WYD Pilgrims Convince Couple Not to Abort
Saved Life Seen as a 1st Fruit of Madrid Event
MADRID, Spain, AUG. 26, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Among the first fruits of World Youth Day is a human life saved from abortion.
The International Center for the Defense of Human Life (CIDEVIDA) told ZENIT about the baby who was saved Aug. 19.
That day, a group of Irish pilgrims were praying in front of the church of St. Martin of Tours, nearby an abortion clinic.
A couple arrived at the clinic with the intention of aborting their child, but the young people were able to speak to them about the decision.
A volunteer from CIDEVIDA, which had set up an exhibition in the cloister of the church, joined the group and put the couple in contact with the Red Madre (Mother Network) Foundation, which gives support, advice and help to pregnant women.
This network committed itself to support the birth of the couple's child, and the parents grew stronger in their decision not to abort.
CIDEVIDA's secretary, Juan José Panizo, spoke of the "gift" of this life as a joy for all.
"Thank you, Benedict, for having come," he said, also praising the volunteer and the Irish pilgrims.
CIDEVIDA was founded in 2009 to give information on the reality of abortion and to promote alternatives to help pregnant women with problems.
Among other activities, the organization has a permanent exhibition on abortion in the villa of Tordesillas, in the province of Valladolid; a center to help pregnant women and care for those suffering from post-abortion syndrome; and a documentary center