Roberto de Mattei: Catholic Resistance Against Abortion and For the Family

(Rome) in Italy in recent years a radical upheaval in the right to life scene in progress. The situation is different in each country for cultural and historical reasons. Nevertheless, the Italian example offers, with references to the U.S. and France, some interesting elements for the German-speaking world, where the situation in the individual countries also have similarities and differences.

Beginning in 2011 the Italian March for Life, the pro-life movement, has regained its ability to act and has been freed from the suffocating embrace of a mere fig leaf function for (Christian Democratic) policy and the Bishops' Conference. The new pro-life movement is completely independent. Regardless of party, regardless of the Bishops' Conference and it's independent of other organizations.

The March for Life in Italy goes back to the initiative of traditionalist Catholics, including the recently departed legal philosopher Mario Palmaro. Traditional Catholics also gave the initial impetus for the French civil rights movement Manif pour tous. And the founder of the March for Life, the largest March for Life was buried in the Old Rite in Washington in 2012. This is no accident, as Roberto de Mattei says.

It's not only the right to life, but the family was in total released for departure, is now discussed in the context of building a movement to defend the family. The view is primarily beyond the Alps to the west, where in France with the civil rights movement Manif pour tous a movement has risen within a very short time with a mass basis.

Opinions differ about the ways in which the goal could be achieved. Recently, the repetition of was Family Day suggested, as it took place on 12 May 2007. In contrast, now one of the initiators of March for Life, the well-known historian Roberto de Mattei has asked to speak. "It will not be the Bishops’ Conference and the policy makers that nurture the Pro-life movement.“ Fact is that the family is besieged and attacked from all sides. Here are the further remarks of Roberto de Mattei on 11 June published in the daily newspaper Il Foglio and is indirectly a response to Martin Lohmann and his controversial invitation of Donum vitae to represent the March for Life in Berlin.

by Roberto de Mattei

The family is under unprecedented attack, not only in Italy but worldwide. This process, which was initiated by the '68 revolution, had its symbolic beginning in our country with the referendum of 12 May 1974, which confirmed the divorce law Fortuna Baslini of 1970. The way was thus paved for the next stages, which then led to the legalization of the new family law, abortion, artificial insemination and the recent attempt to institutionalize the homosexual partnership and to suppress dissenting voices with the new offense homophobia.“

The Family rooted in human nature, developed antibodies

The adoption of the quick divorce by the Chamber of Deputies, with which the times are reduced for the dissolution of marriage at six months, shows the direction the Renzi government will take. The institution of the family is shattered, but because it is rooted directly in the nature of man, it produces Anti-Bodies.

Over the past 40 years it has spontaneously formed defenses in response to movements in the world. The oldest is the American March for Life, which has gathered in Washington since January 22, 1974, every year with hundreds of thousands of participants and represents the diamond’s point of the anti-abortion movement in the United States.

The most recent is the French Manif pour tous , which was formed in September 2012 in Paris and in less than two years, millions of people took to the streets to protest against the aberrosexual pseudo-marriage.

Both of these movements are the most significant popular demonstrations in defense of life and the family.

What the March for Life and Manif pour tous Does

In Italy, the Catholic Bishops' Conference initiated Family Day on May 12, 2007 with the goal of adopting better social policies for the family by the Parliament. The initiative was a great success, but without consequences.

Since 2011, however, a spontaneous initiative of several small but mighty associations of of the March for Life have developed, where in Rome 50,000 people gathered on May 4 this year, took to the streets to bring to expression their unconditional No to abortion, without exception and without compromise.

What are the similarities and what are the differences between these various initiatives? The great strength of the March for Life and the Manif pour tous is to be powerful mobilizations although completely independent from political power or the Church hierarchy exert a profound influence on the political and religious institutions of their countries.

If the bishops of the United States belong till now the world's most determined defenders of life, to refuse Catholic abortion supporters Communion, then this is due to the fact that they are getting massive backing from the March for Life and they are at the same time also forced to give a positive witness. The Manif pour tous is non-denominational and politically independent, just like the March for Life, but receives the support of many bishops at the individual level. This has helped to create a psychological and cultural climate that led to Hollande’s crushing defeat in the recent elections to the European Parliament.

Regardless of politics and the Bishops' Conference

In Italy, where there is an entrenched Christian Democratic tradition, for the first points of contact are the bishops or the parties, all the initiatives that arose in the course of time, almost always emanate from political or ecclesiastical structures. The Forum of Family Associations, which officially organized Family Day in 2007, was directly dependent on the Bishops' Conference. It is sufficient to remember that the head of the Office for Family Pastoral of the Episcopal Conference or its representatives are involved, according to statutes. Also well known is the connection of the Movimento per la Vita by Carlo Casini to the Bishops' Conference of the MPV, according Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, it receives 600,000 euros a year, and almost half of the total budget.

The Family Day 2007, which was mainly due to the political intelligence of Cardinal Ruini has arisen within a year and died again, just because it was an initiative from above, lacking the roots in the Catholic people and the Catholic Associations.

Standard-bearer non-negotiable values
The success of the March for Life stems from the use from a variety of large and small realities that are present in all living branches of the society, from the parishes to the Internet. Without the support of the political parties, the bishops or the largest Catholic movements from Communion and Liberation to Neocatechumenate who can lead a compact and numerous army into the field for the March for Life. It is a base which needs to be represented by free and independent men and women, the standard-bearers of non-negotiable principles and hence ideas and are not led by power interests. That's the power of the March for Life.

Not from above, by political or ecclesiastical machinations can be something really built solidly for the defense of life and family, but from the bottom with the help of those myriads of groups, associations and circles, which are usually unknown and unnoticed by the media, who, however, are consolidated and form a compact block. Within this movement, and not as an alternative, it exists and can develop a serious opposition, which is not merely a facade, that opposes those who want to destroy the family.

Introduction / Translation: Giuseppe Nardi

image: Corrispondenza Romana

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches… AMGD