Around 50 people gathered in Dundee City Square yesterday evening to commemorate the passing of the 1967 Abortion Act. The silent vigil marked the 10 million lives lost to abortion in the UK since the Act was passed, as well as praying for the lives of mothers, fathers and families suffering from an abortion experience.
The vigil also brings life issues into the open. This is especially important with the looming threat of legal euthanasia where the same rhetoric around autonomy, difficult cases and safeguards suggests that we can legalise killing vulnerable people without a devaluing of life in society. In Canada, 1 in 25 deaths is an assisted suicide and there’s a push to extend euthanasia for mental health problems. The vigil, as usual, prompted pro-abortion supporters to air their views. This, however, is another positive aspect of the event. After 57 years of legal abortion, the normalisation of abortion in our society means that some people have never heard the pro-life message. Encouraging conversations around killing babies, and sick and disabled people, forces an examination of the value of life and this can only lead to good.
Thank you to Canon Kevin for offering Mass for pro-life intentions in the Cathedral directly after the vigil. SPUC Dundee are also grateful to the Marian Franciscans for their presence at the vigil and continued support of our work.