Last week I rang my local NSW State member of the Legislative Assembly to leave a message. Since he had been reported in local media as being committed to voting against a proposed abortion bill, I wanted to thank him and urge him to stay strong amidst the inevitable attacks that would assail his resolve.

Most readers would be aware that NSW is staring down the barrel of egregious abortion legislation, just as other state and territory jurisdictions have done.

Similar legislation was defeated two years ago after a courageous group of mainly young women rallied pro-life forces, tabling the largest petition in NSW parliamentary history.

The Culture War

In this new iteration of the culture war, we have witnessed a conspiracy of powerful influencers who have sought to set aside parliamentary standing orders in order to get out in front of those who would stand against the murder of innocents. (Whatever the final outcome of this campaign, the attempted subversion of democratic processes is a topic that this democracy will need to revisit, while we can.)

I simply can’t get out of my mind the testimony of a doctor at a US senate hearing describing the method of terminating an advanced pregnancy. (Apologies for the Orwellian newspeak.)

How can anybody imagine, let alone draft legislation, campaign and vote for the dismemberment of babies? 

Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP, has spoken out repeatedly and compellingly on this issue. When the new law passed the Legislative Assembly on 8 August, His Grace lamented:

If a civilization is to be judged by how it treats its weakest members, New South Wales failed spectacularly today.

Where is Hope?

In addition to the passage of this bill through the lower house came news that my local MLA, a Liberal and Sunday Mass-going Catholic, had, in the end, voted with the ayes.

With the Psalmist, I cried out:

In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help (Ps 18:6).

Where can we look for hope?

It seems like many have given in to the extremes of presumption and despair.

But Christ’s faithful were infused with the theological virtue of hope at their baptism.

Three things we can do…

Whereas presumption and despair cause us to stop in our tracks, hope is the virtue by which we press on, receptive to God’s grace, seeking the good and surrendering to His will.

As the Catechism teaches:

The virtue of hope … keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude. (CCC#1818)

How, then, do we press on?

Archbishop Fisher suggested three things we can do: pray, act, witness.

  1. To prayer, His Grace added fast. A friend once said that fasting was just praying like you mean it. Let’s mean it!
  2. Atheistic Marxism will never be satisfied. We must actprudently and courageously. As our Lord foresaw, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt 10:16).
  3. Let us give witness to our trust in God. I find myself praying many times each day the prayer of Don Dolindo, “Jesus, I trust you. Take care of everything.”


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