From Mosta To Gozo, Former PN MP Edwin Vassallo Is Seeking To Build Pro-Life Momentum
“For every action, there is a reaction and we are here to build this reaction,” former PN MP Edwin Vassallo told an audience in Gozo last week.
Fresh off Malta’s legalisation of genetic testing of embryos for certain serious hereditary conditions, the former PN MP is rallying the country’s pro-life forces to prepare for battles yet to come.
Euthanasia, surrogacy, even abortion. after the recent vote, Vassallo believes there is a real chance these practices could be legalised in the coming years and he intends to mobilise a counter-force against them.
Vassallo has so far organised two dialogue meetings – in Mosta and Gozo – events where people can listen to speakers and even address the audience if they so please, with the latest meeting streamed in full by the PmnewsMalta site.
The meetings are attracting a few high-profile figures too, with Gozo Bishop Anton Teuma giving a speech at the Gozo session which linked the genetic testing bill to the rise of consumerist culture.
“This is the big deception of consumerist culture… life has become so cheap and tradable,” he warned.
PN MP and Gozo spokesperson Alex Borg – one of three MPs who voted against genetic testing – said he faced a choice between going along with partisan politics and sticking to his own beliefs.
“I voted according to my conscience to show that there are politicians with a spine out there who endorse pro-life values,” he said. “These tests can damage or kill embryos so how can I call myself pro-life but then vote in favour of such a law?”
PN MP Alex Borg
Borg predicted that his vote will have “big repercussions” on his political life but said that “politics isn’t everything”.
“I have a conscience and know that my vote was the best decision for the country and society, and many people I have met agree with me,” he said. “My fear is that this law can open the floodgate to uglier issues in the future… hopefully they aren’t close but if they are, then I will take the same stand.”
F Living presenter Simon Debono said pro-life activists are “building a machine” through the Facebook group ‘Abortion in Malta? Not In My Name’ that he administers and that has almost 40,000 members.
Julian Portelli, a youth activist from the Pro Malta Christiana group, warned that Maltese society has devolved into a “culture of death”, with humans reduced to “units of production for an economy of smoke in which the Christian pillars of tradition, family and property have vanished”.
Pro Malta Christiana activist Julian Portelli
More meetings and actions around Malta and Gozo are likely to follow.
“We witnessed a massive failure of MPs who defaulted,” Vassallo told Lovin Malta, referring to the genetic testing vote. “They all had an opportunity to stand by what they had promised before the election, whereby the absolute majority of had stated that they will stand by a vote in favour of life.”
“However, when the first opportunity came, the absolute majority of MPs failed their first test to vote in favour of life.”
“After that action, myself and the rest off the pro-lifers are organising the reaction… I intend to organise a ‘momentum’ to stand in favour of life.”
What do you make of the movement and its mission statement? Sound off in the comments below
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