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The participants of the Congress - responding to John Paul's II calling - met every day and took part in various services - Holy Mass, The Rosary, and The Way of the Cross. Jesus said: "Ask and you'll be given. Knock at the door, and the door will be opened for you" - encouraged Dr Antoni Zięba.
"The prayer as the foundation of endurance in medical vocation - service to life" was the topic of the lecture given by His Excellency Archbishop Henryk Hoser, The President of the Papal Missionary Work. In the ancient civilizations serving people was a job done by the slaves. It was the result of domination, very often also compulsion - said Archbishop Hoser, adding that Jesus Christ changed this perspective. He, the Son of God, God-Man, identifies himself with everyone who suffers: hungry, thirsty, homeless, emigrant, naked, ill or in prison. Today we can add: disabled, still unborn...
Hope in Mercy
His Excellency Cardinal, Professor Stanislaw Nagy talked about the protection of life in the context of the Mystery of God's Mercy. Through the abortion human life becomes abused - he said. He stressed that God doesn't leave us alone - he gives us a rescue - God's Mercy, which can be our last resort.
Thereza Ameal, the representative of Portugal, read, on behalf of the organizers of the first Congress, a message: "Fatima, which in these days celebrates the 90th anniversary of Manifestations, is here, with us, in Poland, through the message of Our Lady and John Paul II. We must pray for the solution in this fight with abortion, with children's slavery and many other abuses connected with children. You chose a wonderful venue for this meeting."
About politicians
Very interesting speech was delivered by Fr. Ignacio Barreiro, the Director of Human Life International (HLI) in Rome. He showed how liberalism destroys the values and human relationships, and pushes religion to private sphere. He emphasised that unlimited freedom becomes a captivity. He said that nowadays democracy is often based not on values but on the will of the majority, who frequently want to separate Church from the country. That is why the right to abortion and euthanasia exists in so many countries.
Douglas Scott, The President of Life Decisions International, USA talked about Planned Parenthood organization, which aims to legalize abortion all over the world, attacking the Christianity at the same time. "You cannot be a catholic and support abortion at the same time" - said D. Scott.
Thiago Mattos from Brazil showed on the example of his country that we need to put pressure on our representatives to stand clearly for life. "People in power, when they feel pressure from the Catholics, will be forced to say "yes" for life. That's what happened in Brazil. Before the election, a woman who supported abortion was very popular. But when we organized actions, explaining people what abortion really is, this woman was not elected and a man who was for life won." - said T. Mattos.
Also a representative from Ghana, James Asamoah-Asano, directed his appeal to activists and authorities: "We will never be able to reach economical progress if we keep killing unborn children. We have to protect life, so let's work together, let's introduce peace in our families, countries. Our time has come."
Crusade
Adam Kisiel (PhD. Eng) told us how 27 years ago the Prayer Crusade for the Protection of Unborn Children was introduced in Poland and Radim Uchac, the representative of Hnuti Pro Zivot organization in Czech Republic described the similar initiative in his country.
On the 12th October all the participants of the Congress unanimously reached the decision of starting the World Prayer for Life crusade. From that day, people from all over the world will pray every day, asking for God's expiation for every rejected gift of life, for the increase of respect for human life and for ensuring in the legislation of all countries unconditional right to live for every human being from the conception until natural death.
The enormous value of prayer was stressed by Wanda Półtawska, PhD; Poland, member of the Pontifical Council for the Family and Pontifical Academy Pro Vita. She pointed out that nowadays medical ethos is going through the crisis and that this situation calls for mobilization, waking up the feeling of responsibility for human life. "Paradoxically we have to protect a man from a doctor - fight for the right of an unborn child to live."
Unplanned pregnancy - unplanned joy
Shocking was the lecture by John Smeaton, The National Director of SPUC, Great Britain, warning us that the European Union will be trying to impose abortion on all the countries - referring to human rights.
We will all remember the speech given by the representative of Australia, Marci Riordan. She emphasized that the pro-life activists should specially care for mothers. "Let's do everything we can so that a woman who finds out about her unplanned pregnancy experiences unplanned joy" - she appealed.
The participants also had a chance to find out more about saint Gianna Beretta Molla, the saint mother who gave her life so that her child could live. Her daughter Laura Panutti wrote about her Mother in these words: "At times we hear people say that it does not appear just to forsake three children in order to give birth to a fourth. But Mother did not want to die, she did not choose death: She was only convinced that my sister Gianna Emanuela had the same right to live as Pierluigi, Mariolina and I."
With hope we set off
Paweł Wosicki PhD, the President of Polish Federation of Pro-Life Movements emphasized that Poland is the first country, which, in democratic conditions, rejected abortion. "We have the law in Poland that protects human life, conceived but still unborn. This law has only positive results, which we can observe in statistical data regarding e.g. infants' and women's health conditions. And those indicators are still improving, thanks to the elimination of the phenomenon of mass abortions - said dr Wosicki.
Life-protectors were encouraged in their actions by His Excellency Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, who led the Rosary in spiritual unity with Fatima.
Dr Adam Kisiel, summarizing the Congress said it was very fruitful time. Time, which strengthened all life-protectors and gave them detailed insight into what was happening around the world. "We strongly believe in God's Mercy. Strong with this faith, we hope we will win, just like Jesus Christ won over death, civilization of life will win over the civilization of death." - said dr Kisiel.
The Congress was ended with The Processional Rosary after which every participant received the rosary and the picture of Merciful Jesus.
The organiser of the Congress was The Polish Association for the Protection of Human Life.
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