White Cross memorial remembers 31,000 dead

The White Crosses Memorial was held at the Lookout, Dungarvan on Saturday 27th May.  As always, the purpose of the Memorial was to remember the Unborn babies aborted in our country. Five years after the referendum vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment, the number of those abortions now exceeds 30,000.

Vicky Wall of Deise4life introduced the speakers, Joe Walsh of Aontú Cork, Dr Ronan Cleary of Doctors for Life, and Fr John McEneaney of St Mary’s Parish, Dungarvan. Déise4Life would like to express our sincere gratitude to these speakers, for their continued support of this event, and for their commitment to the pro-life cause in general. 

Joe Walsh, a long-time political campaigner, gave a very interesting account of his experience organising the 2018 campaign to save the Eighth Amendment, describing it as the most rewarding of his political life. 

It was a particular challenge because all the main political parties at the time were campaigning for Repeal, and pro-life campaigners were therefore taking on the constituency networks of every one of these parties. He said that, nevertheless, about half-way through the campaign the pro-life side was gaining momentum and actually had a good chance of winning. In the end, however, two-thirds of voters were persuaded to vote for Repeal, in particular due to the way that the Savita Halappanavar tragedy was incorrectly presented in the media as being the fault of the Eighth Amendment. 
 
He quoted an interesting statistic from the RTÉ Exit Poll, conducted on the day of the referendum, that 40% of those who voted for Repeal were not in favour of abortion on demand. He said that, combining these voters with the one-third of voters who voted against Repeal, approximately 60% of the Irish electorate are likely opposed to the sort of changes now being suggested as part of the Abortion Review.

 He stressed the importance for the pro-life movement of organising politically, and of supporting pro-life national news media such as Gript.ie.

Dr Ronan Cleary summarised the devastation wrought by our new abortion regime:

• A dramatic Increase in Irish women having an abortion. 
• 95% of babies with Down Syndrome are now aborted. 
• There have been mistakes in healthy babies being aborted – for example the tragic case of Baby Christopher who was misdiagnosed with a ‘fatal foetal abnormality’ which he added is not a medical term. 
• An increase in Late Term abortions – with Drs in hospital disagreeing over whom has responsibility for a child after a failed abortion.   

 
He said that it makes no sense to get rid of the 3-day reflection period in our abortion legislation, as it has saved an average of 1000 lives a year, and described as “bizarre” the proposal to “positively discriminate” in favour of pro-abortion medics in future appointments. Nevertheless, Dr Cleary saw reasons for hope. The vast majority of GP’s in Ireland have not signed up for abortions, there are growing pro-life movements in Italy, Hungary, Poland and the U.K., and the overturning of Roe vs Wade in the U.S.A has given rise to pro-life legislation in many American States and has made both Republican and Democratic parties more conscious of the pro-life voters.

Fr McEneaney led the gathering in prayer, including these daily theme prayers from the pro-life Novena:

• May every expectant mother receive compassionate care and support as she nurtures the life in her womb
• May all unborn children be protected in law and welcomed in love
• May the practice of abortion end
• May expectant fathers lovingly support the mothers of their children in welcoming new life
• May each person suffering from the loss of a child through abortion find hope and healing in Christ
• May civic leaders work for the protection of all human life in every stage and circumstance
• May any expectant mothers choosing adoption receive the Grace of God and support in embracing the loving option
• May all who support or participate in abortion experience a conversion of heart to seek and receive the Lord’s boundless mercy
• May all who defend life find strength and renewal in the Holy Spirit

Vicky Wall from Every Life Counts concluded the Memorial by reading aloud the letter from Tommy Burke published in last week’s Dungarvan Observer.

Deise4life would like to thank all those who attended.