Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP is inviting Catholics across Sydney to demonstrate their support for a culture of life in NSW at the inaugural March for Life Mass, livestreamed this Sunday 26 September from St Mary’s Cathedral.
The Mass, organised by the Life, Marriage and Family team in the Archdiocese of Sydney is being held to coincide with the date two years ago when NSW parliament passed the Abortion Reform Act, allowing for abortion up to birth in NSW.
Thousands of concerned Catholics joined in public protests and signed petitions against the laws.
A critical moment
Team Leader Life, Marriage and Family, Mr Steven Buhagiar said the legislation was one of the most extreme abortion laws in the world and does not allow for a foetus that survives a botched abortion procedure to be resuscitated, highlighting the lack of empathy for the unborn on the part of many NSW MPs.
He said Sunday’s Mass will continue a long tradition in the Archdiocese of holding an annual Mass for the Unborn, although this year members of the public are unfortunately unable to attend due to COVID restrictions.
He said the Mass comes at a critical time as Independent MP Mr Alex Greenwich intends to introduce euthanasia laws into the state parliament in the near future.
Euthanasia debate looms
“In the case of every abortion and every act of euthanasia, there is an individual at the heart of it. An individual effectively loses their life and their full contribution to the world is never fully realized”, he said.
“As Catholics, we believe that life matters from conception to natural death. Doctors also have a fundamental obligation under the Hippocratic oath to care for their patients, not be placed in a position where they are taking life away from them”.
Under proposed euthanasia laws, two doctors would be allowed to approve a euthanasia procedure with no mandatory psychological assessment necessary.
Objections ‘urgently needed’
Faith-based aged care facilities that object to euthanasia would still need to allow doctors and nurses on their premises for every stage of the euthanasia process, including allowing them to enter and kill a patient on site.
Mr Buhagiar said it was critical for all concerned Catholics to write to their local MP opposing the proposed laws.
“We only have to look at other countries including Belgium and Holland to see euthanasia laws that have been extended to cover children and in some cases, new-borns. This is a fundamental attack on the sanctity of life”, he added.
The anti euthanasia lobby group, HOPE, has set up an online tool that allows members of the public to send an email directly to their state MP and to all members of the NSW Upper House. The tool is available here.
The Inaugural March for Life Mass will be livestreamed at 10:30am on Sunday 26 September here via the St Mary’s Cathedral You Tube channel.
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