HLI EUROPA PRESENTATION FOR FATIMA CONFERENCE. FIRST CHANGES First in the world to legalize abortion - Lenin in Soviet Russia in 1920 during the Bolshevik.

HLI EUROPA PRESENTATION FOR

FATIMA CONFERENCE

FIRST CHANGES

First in the world to legalize abortion - Lenin in Soviet Russia in 1920 during the Bolshevik Revolution

The Nazis were the first to legalize abortion in Poland

FIRST CHANGES

After World War II, abortion was legalized in all the nations

of the so-called socialist bloc, following the example of the Soviet Union in Poland under pressure - 27 April 1956

At present,

the 50th anniversary - Prayer of Expiation at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki

Jasna Góra Vows of the Polish Nation

Written in prison by Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński, Primate of Poland, during the worst persecution of the Church in Poland

Solemn vows made by about 1 million pilgrims at the Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa on 26 August 1956


Portion of the text of the vows which refers to the defense of life:

Holy Mother of God and Mother of Good Counsel! We promise you, with our eyes fixed on the manger of Bethlehem, that from this time forward we will stand guard over the beginnings of lifeWe will fight to defend every child and every cradle as valiantly as our fathers fought for the existence and freedom of the Nation, paying with their own blood. We are prepared to suffer death rather than inflict death on the defenseless

We will consider the gift of life as the greatest grace of the Father of all life and the most valuable treasure of the nation

Mother of Christ and House of Gold! We promise you to stand guard over the indissolubility of marriage, to defend the dignity of women, keep vigil at the threshold of the domestic hearth so that the lives of Poles will be safe there

The people respond: Queen of Poland, We promise!


26 August 2006 - 50th Anniversary - Cardinal Józef Glemp, Primate of Poland renewed the Jasna Góra Vows,which were repeated at each Mass in every parish in Poland

FIRST CHANGES

Drama of breaking the vows - almost 300,000 abortions annually during the 1970s

16 October 1978 - election of a Pole, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, to the papacy

June 1979 - First pilgrimage of Pope John Paul IIto Poland - Mass in Plac Zwycięstwa(Victory Square) in Warsaw on the Feast of Pentecost

Prayer of the Pope - May your Spirit descend and renew the face of the land, this land

Solidarity Uprising - the first breath of freedom and exhortation of the dignity of the person and defense of conceived life

Testimony of prayer of Pope John Paul II: I constantly wish and pray that the Polish family would give life, that it would be faithful to the holy right to life

Prayer Crusade in defense of the unbornPrayer Crusade in defense of the unborn

With trust in the power of prayer and in response to the summons of the Holy Father, John Paul II, a group of lay Catholics from Kraków initiated a systematic nation-wide prayer in defense of the unborn

The prayer was initiated on 12 October 1980 on the World-wide Day of Prayer for the Family

Goals of the Crusade:

• Awaken and sensitize consciences

• Pray for the intention of abolishing abortion laws

• Recognize the unconditional right to life of every unborn child

Commitments for a period of 1 year:

• Daily prayer

• One weekday Mass and Holy Communion per month

• Shut-ins - offer one day of suffering

Several hundred thousand persons joined the Crusade. Each month another intention for joint prayer is published

Spiritual Adoption of an Unborn Child

Prayer to save an unborn child in danger of being aborted and its parents

The idea of spiritual adoption arose in England and France shortly after the appearances of Our Lady in Fatima, in response to her summons to pray the Rosary and to make reparation for the greatest sins

2 February 1987 - the first act of spiritual adoption in Poland at the Church of the Pauline Fathers in Warsaw

Spiritual Adoption consists in:

• Making a public promise of prayer (to the extent possible) during a solemn

Mass after personal preparation at a 3-day retreat

• Daily prayer for 9 months for a single child known only to God - 1 mystery of the Rosary and special prayers

• Additional voluntary obligations

Spiritual Adoption of an Unborn Child

Daily Prayer:

Lord Jesus, through the intercession of Mary your Mother, who gave birth to you out of love, and through the intercession of St. Joseph, a man of faith, who cared for you after your birth, I pray to you for the intention of this unborn child who is threatened by extermination, whom I have adopted spiritually. Please give his parents the love and courage to keep their child in the life that you yourself ordained for him. Amen.

Each year thousands of people join Spiritual adoption, aware that there are more of them than there are abortions in Poland

The Largest Centers:

• The Main Center of Spiritual Adoption at Jasna Góra

in Częstochowa;

• The Movement for Propagating Spiritual Adoption

in Gdańsk;

• The Center of Spiritual Adoption at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Kraków-Łagiewniki

Rosary for the Defense of Life and FamilyRosary for the Defense of Life and Family

Our Lady, in her appearances, asks us Our Lady, in her appearances, asks us to pray the Rosary and promises to pray the Rosary and promises through it we can ask her for anythingthrough it we can ask her for anything

• We often pray the Rosary We often pray the Rosary as individuals for the intention as individuals for the intention of defense of life of defense of life

• During numerous church services During numerous church services for the defense of lifefor the defense of life

• HLI Europa conducts a Rosary HLI Europa conducts a Rosary for the Defense of Life and Familyfor the Defense of Life and Familydeveloped by the famousdeveloped by the famousgynecologist and defender of lifegynecologist and defender of lifeProf. Włodzimierz FijałkowskiProf. Włodzimierz Fijałkowski

Pilgrimages Pilgrimages of Defenders of Life of Defenders of Life

to Jasna Górato Jasna GóraAnnually on the Saturday before Sanctity of Life Day (25 March) a National Pilgrimage of Defenders of Life to the Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa takes place. Its initiator is the Prayer Crusade movement. Currently all join in.

This is a time of prayer, contemplation, praying the Rosary, promising spiritual adoption and community Mass before the Icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa.

Stations of the Cross for the Unborn ChildStations of the Cross for the Unborn Child

The Prayer Crusade initiated the practice of saying the Stations of the Cross for the Unborn Child during Lent - contemplation on the suffering of Christ in the context of the sin of abortion

The most famous texts of the Stations of the Cross for the Unborn Child were prepared by Fr. Stanisław Maślanka, ecclesiastical assistant of the Prayer Crusade, were contemplated during the Pilgrimages to Czestochowa and subsequently published

Prayer for the conversion of enemies of life

The constant appearances of attacks and provocations aimed at legalizing abortion became the cause for beginning the Prayer for the Conversion of Enemies of Life

Human Life International Europa has been conducting this program for 2 years

More than 2,000 persons have joined the prayer to date. The Prayer for the enemies of life is difficult and demands conquering negative emotions, but is very necessary

We invite all to join in: personal prayer and sacrifice for this important intention

New pressures, initiatives, and provocations to legalize killing unborn children in Poland are constantly appearing. Various persons from the world of politics, media, feminists, and others promote them. They oppose God, the creator of life. They harm people and society. However, they often do not know what they are doing.

We pray with love for their conversion!

We earnestly pray that activities undertaken with evil intentions may not do harm and that each unborn child may have the right to life.

This is true Christian prayer!

We wish to offer it to God at the hands of the Holy Father

Prayer for the conversion of enemies of life

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, you prayed on the cross with love for your persecutors. Open my heart so that I will be able to pray for enemies of life, for those who want to kill defenseless children in their mothers’ wombs, to harm women and inflict great pain on them.

Lord, I beg you for the conversion of enemies of life!

I also pray, Lord Jesus, that their evil intentions may not be realized, and that each child conceived could happily be born.

For this I request the special intercession of Mary the Mother of God and our Mother,

as well as St. Gianna Berenta Molla, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Servant of God Jerzy Popieluszko, St. Faustina Kowalska

Prayer in Marian Shrines

In Poland we have about 200 Marian Shrines, many of which are very old. The cult of Mary in Poland is tied in with Polish tradition and is at the same time very much alive

All the shrines conduct prayers in defense of life

Many of them hold periodic all-night prayer vigils before the Most Blessed Sacrament for the defense of life

Pro-life prayers take place in all cathedrals in Poland (including the royal cathedral in Kraków at Wawel)

Masses and processions with candles and rosary on the feast of the Holy

Innocents—28 December

The first procession took place in 1993 from the Basilica of St. Bridget in Gdańsk (Solidarity church) to the Basilica of Our Lady with the participation of the Archbishop of Gdańsk

Today, such processions take place in most cities in Poland

Masses and marches for life on Sanctity of Life Day

At the request of defenders of life, the Polish Episcopate declared 25 March, the feast of the Annunciation as Sanctity of Life Day

The following take place on that day:

• Masses in defense of life

• Spiritual adoption promises

• Processions with candles and praying the Rosary

Prayer with Radio Maria

Radio Maria, which has several million Polish language listeners throughout the world, is very involved in the defense of life

It conducts constant prayers for the defense of life:

• Daily Rosary

• Meetings at the Shrine of St. Joseph in Kalisz

• Reports on and joins with pro-life prayers

which take place at various shrines and during marches and processions

Prayers of Consecrated Persons

The following people pray constantly for the protection of life:

• Priests (28,546 in Poland, including religious)

• Women religious (23,304 religious sisters in Poland)

• Male religious (6,325 religious priests and 1,522 brothers)

• Secular institutes (1,081 persons)

• Seminarians for Life (about 7,000 seminarians in Poland)

In times of great confrontations, the defenders of life request constant prayer support from sisters in contemplative orders

Our Lady promised efficacious assistance

At first, faith in the possibility of change was weak

After the call of the Holy Father and the beginning of the Prayer Crusade, the following began:

1. It became a positive battle - presenting the value,

and not only overcoming the evil of abortion -"defeat evil with good"

2. Dramatic drop in the number of children killed,transmitting information and discussions

The number of abortions registered in Poland years 1960 – 2003

0

20 000

40 000

60 000

80 000

100 000

120 000

140 000

160 000

180 000

1960

1970

1980

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

Number of abortions in total

Number of abortions because ofthreats to mother’s health or life

Number of abortions because ofprenatal illness

Number of abortions of pregnanciesas the result of prohibited act (rapeand incest)Number of abortions for medical andjuridical reasons

Number of abortions because ofdifficult economic situation of awoman

Number of abortions on demand


3. 1993 - introduction of a law defending life, prohibiting

abortion for social reasons and abortion on demandafter 37 years of legality

After the law was passed, there were 777 cases of abortion. That number has been held to less than 1000


4. Public opinion research shows increasing support for the defense of life

65%

30%

54%

32%

57%

36%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

1997 2002 2005

Should a woman have the right to decide in the first weeks of pregnancy whether she should give birth

to the child or not?

YES

NO


5. In 1997, legalized abortion was introduced, but after a year, life won again

6. In 2004, the left wing of the leadership - attempted full legalization of abortion. The proposal was defeated in the first reading - a true miracle!

7. There is a great chance for the complete defense of life


0

10 000

20 000

30 000

40 000

50 000

60 000

70 000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Number of abortions ofpregnancies as the result ofprohibited act (rape and incest)






Number of abortions for medicaland juridical reasons


0

10 000

20 000

30 000

40 000

50 000

60 000

70 000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Number of abortions ofpregnancies as the result ofprohibited act (rape and incest)






Number of abortions for medicaland juridical reasons

Great prayer for the constitutional defense of life

At present, after the renewal of the Jasna Góra Vows on their 50th anniversary, the possibility exists for the introduction of an amendment to the Polish constitution - from conception to natural death. 120 representatives from various parties introduced the proposal.


From the feast of the Triumph of the Cross (14 September 2006) to the Feast of Christ the King (26 November 2006) Poland is praying daily to the Blessed Trinity through the intercession of the Most Holy Mother, Queen of Poland as well as Servants of God John Paul II, Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński, Fr. Jerzy Popieluszko, for constitutional protection of life from conception:

• Chaplet of Divine Mercy

• Marian prayer „Sub Tuum Praesidium”


As well as the following ejaculations:

• Jesus Christ, giver of Life and Victor over death, King of the Universe, have mercy on us (3 times)

• Mary, mother of the Son of God, Mother of the Church, Queen of Poland, pray for us (3 times)

• Servant of God John Paul II, intercede for us

• Servant of God Stefan Wyszyński, intercede for us

• Servant of God Fr. Jerzy, intercede for us

We ask all of you to support this initiative by your own personal prayers

Proposal - World Prayer Crusade

for the Defense of Life

Proposal - World Prayer Crusade

for the Defense of Life

• Establish an international committee

• Publish simple principles for this prayer

• Focus on a different country each month, which most needsprayer support in the struggle

• Announce subsequent countries

and intentions on the internet

As the fruit of the I Pro-Life Prayer

Congress

HLI EUROPA PRESENTATION FOR FATIMA CONFERENCE. FIRST CHANGES First in the world to legalize abortion - Lenin in Soviet Russia in 1920 during the Bolshevik.

Documents

poland slide

life slide

defense of life

poland solemn vows

primate of poland

poland mass

prayer crusade

anniversary prayer