TALK TO MSM BY JOHN SMEATON, NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF S.P.U.C.

“THE PRO-LIFE BATTLE AHEAD”

Conference by John Smeaton, National Director for the Protection of the Society for Unborn Children (SPUC), Brompton Oratory, MSM 8^th Annual Michaelmas Open Day, 24^th September 2011

I introduced John, on behalf of those present, of the British Preceptory, and of the MSM generally. I also recalled the foundation of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), at the time that abortion in this country was legalised (the 50^th anniversary of this tragic date –27.04.1968– will mark the death of some 9,000,000 unborn children in our country). This summary cannot do justice to John’s words, but the atmosphere was one of cordiality, being among friends (not always the case in talks of this nature), of deep sincerity and commitment.

Mr. Smeaton (left) and the Preceptor (right)

John recalled the enthusiastic beginnings of the pro-life campaign following the publication of Paul VI’s ‘Humanae Vitae’, when we felt a combination of prayer and action would quickly put paid to destruction of life in the womb. Forty years on and it is easy to get discouraged, however we have failed to see the legal battles won by SPUC recently, in particular the government’s refusal to allow the so-called ‘bedroom abortions’, and successful opposition to the extension of abortion to Northern Ireland, which would have been against the wishes of its people. The tidal wave of explicit sexual information for primary children in school ebbed in the wake of these victories. S.P.U.C. further took the battle to the Council of Europe where the right to conscientious objection was sustained by, among others, the Irish parliamentarian, Pat Buckley. North of the border, Scottish midwives successfully opposed the use of pornographic materials being used to teach sex to 7 to 9 year-olds.

Some 14 persons attended the intimate MSM talk

We are left however with one of the fundamental tenets of the Coalition being to promote abortion in the developing world. How long, too, will the exemplary prayer vigils outside abortion clinics organised by the Good Counsel Network be able to carry on? On the basis of spreading the authentic truth about human love, John appealed to the Catholics in S.P.U.C., and specifically to those present at the Chapter… Building up to 2018 –50 years of abortion– S.P.U.C. wants to organise a massive campaign of leafleting across the land… Work for Catholics amongst others! Maybe an MSM Association of Co-operators of S.P.U.C., willing to take on some of the burdens?

I’m sure that I was not the only person present inspired by John Smeaton’s words... Can we turn that inspiration into greater active commitment? His last quote was from Mother Teresa: ‘ There will not be peace in the world until there is peace in the womb.’

A question from the floor suggested that in the contemporary climate to appear with the ‘label’ Pro-Life prevents rather than facilitates dialogue with those who favour it. Even were this so, it would not excuse a single abortion, was the gist of John’s reply. I thanked Mr Smeaton on behalf of the Knights, praising the truly knightly commitment of S.P.U.C in the hope that we could take up the challenge he set us and proposed that a member of the Preceptory could put himself forward as a ‘linkman’ between the two organisations.

-          Stephen de la Bédoyère, Preceptor of the MSM for Great-Britain