Domovina uredništvo
Thursday 8th August, 2019 goes down as one of the darkest days in history for NSW. The NSW Parliament (Lower House) voted in favour by 59 to 31 to pass the Abortion Bill which will now be debated and voted for starting on Tuesday 20th August in the Upper House of the NSW Parliament.
Croatians in Australia and especially in Sydney were very active in the fight to bring down the evil of communism right throughout the 1970’s, 80’s and early 90’s. And after the ‘domovinski rat’ we worked hard as a community to establish Croatia as a flourishing democracy.
Lobbying and taking to the streets (protesting) was not something we feared and if anything, as a community we loved it and were very good at it because we knew exactly what our goal was and who our enemy was. Five, ten or fifteen thousand people protesting on the streets of Sydney or even more in Canberra was not uncommon. Letters to newspapers, politicians, signing petitions and calling talkback radio became somewhat normal.
And in most cases we were the ‘underdog’ but many times prevailed in getting the truth out there. We used every possible means and football (soccer) was also a great avenue to spread the name of ‘Croatia’ with Sydney Croatia (United 58 FC) being one of the best supported clubs in the country for many years.
We are fighters and have done so for countless centuries protecting our lands from foreign invaders but not once as a people of faith betraying our loyalty to God as Catholics. Our promise to Pope John VIII back in the late 800’s was one that we would never lead an offensive war to attack other peoples but rather defend has remained true to this day. Importantly, our fidelity to the Catholic Church has remained true and strong.
And in the 920’s we were one of the few people who were allowed to celebrate mass in Croatian with Bishop Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski) whilst under the protection of King Tom (Kralj Tomislav). And then in more modern times we have Blaženi Alojzije Stepinac who gave his life and was martyred because he did not want to betray God and Mother Church.
In Australia, Croatian speakers are the sixth most numerous of all ethnic groups in the Catholic Church and according to the ABS have one of the highest rates of retention to the Catholic faith being passed on to the next generation.
As Catholics, we are called to be a witness to all those around us and to be faithful to the teachings of The Church. There can be no greater attack on humanity than those that are defenseless because they have no voice. Just as us Croats know what it is like to be silenced, today it is the unborn and their mothers who are being attacked.
The proposed abortion bill wants you, me and our community to accept that abortion up till birth be legal in NSW and that for any reason this termination (murder) of a fully formed healthy baby be ‘normal’. Ironically, when this bill was passed in the NSW Lower House the politicians celebrated like they scored a winning goal or had just won the lotto. An absolute insult to all the babies and mothers out there who are being offered no support and protection.
In addition, the bill provides no protection for a baby that may survive an abortion meaning they are left to die on the table of a hospital or abortion mill whilst a doctor or nurse needs to wait to confirm their death. No counselling or support to be provided for women who are unsure what they should do or provide no option of adoption. An under 16 year old girl is not allowed to go on a school excursion to the local park without a signed parental permission slip but she’ll be able to procure an abortion even if she’s pressured by a boyfriend and her parents will never find out.
There is no protection in the trade of baby organs and no protection for doctors who object to doing an abortion as they would be required under this bill to provide the details of another abortionist (referral) if they will not undertake the task even if they do not agree with it. Ohhh, and if you don’t like the gender of your baby then you can also terminate.
As a community we need to do much, much better. We need not isolate these women but rather support and protect them and that is why this bill needs to be defeated in the NSW Upper House.
So just like we did before as a Croatian community and take to the streets in our thousands to speak and stand up for those who couldn’t, it’s now time that we take to the streets again in our thousands. The ‘Stand For Life’ March in Sydney (Martin Place) on Tuesday 20th August from 6pm is standing up for those who can’t be heard and are an innocent voice being silenced. This abortion bill wants to legalise the murder of perfectly healthy babies and if we don’t stand up and be heard then we are consciously deciding to ignore this fact. Maybe we should even organise buses from our clubs and churches to attend this march…
Whether you are young or old, busy or tied there should be absolutely no excuse for our community to be absent from this march. Get home from work early, cancel all your other activities, dress warm and take your whole family to the ‘Stand For Life’ March because this may be our last chance to be heard. Call your local MP, write emails and letters just like the old days.
And rest assured if tens of thousands of people turn up on Tuesday 20th August we will make a difference so it’s up to you. Spread the word and let’s have 10,000 Aussie Croats join the many other thousands who will be present for Australia’s largest pro-life rally in history.
Bog i Hrvati,
Ivica Kovač
“Never tire of firmly speaking out in defense of life from its conception and do not be deterred from the commitment to defend the dignity of every human person with courageous determination. Christ is with you: be not afraid!” – St John Paul II
“Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.” – St Theresa of Calcutta
