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“La ventana al cielo...” – entrega de 146.099 firmas contra el aborto tardío, en Berlin, Alemania “The window to heaven – photo”: presentation of 146,099 signatures against late abortion in Berlin, Germany “Das Fenster zum Himmel- Bild”: Übergabe von 146.099 Unterschriften gegen Spätabtreibungen in Berlin |
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Discurso de Dr. Christoph Braß, portavoz de la iniciativa Speech of Dr. Christoph Braß, spokesperson of the initiative Rede von Dr. Christoph Braß, Sprecher der Initiative |
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Charla de Wolfgang Thierse Speech of Wolfgang Thierse Antwort von Wolfgang Thierse |
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Entrega de las firmas al Presidente el Parlamento de Alemania, Wolfgang Thierse Presentation of the signatures ot the President of the German Parliament, Wolfgang Thierse Übergabe der Unterschriften an den Präsidenten des Deutschen Bundestags, Wolfgang Thierse |
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La delegación de la iniciativa The delegation of the initiative Die Delegation der Initiative Fotos: POS Fischer © 2005 |
GERMANY, mkf. One of the photos taken during the presentation of 146,099 signatures collected against late abortion in a joint initiative of christian journalists, representatives of Catholic Organizations, and groups, may be regarded a symbol of what this was meant to be. The photo shows the signatures, in bundles, piles, and files on the desk of Walter Thierse’s office. The photo shows the signatures, in bundles, piles, and files on the desk of Walter Thierse’s office; in the glass display cabinet at the back wall, the reflection of the window at the opposite wall gives a tremendous view of Berlin, of the new capital that grew around the area that until some 15 years was marked by the wall, under a bright blue sky that seemed to announce spring in February… and in the window, one could see, like shades, the silhouettes of men and women, who, in their different tasks, missions and possibilities, had given all to make this "statement for life" possible. The 20 minutes with Parliamentary President Thierse was not meant to give profile to the different newspapers, readerships, organizations and groups that had joined their efforts with the collection of signatures, but to give profile to a common desire: that politicians and many others in society understand that many are ready to not simply give in and accept that possibly handicapped unborn babies are aborted when they are already able to live outside the womb of their mothers – thus, condemning the most cruel way of abortion, making a clear statement for the dignity and value of each human life from the beginning.
Security means were tight in Berlin, the capital of Germany, the day before new US American State Secretary Condoleezza Rice was to visit Germany. Security officers checked the four passengers coming from Schoenstatt for scissors, nail-files, ball-point pens and keys, but did not pay attention to a box that contained "dynamite" – over 7,000 signatures, a 5% share of the total of all the signatures to be presented, collected during four intensive weeks through the intiative of "Sign of Light" with the help of many in the Schoenstatt Movement. Dynamite not meant to destroy but to blow up the mantle of silence that covers the theme of abortion, and specially late abortion, in Germany.
"Each of the 146,099 signatures means a testimony, a conversation, that may change the public opinion in favor of life", as one of the journalists and editors of the German Catholic Weeklys put it, when by 10,00 AM the representatives of the different groups that had joined for this initiative, met in the the rooms of the Catholic Academy in Berlin … each carrying piles of lists, counting and re-counting the numbers, and putting the lists into yellow post boxes, while Dr. Christoph Braß typed the numbers into the table on his PC.
Presenting the signatures in the "Reichstag"
It’s a symbol of past, partly extremely painful times of German history, and of a dream come true when hardly anybody still believed it - the dream of a free, united, new Germany: the "Reichstag" in Berlin, the seat of the German parliament, an architectonically and symbolically daring mixture of styles, of stone and glass. It had been raining incessantly under heavy grey clouds early the morning, and now a bright blues sky greeted the little group that approached the "Reichstag". In the seventies and eighties, the vast majority had accepted the reality of two german states; early the morning, almost all had accepted the perspective of a rainy, awkward day. Reality changed…unexpectedly, and while the spring wheather was a mere gift, the German unity had become possible because some had never given up the dream of freedom and at the right moment were prepared to dare and go ahead. In 2005, the vast majority of Germans, politicians and ordinary people, including Christians, have accepted the reality of abortion in Germany and a change of law and practice as impossible. And yet – there are some that still believe, and obviously some 150,000 who are or were convinced that what is common still is not "normal" and sure not human; 150,000 who will one day – hopefully – not only welcome the change but know that they have been part of the change; and who know now that they at least tried …
Parliamentary President Walter Thierse welcomed the delegation in a friendly way, making clear that he cannot and will not give a personal commet on the issue – due to the obligatory impartiality -, but that he welcomes the initiative as a clear statement for values that "politic needs but cannot produce, that politic need to find in society". Representatives of leading German media were present, and both the press release of the initiators as a press release from Maria Böhmer, of the conservative party, in reference to the action, were already in the news late at night, when the Schoenstatt delegation was on their way home.
Called for each human life
In an improvised evaluation, the initiators had unanomiously decided to continue the campaign that in many groups and regions had just begun. Deadline is March 31, soon before the parliamentary debates on the issue come to their end. There is a strong desire to open the inititiative on an ecumenical level and to also invite other Movements to join in.
At the end of the day, also the little Schoenstatt delegation tried to evaluate the action with all its efforts, highs and lows. It was worth while to be in Berlin, they said, just to be present and part of the "public statement" for life and against late abortion. And it is a challenge on the one hand to continue with the selfless service of accompanying pregnant women in need, and on the other hand bring Schoenstatt’s vision of human life and its dignity to "Berlin", into the heart of politics, in covenant action with many persons of good will and love for life.