Photo via lifesitenews.com

March for Life in South Africa attended by over 2000

The South African Culture of Life Campaign, formed by lay people of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg at the request of their archbishop, who called for a commitment to promote life, especially life in the womb, held a March for Life on March 13th. Over 2000 pro-lifers gathered for the event, reports Thaddeus M. Baklinski, LifeSiteNews.com.

South Africa, where abortion on demand was legalized on February 1, 1997, has the continent's most liberal abortion laws as well as an extremely high maternal mortality ratio of 400 deaths per 100,000.

Michelle Joseph, Chairperson of the Culture of Life Campaign said the march attracted people from most of the 130 parishes in the archdiocese, as well as representatives from the Catholic Women’s League Adoption Society, the Catholic Order of the Knights of de Gama, and residents of Little Eden, a home for adults and children with profound mental handicaps.

Mass at the Cathedral was celebrated by the Most Reverend Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg, and was followed by the march to Constitution Hill, where officials from the Department of Health accepted a petition addressed to the Minister of Health calling for a repeal of the 'Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act'.

‘The hands of South Africa’s lawmakers are dripping with blood,” said Archbishop Tlhagale to the overflowing crowd at the Cathedral of Christ the King."

Photo via lifesitenews.com

We are on a cause of life. We march today because the Church is duty bound to raise its voice; duty bound to value life, especially life in the womb. South Africa’s lawmakers deny life and offer abortion on demand. In this country child rape, brutal abuse of women and children, drugs, violent road deaths are common. Amidst this everyday violence the gospel calls us to protect and revere life. ‘Thou shalt not kill’ is unambiguous. Life is of unassailable, inestimable value and abortion is a deplorable crime," the archbishop said.

Calling on young people to "respect their bodies, respect life and speak out," Archbishop Tlhagale exhorted them to "Love God, love your neighbor. Protect and defend life – life from its inception!"

The march, which Culture of Life Campaign organizers said took the form of a "prayer-walk with marchers praying the rosary and singing hymns," was peaceful with no counter protest in evidence. Marchers carried banners identifying their parish or group as well as graphic photos of aborted babies and images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, patroness of the unborn.

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TAGS: South Africa Culture of Life Campaign March for Life abortion Archbishop Tlhagale

[03/30/2010]

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