A YOUNG woman’s poignant story of her often-regretted decision to have an abortion, brought tears to the eyes of many at last Saturday afternoon’s Rally for Life in Brisbane.
Madeleine Wiedemann told the gathering she was 18 at the time and believed “abortion was just what a young, successful, unmarried woman does with an unplanned pregnancy”.
“My mother helped me to find a clinic in Newcastle and offered to drive me the seven hours each way to have the procedure,” she said.
“It wasn’t until years later that my mother told me she was and has always been opposed to abortion.
“(My mother) told me only last year that she wished she’d said something for so long afterwards because she grieved the loss of that grandchild.”
Mrs Wiedemann, now married with a young daughter and a member of Toowoomba-based Emily’s Voice, joined with Brisbane archdiocese’s apostolic administrator Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett and Cherish Life Queensland (CLQ) president Teresa Martin to argue against society’s pro-abortion mindset.
Nearly 1000 people attended the rally held in Queen’s Park in Brisbane’s CBD. The rally also attracted a small but vocal group of protesters agitating for more liberal abortion laws in Queensland.
Speaking afterwards, Ms Martin said the rally’s mood had been “very positive”.
“The enthusiasm was there and, most important of all, the youth were there,” she said.
“These young people are the next generation of pro-lifers.
“There also seemed to be more priests at the gathering this year which is great.”
She said she believed the peaceful atmosphere at the rally, despite the presence of protesters, had been due to “prayer coverage”.
These prayers had come from participants in the Our Lady of Lourdes procession earlier in the day as well as various Christian groups supporting the rally.
Bishop Jarrett likened the state’s support of abortion to its acceptance of slave-trading in earlier times.
“The state itself, which is meant to protect the most vulnerable in our society, colludes with pro-abortionists in depriving the child of the protection he or she should receive,” he said.
“(This is) just as the state used to collude with the slave-traders in failing to protect the right of freedom of slaves.”
The bishop also made the point that “opposition to abortion is not only based on religious belief … but about protecting the most fundamental of all human rights, the right to life”.
“This right is something which can be known and grasped by human reason, by people whose minds have not become clouded by ideology or very faulty reasoning,” he said.
Popes Blessed John Paul II and Benedict XVI had referred to abortion as the most important social justice issue of our time, Bishop Jarrett said.
“Pope Benedict XVI describes the consequences of a lack of respect for life beyond the injustice done to the child,” he said.
“Openness to life is at the centre of true development.
“When a society moves towards the denial or suppression of life, it ends up no longer finding the necessary motivation and energy to strive for man’s true good.
“If personal and social sensitivity towards the acceptance of new life is lost, the other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away.”
Bishop Jarrett also presented the Church’s practical response to the issue including Brisbane archdiocese’s lay-based Walking with Love initiative to assist women in their pregnancy, and programs such as Rachel’s Vineyard which offers support to women grieving because of an abortion.
Ms Martin, in her address, described abortion as “a tsunami of death”.
“(It is) a tsunami sweeping over our land causing the physical death of our little Queensland babies, the spiritual and emotional death of their mothers and fathers,” she said.
She challenged Church leaders to be more proactive in opposing abortion.
“One thing we have on our side is the fact that we can speak in our churches about this issue as it is against one very simple and short Commandment, ‘Thou shalt not kill’,” she said.
“In Queensland, Christians still outnumber non-believers and we have a right to be heard.
“Our churches are the pro-life advantage.”
Ms Martin challenged all at the rally to continue to expand the fight against abortion.
She suggested volunteering for organisations such as Priceless Life and Pregnancy Crisis Inc and joining the 40 Days for Life prayer campaign.
“(Also) you sign up for the big push back otherwise known as Voters For Life and you help at the next election by voting in pro-life candidates.”
