Details of the JHB ant-abortion march on 13 March

(SACNS a.k.a. Scripturelink.net News)

Noted for our service by Marc Aupiais, our Editor

We are permitted to redistribute the following press release in accordance with our agreements with the organization organizing the event, and with Archdiocesan News.

The following is a press release sent out to media:

Release on the 11th March:

"Health Abortion - Government Gauteng MEC Health



Anti-abortion march Saturday 13 March

ORGANISERS IN A QUANDARY



Organisers of the march have no idea of the number of Catholics that will turn out for the Mass and prayer-walk to Constitution Hill on Saturday 13 March to petition the Minister of Health and Parliament to repeal the 'Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act'.

Pray for a good turn-out, a successful march, Mrs Michelle Joseph urged 40-50 representatives of parishes gathered at the Cathedral on Saturday 6 March to finalise arrangements for the march. Estimates of the number of marchers vary from 1,000 to 5,000. Rev Fr Shaun von Lillienfeld, Administrator of the Cathedral, expects about 3,000. The cathedral seats 1,500 and can hold 2,000. No parking will be permitted on the west side to allow for overflow. said Fr Shaun.

Mass at the Cathedral will be celebrated by the Most Reverend Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, Archdiocese of Johannesburg who will deliver a message in the Homily.

Residents of Little Eden, a home for adults and children with profound mental handicap, will take part in the Mass. So too will the Catholic Womens League Adoption Society; the Catholic Order of the Knights of de Gama; the St Cecilia Sodality Choir; and members of the Culture of Life Campaign, the organisers.

Some parishes have arranged to come by bus. Each group attending will provide their own marshals. Many parishes and groups will carry a banner identifying the group and protest signs and anti-abortion slogans. The march will take the form of a prayer-walk with marchers praying the rosary and singing hymns.

There are some 130 parishes, 40 catholic schools, a dozen movements and sodalities some with branches in every parish and some 50 different religious congregations in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg. www.catholic-johannesburg.org.za



Programme

08:30 Marshals briefing; 09:30 Mass begins; 09:45 Message by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, in the homily (aka the sermon); 10:45 First marchers leave; 12 noon Marchers pray the Angelus at Constitution Hill where a letter addressed to the Minister of Health will be handed to the MEC for Health, Gauteng.

The route is westwards from the Cathedral, on the corner of Nugget Street and Saratoga Avenue, along Wolmarans Street turning north in Wanderers - Hospital Street to the Old Fort side of Constitution Hill and return south along Hospital Street and back to the Cathedral along Smit Street.


[...]


The Culture of Life Campaign was formed by lay people of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg at the request of their Archbishop who called for a commitment to promote life, especially life in the womb. In November 2009 he urged Catholics to study the Gospel of Life encyclical of Pope John Paul II and to reflect on the constitution of South Africa which does not value life.

11 March 2010"


We do not guarantee the accuracy of the legally related statements of "Culture of Life", or others!

Facebook event for the march:

Johannesburg Archdiocese march on March 13 to end state endorsed abortion
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=350946440282