By John-Henry Westen
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MONTREAL, November 17, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Today, amidst ‘chaos’, the Canadian National Pro-Life Conference commenced. A last minute change of venue yesterday, was necessitated by the decision of St. Joseph’s Oratory, Canada’s national Catholic shrine, to disallow the conference on their premises due to threats received from ‘pro-choice’ and homosexual activist groups.Â
Organizers told LifeSiteNews.com that two other Catholic churches and one Evangelical church offered their facilities for the conference despite the fact that it was to commence only hours later. Organizers settled on the location of a French-language Evangelical church called La Bible Parle, located in the Cartierville section of Montreal, some 25 minutes drive from St. Joseph’s Oratory. (see directions to new location: https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/nov/05111701.html )
Although organizers attempted to arrange for shuttles from the Oratory to the new location for attendees who had come via public transit and had booked hotels in the vicinity of the Oratory, organizers were unable to determine the success of the shuttle efforts at the time of this writing.
LifeSiteNews.com spoke with Jeff Laurin, Senior Pastor of La Bible Parle about his reasons for opening his church to the pro-life conference.“First of all we believe in this cause, and secondly we don’t want to be shut up by anybody,” Laurin told LifeSiteNews.com.“There is a right to speak and to learn and we want that protected,” he said.
Asked about security concerns, Pastor Laurin said, “We took measures to protect people. We called police and the police emergency squad is prepared to act if necessary, also we hired security.”Â
“We are not afraid,” said Laurin.“If the other side is ‘pro-choice’ they must let people decide, and to do that we have to be free to speak.”
The evangelical pastor who said his denomination is most similar to the Baptists, noted that many participating in the conference were Catholics and added, “It is a good occasion to show Christians can work together.”
A coalition of groups threatened to disrupt the conference, however the website of the “Abort their conference coalition” (originally at this url: https://www.librechoix.ath.cx/ ) was inaccessible as of yesterday. However, LifeSiteNews.com has retained the information from the website which also listed participating groups. See the full list of participating groups here: https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/nov/051117a.html
Conference sponsors Campaign Life Coalition and Life Canada have pointed out the hypocrisy of the so-called “pro-choice” movement in trying to silence those who would choose life.Â
Life Canada President Joanne Byfield told LifeSiteNews.com “I think this should show people that the groups and people who oppose us are not interested in discussion, free speech or tolerance, they are only interested in shutting down free speech with intimidation.” Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition concurred.“You will recall that similar groups desecrated the cathedral in Montreal at the time of the Human Life International Conference, throwing used condoms and sanitary pads on statues and the altar. It is too bad that they are so afraid of the truth that they seek to threaten it out of existence. It won’t happen,” he said.
With the generous help of volunteers and the good will of conference participants the conference is progressing. But the sudden change in venue is taking its toll. Byfield described the atmosphere earlier today as “totally chaotic,” but sees the culpability in the upset not with the Oratory but with what a CLC press release called “the usual crowd of homosexual, radical feminist, pro-abortion, international socialist thugs who attempt to close down any event which does not conform to their ‘no-choice agenda’.”
Nonetheless, Campagne Quebec Vie, the local pro-life group which is hosting this year’s annual conference and stands to lose tens of thousands due to the breaking of the contract at the Oratory, is taking legal action against the Oratory to recoup its losses.
See previous LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Canada’s National Shrine Pulls Plug on Location of National Pro-Life Conference Due to Threats
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/nov/05111602.html
Canadian National Pro-Life Conference Still on Despite Change of Venue
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/nov/05111608.html