LISBON, Portugal, May 14, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com)
- Leaders representing ten different nations gathered in Lisbon last
weekend to support Portugal’s pro-life personhood measures. Sponsored by
Personhood USA, LifeSiteNews.com, and Human Life International, the
Global Pro-Life Unity Summit encouraged the worldwide pro-life movement
and lent international support to Portugal’s referendum which would
guarantee “the inviolability of human life from conception to natural
death.”
Friday’s press conference spotlighted the Portuguese Pro Referendo
Vida campaign and made national TV, radio, and print news. Inês Faria de
Castro explained to reporters that, “Life is beautiful. Women deserve
better than abortion. Abortion hurts women. Motherhood is the greatest
gift to the world. It is my greatest joy.”
In comments to the media, LifeSiteNews.com editor John-Henry Westen
tied the issue to the famous Portugal shrine of Fatima. “Since my youth
I’ve loved Our Lady of Fatima,” he said. “Her promise was that Portugal
would keep the dogma of the Catholic faith and the world would look to
Portugal. Legalizing abortion was a huge disappointment; I think the
whole world is waiting for a resurgence, especially from the Portuguese,
to lead this path back to life.”
Portuguese pro-life campaigners were out in force outside Fatima over
the weekend gathering more signatures of support for their pro-life
initiative.
As Portugal celebrated Mother’s Day, summit leaders representing
thousands of pro-life individuals around the world through their
organizations signed the following joint declaration.
PRO-LIFE DECLARATION OF LISBON:
“We, along with our organizations are committed to building and
strengthening unity and collaboration among pro-life groups around the
globe.
We believe that in order to properly protect the right to life,
every human being, without exception or compromise, at every stage of
development must be recognized as a person possessing the right to life
in our respective laws and constitutions.”
Portugal: Pro Referendo Vida – Rodrigo Faria de Castro, Luis Botelho,
Carlos Fernandes; Missao Maos Erguidas – Paulo Freire Moreira
Ireland: Youth Defence – Dr. Eoghan de Faoite
Hungary: ALFA Association – Dr. Imre Teglasy, Dr. Judith F. Szigeti
Poland: Fundacja Pro Prawo do Zycia (Pro Foundation Right to Life) - Aleksandra Michalczyk, Mariusz Dzierzawski
Romania: Darul Vieţii (Gift of Life) Association – Dr. Daniela Păun
Mexico: Red Familia – Mario Romo
Colombia: Unidos por la Vida Colombia – José J. Magaña
Dominican Republic: Pro-vida Republica Dominicana – Joseph Salvatore
Canada: LifeSiteNews.com – John-Henry Westen
United States: Personhood USA – Keith Mason, Gualberto Garcia Jones, J.D.; Human Life International –Stephen Phelan; World Development Coalition, United Nations – Josh Craddock
Ireland: Youth Defence – Dr. Eoghan de Faoite
Hungary: ALFA Association – Dr. Imre Teglasy, Dr. Judith F. Szigeti
Poland: Fundacja Pro Prawo do Zycia (Pro Foundation Right to Life) - Aleksandra Michalczyk, Mariusz Dzierzawski
Romania: Darul Vieţii (Gift of Life) Association – Dr. Daniela Păun
Mexico: Red Familia – Mario Romo
Colombia: Unidos por la Vida Colombia – José J. Magaña
Dominican Republic: Pro-vida Republica Dominicana – Joseph Salvatore
Canada: LifeSiteNews.com – John-Henry Westen
United States: Personhood USA – Keith Mason, Gualberto Garcia Jones, J.D.; Human Life International –Stephen Phelan; World Development Coalition, United Nations – Josh Craddock
During the Summit, Ireland’s Youth Defence shared their cutting-edge
pro-life strategies to educate the public on abortion.
Representatives
of pro-life organizations from the Dominican Republic, Ireland, and
Hungary explained their successful campaigns to keep their nations safe
for unborn children.
Dr. Judith Szigeti told how Hungary’s “celestial and terrestrial
constitution” inspired pro-life advocates to cheer the slogan: “Peace in
the womb! Amnesty for us—amnesty for our children before birth!” About
one million people rallied in support of the new Constitution, which
entered into force on January 1 of this year. She challenged Hungarian
lawmakers to now put into practice what they have put into words by
changing the penal code to criminalize abortion.
The successful passage of 18 personhood amendments in Mexican states
encouraged personhood advocates in the United States pursuing similar
initiatives.
Personhood USA’s Keith Mason called personhood a “revival
in the heart of pro-lifers in America. Nobody should be comfortable
while abortion is happening. The grassroots are the ones who must exert
pressure on the politicians.”
Dr. Daniela Păun from Darul Vieţii (“the Gift of Life”) Association
told the summit that pro-life advocates “need to understand the ideology
of eugenics and communist purges to defeat the pro-choice agenda” in
Romania. Communists made abortion legal in 1958 and now Romania faces a
demographic crisis with about 480 abortions per 1000 live births.
Inspired by the presentations in Lisbon, Dr. Păun exclaimed, “It’s time
to create peaceful social tension in Romania by going on the political
offensive!
