Take-away key concepts from the Rome Symposium

This is a summary of the 2024 Rome Symposium speeches.

Juana Acosta

• At present, things are not going well in the international Law regarding the fight against abortion, but it would be quite worse if 40 Days for Life didn’t exist.
• International Laws defend human life and we must remember this every day, especially when governments, the UN organisms and activists say that there is a “right” to abortion. There is not such a thing as a “right to abortion” in the International law.
• It is the prolifers work to remind the world those texts of International Law that defend the lives of the unborn, because they are in force and binding.
• In fact, every time that governments, parliaments and any national or international instance say that there is a right to abortion, they are violating the International Law.
• IPPF tries to introduce abortion in the legal frame of every country by filing very special cases at the International Courts. Cases that are rare, extreme and bring emotion to the public debate. In the past they tried to do it with political proposals and parties but they haven’t been successful at all. People from catholic backgrounds and cultures don’t want to kill their babies and naturally love family. Latin American people vote against abortion every single time they are given the opportunity. So the abortion lobby tries to circumvent the political system by forcing their ideas through the International Courts system. Nobody has elected Inter- national judges and sometimes it’s not difficult to put activists in those positions. This is the case of Beatriz and others versus El Salvador, whose sentence will come out soon.
• The change in language and manipulation is so strong in the media that we start to find very intelligent college students that honestly think that there is no human life in an unborn child.
• We need a reference place for prolife documentation and materials.

René Bolio 

• In 2023, Mexico faced one of the most tragic years in its legislative history. In 1857, the Mexican government seized properties from the Catholic Church, including churches and schools, making them federal property. This pattern of undermining religious freedom con- tinued with the 1917 Constitution, which nearly outlawed religious practices, leading to the Cristeros War in 1926.
• Decriminalization of abortion: the law does not explicitly state that abortion is not a crime, but it removes legal penalties, creating a contradiction in the legal system. Abortion is still described as a crime, but not punishable.
• The Supreme Court of Justice granted a protective order to GIRE, an organization that vehemently opposes pro-life groups, the Catholic Church, and the concept of human life itself. This order reflects a broader trend of the court and other institutions in Mexico, where the interpretation of natural law, logic, and common sense is increasingly disregarded. The court has declared that any legal system that penalizes abortion violates women's human rights, employing convoluted language to justify their stance.
• The influence of local and international groups has been notable in this shift. GIRE receives funding from various international bodies, including the UN, and has a significant impact on legislative changes. This network of organizations advocates for issues like abortion and gender ideology, pushing against tradi- tional human values.
• The decriminalization of abortion is just the beginning of a larger agenda. There is a push for abortion to be available throughout the entire pregnancy, funded by public money. This is part of a global trend. Advocates are also attacking the concept of conscientious objection in the healthcare sector.
• The battle is not lost. There is a need for strong legal, legislative, and activist responses to counter these trends. The key to combating these challenges is to adhere to the truth, as only the truth can set us free.

Pilar Calva

• As time goes by I see that the hearts of women seeking abortions and young generations are more and more hardened.
• My talk is about reversion of the pill’s abortion, but I’d like to say that it’s paramount to reject contraception in marriage. Contraception is not morally acceptable in any circumstance. It goes against the normal functioning of the woman’s body. Pope Paul VI said it. Any contracep- tive prepares marriages for the abortion mindset, with ethical mistakes that grow bigger and bigger. 

• Testimonies are great but you also need arguments, studying and research.
• For any abortion pill reversal, please do it always under medical supervision. It’s a serious matter. It can be dangerous. 

• There is a science called Embryology concerned with studies of embryos. Right at conception we have a human being, an individual, that grows from that moment on without interruption. 

• Chemical abortion (with pills) is done with 2 products. The first pill is called RU-486 (mifepristone) which blocks progesterone in the endometrium. If the proges- terone cannot reach the endometrium, the embryo can’t be implanted properly and provokes an abortion. The second pill is misoprostol. This reversion works only before 72 hours after having had the first pill, and ideally within 24 hours, and as long as the woman hasn’t ingested the second pill. The embryo must be less than 6,5 weeks old, so it’s important to have an ultrasound done before starting the treatment. 

• The reversion treatment consists of injecting 200 mg of progesterone, and then new doses twice a week.
• This protocol of abortion reversal does not work with emergency contraception pill (or morning after pill) . 

• If a woman has ingested the second pill (misoprostol) then there is no point in applying this protocol because it won’t be successful and it would endanger the woman’s life. 

Zack Wirth

• I’ve always been a builder since my childhood. With my wife, I’ve built a family of 6 children and 19 grand- children, which I feel very proud of, and now I’m celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary. 

• The book “The Naked Communist” was written in 1958 and published in 1961 and it enumerated 45 goals of the Communist Party at that date. A friend of mine posted this on the Internet some years ago, and I researched about this book. Let’s review these goals with the perspective of all these years since it was published. It is as current as it is today. 

• Communism came into existence as violent overthrows. They always advocated revolution. With time, they realized that violent war was not as efficient as incremental socialism by ideas. 

• These goals have been incrementally taken on our societies. Let’s focus on 6 of them:

• #17 Get control of schools, use them as transmis- sion belts for current communist propaganda. Get control of teachers associations. Soften the curriculum. The USA used to be #1-7 in education. Now we are #29. 

• #24 Eliminate laws governing obscenity by calling a violation of free speech. They used our laws to break decorum, good manners.

• #25 Break down cultural standards of morality. Promote pornography, obscenities in books, maga- zines... Think of the movies... Now sex scenes are normal. 

• #26 Present homosexuality and deviancy as normal, natural and healthy. I think this one speaks by itself

• #40 Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage easy divorce and promiscuity. 

• #41 Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents.

• Left and socialists destroy America as it was built by undermining the pillars on which we stand. What we see is never what we get. 

• Socialists thoughts are tenacious, persistent , ruthless, like a hydra. 

Tomislav Čunović

 I am thrilled to share the remarkable growth of the 40 Days for Life campaign internationally. This autumn, our reach has expanded impressively. In Ibero-America alone, we've launched 270 campaigns across 20 coun- tries, thanks to the tireless efforts of Lourdes and her international team. Beyond the Americas, we're making significant strides with 26 countries hosting 96 campaigns. Notably, we've initiated campaigns in Poland for the first time, a strong pro-life nation in Europe, and have made inroads into Italy and the Netherlands, reshaping Europe's pro-life landscape.

• To keep everyone informed and engaged, we've launched dedicated websites. For our Spanish-speaking supporters, 40DíasporlaVida.com offers a comprehensive view of our activities in Ibero-America. For our European audience, 40DaysForLifeInternational.com provides updates on our progress across the continent. These platforms are independent from our U.S. site and offer localized content and resources.

• In our ongoing mission, we recognize the crucial role of legal advocacy and societal change. We are committed to restoring the natural order and educating a new generation of lawyers in the principles of natural law. The shifting societal values and legal systems, influenced by various modern ideologies, pose a significant challenge to our cause. It's imperative to counter this shift, especially in defending the sanctity of family and life from conception to natural death.

• We are also making strides in our media outreach, including podcasts and videos, to transparently communicate our activities and goals. Our publications, such as the recently released book by Shawn Carney, are vital resources in our advocacy. They are now available in Latin America, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland.

• Your support is invaluable to us. We have established nonprofit entities in Colombia and Germany to facilitate this. I encourage you to contribute as you can and to make use of our resources, including our books and online materials.

• Our newly created Institute of Law & Justice is a testament to our commitment to defend our values and volunteers, both in the U.S. and globally.

Matt Britton

• 40 Days for Life is proud to be present not only in Mexico but across Latin America, North America, South America, Portugal, and Spain. We are globally committed because every baby on earth, regardless of where they are from, is equal in the eyes of God, made in His image.

• Although I am a lawyer, and lawyers are often thought not to have hearts, we do. We love you, and that's why we're doing what we do. We are helping unborn babies because we want you to get to heaven, and we want to see you there. The essence of my talk is that there is no true justice in our legal systems; real justice is found in heaven. Our court, even the supreme court, cannot compare to the judgment of God.

• 40 Days for Life is active in over 60 countries. I have personally been to most of these countries and worked with many dedicated people. Our mission is to say 'yes' to God's call, just like Our Lady, the Mother of God, did. The transformation we see across countries, like Colombia and Croatia, is not because of lawyers or judges but because of people like you.

• The devil may be smart, but we will not defeat him with our minds alone; we will win on our knees through prayer. Love is our greatest weapon in this fight for life, and to be great in love, we must be nothing in ourselves. Despite the challenges, we are winning. The Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, made by men, falsely promised equality to women through abortion. However, since then, millions of lives have been lost, and it's time for change.

• We at the Institute of Law and Justice represent you in this fight against abortion. Remember, it is not we who are protesters; we are standing up for life. We now aim to end chemical abortion and discriminatory zones. These zones, meant to keep us away from women entering clinics, only highlight their fear of the truth.

• God does not see the boundaries drawn on maps; He cares for all of us equally.

• We are blessed to be part of this mission, and in heaven, we will meet those babies we helped save. We must continue this fight with love, being an example of our faith. Each state, each country must choose to say no to abortion. We will win this battle not with physical weapons but with the armor of God, the rosary, prayer, hope, and above all, love.nstitute of Law & Justice is a testament to our commitment to defend our values and volunteers, both in the U.S. and globally.

Neydy Casillas

• The Lord gave me the mission to be his warrior in the United Nations and the American States Organization (OEA). I want to thank the Lord for giving me the chance to work with Juana Acosta, and thank you for your silent work in the sidewalks.

• My talk is about the Beatriz versus El Salvador case.

• The experts in the UN are just activists that have been promoted by the IPPF and the UN, which are agencies and organizations that actively promote abortion worldwide and have a lot of experience in the international arena. Amnesty International has been working in the UN since 1964. IPPF since 1973.

• Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia, amongst others, have legalized abortion with some limitations. But other countries in Latin America still criminalize abortion, such as El Salvador. That’s why abortion advocated have brought this special case to the Inter American Court, because this is the only way to surpass this country’s sovereignty.

• This has been a process of many years, in which a certain narrative has been built by the media around the world, denouncing the terrible things that El Sal- vador does to women wanting abortions. For example, the 17 women case. In many of these cases it was clear that it wasn’t an abortion but an infanticide. In the case of Beatriz versus El Salvador, they claim that Beatriz died because she couldn’t have an abortion. But she actually died due to the wounds caused by a motorbike accident.

• In one of these 17 cases, Manuela, she killed her baby just after birth but the Inter American Commission for Human Rights told El Salvador to change its protocols when managing these cases and to avoid indicting women of any crime (thus hiding a crime).

• The case of Beatriz tries to create a “right” to abortion, based on a narrative that calls prohibiting abortion “torture”.

• Amidst he organizations that have brought the case to the Inter American Court, one (IPAS) has a huge financial interest in abortion (manufactures abortion tools), and another one promotes eugenics.

Shawn Carney

• Coming to Mexico and Latin America is crucial for defending life.

• Roe v. Wade's overturning in the U.S. last year holds significance for Latin America. U.S. impact over 50 years: detrimental to families and marriage.

• We started in 2004 in Texas with prayer and fasting, reducing local abortions by 28%. Expanded nationally in 2007, then internationally to Canada, Mexico, and beyond.Now we’re the largest organization in its field, with presence in 1600 cities across 65 countries. Despite being widespread, we’re unified in spirit and purpose.

• Latin America is resisting to Western cultural pres- sures thanks to people like you, with visible outcomes: saved babies, changed hearts of abortion facility workers, closed clinics.

• Showing your faith publicly leads to persecution and personal attacks. Saint Leo the Great's words inspire embracing the cross amidst suffering.

• Upcoming training focuses on campaign improvement, volunteer recruitment, and dealing with abortion workers. All of this must be done with love.

• We need to endure suffering and stay committed to the cause. Prayer and fasting are central, challenging community perspectives on life.

• Abortion should break our hearts in order to motivate our efforts. The contemplative aspect of prayer must precede activism. Avoiding burnout is crucial; neglecting prayer or personal involvement has dire consequences.

• Saint Teresa of Ávila emphasizes the necessity of daily prayer, at least 30 minutes each day. And we must embrace the difficulties of day-to-day life.

• Leaders are tasked with guiding and supporting volunteers in a difficult mission.

• The goal is to inspire courage and overcome despair in recruitment.

• We reject the notion that children and families are burdens.

Father Roberto Funes

• Our role is akin to a priestly one, consecrating our lives to God.

• Pope Leo the Great highlights that each of us is called to be priests, prophets, and kings in our faith.

• The concept of spiritual combat, as discussed by St. Augustine, is central to our faith.

• St. Augustine emphasizes that victory is promised only to those who strive for it. The crown of victory is a recur- ring theme in scripture, symbolizing perseverance and faith.

• Recognizing the enemy is crucial in spiritual warfare. Christ conquered first, setting an example for us to win against sin and evil. St. Augustine elucidates that Christ's victory makes us victorious against worldly temptations.

• The devil is defeated by Christ, and his influence is negated in the hearts of believers. We are called to over- come the devil's temptations, particularly the lure of worldly pleasures.

• St. Augustine explains that believers renounce the devil by rejecting his corruptions. Prayer is a battle against internal and external enemies of the soul.

• The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes prayer as both a gift and a response. Prayer's efficacy is evident in life conversion, incompatible with a sinful life.

• The primary focus in prayer should be God's presence, not our distractions or inadequacies. God desires our presence in prayer, similar to a mother's love for her child.

• St. Augustine teaches that the attention in prayer should be on God, not on our distractions. Prayer is a continuous need, not just an occasional practice.

• We must always seek more of God through prayer, recognizing our insufficiency. Jesus warns against prideful prayer, emphasizing humility.

• Dryness in prayer can lead to a purer faith, maintaining steadfastness in trials.

• Continual prayer strengthens our fight against temptations and worldly influences. Emphasizing the need for constant vigilance in prayer.

• Encouraging 40 Days for Life participants to maintain a prayerful presence, responding to God's call with humility. Live out the faith boldly, trusting in Christ's victory and the power of prayer.

Pamela Delgado

• I want to explain how this movement has grown in Latin America. We started our vigil in 2015 in a suburb of Bogota (Colombia), called Teusaquillo. It is the only suburb in the world with more than 30 abortion facilities. Some of them belong to the abortionist multina- tional Planned Parenthood but others are small businesses that just perform abortions for money and no questions asked.

• There is a church in Teusaquillo, in the middle of this death suburb called Santa Ana. We wondered how the light of Christ in this church was not shining also outside its walls. We proposed ourselves to take the light of Christ outside the church to these streets. I didn’t know how to do it, because I wasn’t a well-known person and had no influence on my community. But we prayed and we were brave.

• In 40 Days for Life we can change hearts, even more than laws, by planting the seed of love through prayer. We started only with 15 people but later on we reached 5,000 volunteers. Buses came from other parts of the city and even from other provinces, to pray and fast with us.

• I had been indifferent to the issue of abortion during more than 30 years, but then the Lord took off the scales from my eyes and I could see the problem, and feel the pain and the compassion for the harm caused by abortion on women.

• Our first vigil was really successful, praise the Lord. Passbyers couldn’t believe all those people were praying for free. We used to give some leaflets to the mothers that were going to get an abortion. That was the beginning of the sidewalk counseling. Ten babies were saved.

• We saw the need to create a space to help women not only before the end of their pregnancy but also after the birth of their babies. Anything to let them know that they were not alone. We called it Mamas 40.

• Today we are 65 cities and more than 700 babies have been saved. We created a foundation called Coalición por la Vida Colombia in order to strengthen the prolife activities in Colombia. Now this foundation is going to support all 40 Days for Life in Latin America, beyond borders.

• Ruby Gómez is now the director and leader of this foundation in Latin America.

Juan Presa

• After many years conveying our prolife movement and our campaigns to Latin America and the rest of the world, we have got used to social media as the only way to effectively reach our volunteers and leaders. We didn’t have a specific website in Spanish and in other languages, except for some countries that had accomplished to implement their own website (and a Spanish version of the USA website).

• Now we do have all these tools: we have two international websites, one multilanguage and another one only in Spanish, and we are producing content for our people: news, a podcast, a blog, a magazine and a newsletter. Now we have a public voice to speak up and say the truth. In the past, the media could say whatever they wanted, and we had no way to counteract and give our version.

• However, changes are always hard and complicated. It takes time to change our ways, our habits and procedures. That’s why we are still overusing social media. It seems to be so convenient, sometimes.

• We seem to forget that social media, as conceived today, are toxic platforms where we waste time, compare our lives to others, get addicted, hand over our personal data and large corporations distribute their propaganda (the death-culture one). Instead, we need to use secure media, with secure information, away from toxic ideologies.

• We need to make social media work for us, disseminating our content. We don’t need to produce the content for social media, and give it away. Because social media own everything we post there. But if we publish the content in our website and then we use social media to distribute the link to our website, we are building a strong Internet presence.

• Lately we had our Facebook page cancelled. It happened suddenly without warning and also without explanations. Meta, Google and X do not give any explanation usually. In latter December the page was returned to us, but it could happen again in any other social platform.

• We have implemented as well a new booking system to organize and manage vigils and campaigns. Some countries, such as Spain, have used it successfully and enjoy fluent communication with their volunteers, as well as have a statistical tool to assess the campaign’s performance.

Ramona Treviño

• When I was manager in a Planned Parenthood facility, I didn’t agree with abortion. I would have never had one myself. But I had that mindset that women have the right to choose an abortion. Nevertheless I knew that abortion was about killing a life, murdering a baby. I used to tell myself that I was just counselling to use contraceptives, so I was theoretically “avoiding” abortions. And I didn’t do abortions directly. So I thought that I had no responsibility in the killings of abortion, because that was just a problem between that woman and God, or her partner, or who knows who.

• I was wrong and God had mercy to show me that I was as responsible as the abortionists.

• My main responsibility in Planned Parenthood was contraception. We aren’t talking enough about this problem, but I am convinced that abortion and contraception are two faces of the same coin.

• When Margaret Sanger created Planned Parenthood, it was called American Birth Control League. She realized that “birth control” didn’t sound so well. So she renamed it as Planned Parenthood. Their first goal was pushing contraception in America. They weren’t interested so much in abortion.

• With contraception we already say no to life. We say “I don’t want children”. That is preparing ourselves for the pro-abortion mindset. We all know that contraceptives fail frequently. We believe that we can control our fertility 100%, but we don’t if we have sexual relationships. And when they fail, the woman who is using them surely is not going to want that baby, and she will think that she needs an abortion.

• If we want to eradicate abortion we need to get rid of contraception inside marriage.

• I also learned, thanks God, that contraceptives were abortifacent. I may have had abortions without knowing while I used them.

Ruby Gómez

• As part of the 40 Days for Life, my role in the Coalition for Life in Latin America is now continuing the legacy I've received from Pamela and the team, striving for the growth and development of new initiatives.

• Sidewalk counseling is a call from God to be the voice for the voiceless. It involves approaching women and couples facing crisis pregnancies, offering them truthful information about abortion and connecting them with local support networks. This approach aims to change their hearts, transforming a crisis pregnancy into one that joyfully reaches full term. Witnessing a woman who chooses life for her child is an incredibly moving experi- ence, filled with newfound strength and overflowing love.

• However, it's crucial to remember that all of this is God's grace; we are merely instruments in His plan. As sidewalk counselors, we act as God's messengers, offering hope and guidance to women and couples considering abortion. In various cities across Latin America teams of dedicated counselors have been formed. These counselors, who started as prayerful supporters, have taken a step further in their commitment.

• We are located in Colombia, particularly in the notorious Teusaquillo neighborhood in Bogotá, where there are over 35 abortion facilities in a small radius and is the base for major abortion providers like Profamilia and Oriéntame. Our sidewalk counseling takes place right outside these centers, where we initially began by offering leaflets and rosaries to break the ice and open lines of communication.

• Over time, we've become more skilled. We approach women with great love, so they don't feel judged or attacked. It's about striking the balance between prudence and conviction in defending Truth and Life. We've adapted our communication ways, creating informative leaflets and flyers to provide women with critical information about the physical and psychological risks of abortion and the support available to them.

• We've conducted numerous trainings for leaders and volunteers across Latin America and Spain, including virtual training sessions. The focus has always been on approaching women and couples with non-judgmental, loving support.

• In 2023, in Colombia alone, we've saved 86 babies. This success is just a testament to God's grace working through us. We may never know the full extent of lives saved, as many women reconsider their decision without telling us.

Elsa y Kenneth

• Members since 2019, we want to share our journey with 40 Days for Life.

• We started thinking it would be a piece of cake, then were skeptical during the first days, about the campaign's effectiveness.

• Their first campaign began with only three people. Elsa considered quitting after low initial turnout, but decided to continue. In 2020, a pregnant woman attributed her decision against abortion to their campaign.

• This incident showed the power and importance of their public presence and prayer. We need an eternal vision for the campaign. Faith is paramount in this mission, especially during challenges.

• Prayer, fasting, and community outreach are key ele- ments. Do everything for God's greater glory and the good of others.

• This mission is a heart-to-heart connection with expectant mothers in crisis. We also care for the hearts and souls of volunteers and participants.

• How to build a strong, motivated team: 1) familiarize with campaign materials and strategies. 2) understand and work within the organizational structure. 3) consult coordinators and maintain communication with national leaders.

• Learn from experiences of other members in the 40 Days for Life family.

• Attend conferences and networking with members from different countries.

• Training and watching instructional videos.

• Consistent team meetings and clear task assignments for efficient campaign execution.

• Volunteer Commitment: “volunteer” doesn’t mean “without commitment”.

• Using social media and a website maybe important but one to one attention to volunteers is always fruitful. Also engaging in parish activities, and forming partnerships.

• We need perseverance through campaign cycles (up and downs) and be open to learning and adapting.

• Humility and Focus on God: temptation to take credit for the campaign's success. God is the true savior!

• Practicing the Litany of Humility to maintain a proper perspective.

• Follow the recipe in the campaign leads to saving lives and souls.

• Every report of lives saved positively impacts their campaign efforts.