology, rationalism and modernism will soon be dead, while nothing survives in a vacuum, a return to traditional moral values, family culture and pro-life values is what can revitalize Ireland. Inflation and immigration have hurt the resident population along with savagely repressive covid measures.
The pathway for renewal is already marked out: a network of prayer vigils in every major town across the country as a public witness of hope in a time of darkness. Time and time again we have witness a similar pathway for growth in European countries.
First, it is necessary to overcome the fear of witnessing in public. Second, it is necessary to form oneself, so that one can know pro-life apologetics and witness to others. Third, we must cast our nets into the deep for a large catch, ready to transform the culture one person at a time. There is already a strong remnant in Ireland with a deep faith to carry out this mission and task, and now is the time to begin.
The Priest Dedicated to the Unborn
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