On the first Saturday of December, hundreds of individuals and families marched onto Parliament grounds in support of the most vulnerable among us, the unborn child.
The 2023 National March for Life took place on Saturday, 2 December, and is an annual event that draws participants from all over New Zealand. This year was no exception, with people travelling to the nation’s capital from as far north as Whangarei and as far south as Dunedin. The event also captured the attention of US pro-life advocate and speaker Isobel Brown, who travelled to New Zealand with her fiancé and father to join in the day and to speak.
Joyful music set the tone of the National March for Life
Beginning in Civic Square, a joyful atmosphere for the March is established with music provided by Victory Christian Centre. Pink and blue balloons were given out and were especially exciting for the youngest participants to hold and enjoy. This year, those balloons carried important pro-life messages such as “Choose life”, “Babies are a blessing”, and “Stand up for life”.
In addition, a good old Kiwi sausage sizzle was available to fill hungry tummies before the March. There was an opportunity for participants and the public to take a look at and take away with them resources from several pro-life organisations serving the wider community.
Leading the March this year were young, mainly female pro-life advocates. Their joyful chants declaring the importance of protecting human life from conception left no one in doubt about the message of love and protection. Mother of Divine Mercy Youth, an Auckland group, brought their usual exuberance and festive zeal. Other groups helping to lift the atmosphere of the March included the Trentham Christian Family from Upper Hutt, Celebration Church, and Thomas Bennett on the bagpipes.
Participants in the March showed patience and Christian charity when the small group of counter-protesters decided to stage a sit-in to halt access to Parliament. While waiting, the various groups continued their joyful singing, exposing to onlookers the incredible difference between “light” and “dark.”
The protesters were angry and loud. However, the Police did a fantastic job of ensuring nothing harmful was attempted, and the sit-in was swiftly brought to an end, allowing us to continue our permitted, lawful, and peaceful March.
At Parliament, four speeches were given by passionate speakers to inform, inspire and encourage participants in proclaiming the pro-life message.
Isobel Brown from the USA discusses the wide impact of abortion
Isobel Brown, from the United States, gave a broader perspective on the impact of abortion throughout the world. She covered many essential points in her ten-minute address, starting with losing the search for objective truth in the scientific community. “Instead,” she stated, science has become a “political endeavour to indoctrinate the masses.”
“The impact of abortion is not localised to just one woman in crisis, to one child sacrificed on the altar of convenience, or even one family with a missing member. The impact of abortion is universal, and it must be countered with the truth.”
She hit back at some of the standard talking points touted by abortion supporters, noting that while the narrative is that abortion empowers women, at the same time, they negate the impact death has on women. “Make no mistake about it,” she said. “A woman’s life is put at risk every time she obtains an abortion surgically or by taking a series of pills.”
“Abortion does not save lives. Abortion destroys and ends life.”
Comparing abortion to atrocious genocides of recent memory, Brown noted that “all genocidal movements have begun with the strategic dehumanisation of an entire group of people.”
Abortion promoters are adept at dehumanising the unborn child, who they often refer to as a clump of cells or the products of conception.
“When we buy into the lies of the abortion industry, we sentence to death not just one individual.
We sentence to death entire future families, the flourishing of our society at large and the true progress of humanity.”
She finished by encouraging those present, saying, “Hearts and minds are changed because of the gentle courage of people just like you.”
Catherine Gillies explains the grief and trauma of abortion
Having spent more than 40 years ministering to women and men wounded by abortion, Catherine Gillies passionately spoke about the profound grief experienced.
She pointed out that there are four key indicators that a woman will be more likely to choose abortion when faced with a crisis pregnancy.
“The biggest indicator that a woman will choose abortion is childhood neglect,” she stated. “The second biggest indicator is partner abandonment.”
The third and fourth indicators are survivor guilt when a sibling has been aborted and if her mother has had an abortion, as her decision will be an influence.
These women have “no ability to know their heart. They are easily bullied and coerced.”
Catherine expressed her hope that learning the genuine impact of abortion on women and men “will deepen compassion for those who have been deeply damaged.”
Speaking of the privilege of journeying with someone seeking healing, Catherine asked the crowd to consider what it must be like to carry the trauma and pain that lead to and exist because of the abortion.
“The ladies and the men that we saw – underneath all that anger is pain. We must always remember their pain. Unless we’ve walked in their shoes, unless we’ve lived the lives they’ve lived, been neglected and abused, been abandoned, been treated like they don’t matter, that their grief does not matter, that other people’s babies were more important than their babies, that their babies were not worthy of being born, that they were not worthy to be mothers,” she said.
“Can you imagine what that does to a woman?”
“If we can bring them back their life if we can bring them back their hope. It’s a really beautiful privilege.”
She concluded her speech by acknowledging how important God is in the healing. “[I]t’s really understanding His complete unconditional love and acceptance of them and who they are and His mercy. That’s what gives them the freedom to actually forgive themselves, and that’s what gives them the freedom to live the lives they were meant to live.”
Cheyenne Aranui highlights the high Maori abortion rate
Cheyenne discussed the impact of abortion on Maori women and families, citing recent abortion statistics that show that Maori women have, per capita, the most abortions over any other ethnic group.
She told the moving story of her sister’s teen pregnancy. After the 20-week scan, her baby was diagnosed with spina bifida, Dandy-Walker syndrome, and Down syndrome.
Cheyenne recalled her sister being asked “numerous times to abort her baby.” The medical practitioners “felt she was too young and that raising a disabled child would be a lot of pressure and stress on her and her partner.”
“Today, my beautiful niece Mariah is 14 years old… she’s perfectly healthy and thriving in everything she does.”
She concluded her speech by proclaiming, “Something needs to change… I want to be part of a culture where abortion is unthinkable.”
Alfred Ngaro exhorts pro-life advocates to change the heart of the culture
Former National MP Alfred Ngaro gave an impassioned speech reminding participants that if we wanted to get to the “good day,” the day when abortion is no longer legal in New Zealand, then we’ve “got to go through the hard days,” and “change is possible.”
He spoke to the men present, encouraging them to “stand alongside women” who carry guilt and shame.
“You can repair the shame by loving them,” he said. “You can remove the burden that they carry by telling them – not condemning them – but loving them and helping them walk through the grief of the loss from the decision they made. They need you to be there and to be strong.”
“Be strong for our women.
Love them. Care for them. Walk with them to a place of healing and consolation.”
While in Parliament, Ngaro fearlessly spoke the truth, even though it made him unpopular. But he quickly reminded all those present that we cannot place our hope in politics.
“It’s the culture of our society that determines the impact of our politics. It’s the culture of our society that impacts the decisions of our politicians,” he declared.
Noting that too many people are looking to Parliament to solve the challenges we face in the community, he contended that this is the wrong perspective.
“When you move the culture. When there’s a movement like that, I can tell you this. This place here will start to take notice. You want these guys to move? Then you move. You want these guys to change, then you change. Be the change that you want this place to be.”
He concluded his speech by urging everyone to love, learn, and keep up the fight.
“Keep doing what you are doing because it does make a difference.”
Seventh National March for Life comes to an end
After the speeches, Father Peter Janssen, SM, called for a moving minute of silence. He then prayed and blessed all those present.
The formalities concluded with a heartfelt rendition of the national anthem, which Brooke Fransen had recorded. All present joined in with enthusiasm.
National March surrounded in prayer
The National March for Life was surrounded by prayer, the foundation of any good work. Father Peter Janssen offered Holy Mass on Friday evening at the beautiful central Catholic church of Saint Mary of the Angels.
In his homily, he spoke of the scourge of abortion and euthanasia, and he urged all those present to reaffirm their own belief in the sanctity of life. Following the Mass was an hour of Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. Once again, Mother of Divine Mercy Youth led the singing.
After the March, a Rosary was prayed on the hill at Parliament grounds, led by Father Todd Stephens.
It was a peaceful end to a joy-filled occasion.
Save the date for the 8th National March for Life
The annual National March for Life began in 2017. Family Life International initially established it to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the passing of the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977. That Act was passed on 16 December 1977. It was under this legislation that the majority of politicians denied the absolute right to life of pre-born children, declaring that the lives of some were more important than that of others.
The National March for Life is organised by Voice for Life, Focus on the Family, Family First, and Family Life International NZ. It is supported by Right to Life NZ and the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference, as well as others.
The next National March for Life will take place on Saturday, 7 December 2024.
There will be a Mass for Life and Adoration on Friday, 1 December, at Saint Mary of the Angels.
The Rosary will be prayed on Parliament grounds following the March for Life.
