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Pro-lifers Upstage CFFC at Vatican Embassy

A protest at the Vatican Embassy by the pro-abortion group, Catholics for a Free Choice, on April 24 met with a strong, well-engineered counter-demonstration by pro-lifers who, in the end, managed to outmaneuver and upstage them.

The CFFC protest, held the day before the pro-abortion, so-called March for Women’s Lives in Washington, D.C., began with a morning rally three blocks from the Vatican Embassy, on a large, triangular lot at 35th Street and Massachusetts Avenue.

As CFFC President Frances Kissling and other speakers railed against the Vatican, demanding that they stay out of women’s “reproductive health care,” about 15 Defend Lifers held Face the Truth posters of aborted babies and countered with pro-life chants.

“We blasted away on our two bullhorns; they had a very weak public address system,” said Defend Life Director Jack Ames.

The standoff changed when a large caravan of motorcycle police came roaring down Massachusetts Avenue.  The police ordered the pro-lifers to stop using the bullhorns.

“Is it okay if we just shout?” Ames queried.

The police consented, and the Defend Lifers continued to chant their slogans.

As speaker after speaker droned on, the small contingent of pro-lifers left the 35th Street rally, deposited their Face the Truth signs in their van, and proceeded to the Vatican Embassy on Massachusetts Avenue, opposite the Naval Observatory.

There they joined a larger group of “prayer warriors” from Defend Life and the American Life League, who had been praying the Rosary since 10 a.m.

The pro-lifers, who now numbered about 75, held Defend Life-made posters of Jesus with the caption, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” and ALL placards reading, “You can’t be Catholic and pro-abortion.”

When the CFFC group, who numbered about 125, marched down to the embassy about a half-hour later, the pro-lifers already occupied the prime location, directly in front of the embassy.

“We were stretched from the south end to the north end of the circular driveway in front of the embassy,” said John Naughton.

The police would not let the CFFCers past the north end of the driveway, he said.

“They came to that point and laid roses on the sidewalk.  Then the police had them go down to the street adjacent to the embassy, which is on the corner.  They didn’t get anywhere near the embassy.

“The entire time they were there, the police lined up in front of the pro-lifers, so people coming along Massachusetts Avenue saw only the pro-lifers.”

The pro-lifers had gotten permission from police to use their bullhorns while they recited all 20 decades of the Rosary.

“We really swamped them!” said Jack.  “We carried the day.”

Naughton agreed. “The CFFC protest was a dud.”