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The Culture of Death Will Only Be Overcome by Christ

Michelle Kaufman
Culture of Death Only Overcome by Christ Jesus

Father Jeremy Palman reflects on the decline of faith and the battle for life at Mass preceding New Zealand’s National March for Life.

Before people of good will gathered for New Zealand’s National March for Life earlier this month, Catholics first gathered at Holy Family Catholic Church for Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, praying for an end to abortion and for healing for all those wounded by it. 

The annual March, begun in Wellington in 2017 and now held in Auckland, brings together people from all over New Zealand to publicly witness to the dignity of every human life and to call for the protection of all pre-born children.

The Mass for Life was offered by Holy Family’s parish priest, Father Jeremy Palman, a faithful and courageous defender of life.  In his homily, he reflected on the spiritual roots of the culture of death and the deeper battle facing the pro-life movement.

Decomposition of Christian Culture

In his homily, which followed the Gospel of the Prodigal Son, Father Palman spoke of the decomposition of Christian culture and how this has led to a culture of death.  Prayer and witness being our response.

“[O]n this day in New Zealand, where the March for Life takes place,” we ask “for miracles in this regard that our culture here in New Zealand, in a similar decomposition, come to its senses in terms of the gift of life at the natural level. And also, as Catholics, we pray that it come to its senses in terms of the gift of supernatural life that is given in the Faith.”

He noted the staggering number of abortions taking place around the world each year, pointing out that approximately 75 million children were aborted globally in 2025.  Reflecting on the generational impact, he added that some observers suggest “up to a third of the Zoomer generation have been aborted.”

The warning comes as abortion numbers in New Zealand are again rising.  Provisional data released by the Ministry of Health for 2025 shows a sharp increase in induced abortions, underscoring the urgency of the pro-life witness seen at the National March for Life and in other initiatives.

Decline of Faith Leaves Vacuum for Greater Evils

Father Palman argued that the roots of the crisis are deeper than politics or social policy.  The decline of faith, he noted, has created a spiritual vacuum that invites even greater moral and cultural problems.

Speaking about Europe, he warned that demographic collapse and spiritual decline are closely connected.

“The reason that Europe will probably fall to Islam in the coming years is because of abortion and contraception.”

He explained that the abandonment of the Christian faith has had widespread consequences.

Having lost “supernatural faith,” they have “succumbed to these secular issues: the breakdown of the family, the rejection of those traditional morals, the embracing of a licentious and fornicating culture and from that the adoption of contraception and abortion.” 

He continued with a list of issues that follow: “homosexuality and its rise, its political lobby, the legalization of homosexual marriage, all of these things, all the identity issues come about because of the loss of Christian faith.”

In such a context, he explained that secular ideologies cannot sustain a civilisation.

“Secular atheistic humanism … will not be strong enough to withstand the advance of Islam.”

He warned that New Zealand also stands precariously because of a “rejection of faith, a rejection of Christ, a rejection of God and then all the rejections at the natural level.”

“Into this vacuum,” he said, “will flow far worse evils.”

The Deeper Battle

While abortion is the “most pressing and most important at the natural level,” Father Palman stressed that the deeper crisis lies in the loss of faith itself.

“The most pressing and important at the supernatural level is the decline of faith,” he stated.

“All of the issues we face are because of the decline of supernatural and divine faith, the rejection of God,” he said.

He acknowledged the importance of pro-life work in the public square.

“We do all that we can at the natural level.  We fight the good fight alongside people of goodwill to halt, and slow down, and if possible, reverse all the culture of death.”

However, he reminded those present that the ultimate solution is not merely political.

“But the truth is that the culture of death will only be overcome by Christ, by the Church, by the Woman that we see in the apocalypse and her children.”

An Exhortation to Persevere

Recognising that the long battle for life can be exhausting, Father Palman exhorted those present to never let go of hope.

“We are on the right side.  We are in the winning team.  And even if there be defeat after defeat after defeat at the natural human political level, we know that Christ ultimately has the victory,” he stated.

Even when the work becomes difficult, he cautioned that the spiritual strength of the pro-life movement should remain firm.

“[E]ven if we have the normal elements of human fatigue, our spiritual energy should never diminish because we know we fight in Christ and he fights for us and for life.”

“This truth in the face of enormous odds means that the prolife movement, especially the Catholic prolife movement, is animated in an extraordinary way because it’s animated by a divine force.”

The Loss of Souls

Father Palman urged listeners to view the issue from an eternal perspective.

When abortion is viewed spiritually, it “is not the greatest of evils.” 

Rather, he explained, the greatest tragedy is the loss of souls.

“Spiritual death, eternal death, is the greatest of evils that we face in these days.”

He suggested that even the suffering caused by abortion can be taken up by God within His larger plan of salvation.

“The work that you do, and the suffering that is undergone by children who are aborted, are all at the service of a larger battle.”

“God in his love and his goodness and providence, can use that passion of humanity, united to his passion to bring about a greater salvation and ultimate victory for the world, in Christ, and in the Church.”

Mercy Available to All

Father Palman concluded by returning to the Gospel image of the Prodigal Son, which is a reminder that God’s mercy remains open to all who turn back to Him.

“We pray,” he said, “that the culture would return like the prodigal son, would wake up from its misery and its mess, eating with the pigs and wallowing in the mud with them, and turn back to the Father in Heaven, and with an incredible hope in His mercy.”

He extended that call not only to individuals, but to the whole culture.

“Let us pray that we do this, that the women wounded by abortion would do this, but the greater culture would also enter this return.  Mercy is always available for all who still draw breath in this life.  Let us ask God to bring this victory to its accomplishment.”

With that call to conversion and hope, the faithful present prepared to take their witness into the streets at the National March for Life.  Grounded in prayer and the Eucharist, participants went forth publicly to affirm the dignity of every human life from conception and to continue the long work of restoring a culture of life.

WATCH: MASS FOR LIFE – Saturday 7 March 2026

Father Jeremy Palman’s homily starts at 27:00.

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