Help to challenged mothers

On July 9, a film at Spazju Kreattiv, St James Cavalier, featured the campaign that led to the legalisation of abortion in Ireland. It showed activists of both sides of the debate but gave the lion’s share to the pro-abortion side. This might be well and good, in a taxpayer-funded centre for varied cultural activities.

What was objectionable is that the film was preceded by an introduction that included a personal “message to pro-choice people in the audience” from a pro-choice film protagonist. It reassured Maltese pro-abortion campaigners that, like their Irish counterparts, they will “win” in the end. The introduction also promised that these Irish pro-abortion campaigners would visit us again with their activities, presumably using the same state-funded platform.

The 8th film documents how grassroots activism led to the legalisation of abortion in Ireland. Photo: Facebook

The most poignant part of the film was the portrayal of the patch of grass in an old Catholic institution for single mothers and their babies. Underfoot lay buried large numbers of babies who were born but did not survive. They were buried in an unmarked mass grave, raising shudders of anger and shame at the lengths to which this institution, which should have known better, could go in its misguided disdain for such humans. Such shudders inevitably fed into the Irish pro-abortion campaign.

But if this is crass and inhuman, do you improve on it by creating a situation where thousands and millions of unborn babies’ bodies are commonly disposed of unceremoniously in unknown ‘resting places’ after being aborted?

When will these activists reason without bias and call a spade a spade?

This reminds me of the recent play at the Manoel Theatre, described as inviting reflection about abortion. In it, an adult daughter laments the traditional climate that formerly forced her mother to stay in an abusive marriage and to keep her baby. Was the solution to abort the baby or to support the mother out of the relationship while not snatching life from the lady now speaking to us?

My unhesitating support is for the straight-thinking and compassionate women who want the Maltese model to be: massively help the challenged mothers, be deeply understanding and lenient towards the hard cases but never remove the legal protection of the unborn and of the years of life that they, like us, are entitled to.

CHARLES PACE – Msida