Adolfo J. Castañeda, Vida Humana Internacional, and Fr. Tom Euteneuer, April 1-6, 2008

Located in the northernmost part of Central America, just south of Mexico, Guatemala is home to about 14 million people, 60% of whom are Indians. The  rest are White descendants of the Spanish. After 35 years of a bloody civil war from 1962 to 1997, Guatemala, which means "Land of Forests" in one of the many Indian languages, has finally settled into a still fragile democracy. Nevertheless, the country has managed to grow economically, although it still remains a poor country, with the indigenous Indian population being the most affected.

Guatemala is besieged by violent gangs (called "Maras") and drug dealers, who find in this small country a sort of haven and stepping stone from Colombia to Mexico and then on to the U.S., thanks to police corruption. The most insidious attacks against life, however, are the ones perpetrated by IPPF (International Planned Parenthood Federation) and IPAS (International Project Assistance Services). IPPF has been in Guatemala since at least 1979. Its affiliate APROFAM and its horrible sex "education" programs are brain-washing Guatemalan youth with their filth and are also deceiving married couples with their abortifacient and other harmful contraceptives. US-based IPAS has been performing clandestine first-trimester abortions with their manual suction machines, euphemistically called "Manual Vacuum Aspiration." There are four in vitro fertilization "clinics," also operating in defiance of the Guatemalan Constitution, which recognizes that life begins at conception.

Nevertheless, Guatemala has been blessed by a fertile and diverse land, and, most of all, by beautiful family- and life-loving people. A Guatemalan gynecologist told us that the word "uterus" in one of the many Indian languages is "utiochil," which literally means "the place of God." I cannot find a more pro-life way of describing a mother's womb! As one of only two countries in all of Latin America in which HLI did not have an established affiliate, the tremendous pro-lifers in Guatemala beckoned HLI to join them for the first major pro-life conference in that country and for the inauguration of our newest associate, the "Family and Life Association" of Guatemala.

SEMINARIANS CONTINUE TO BE HLI'S #1 PRIORITY

I arrived on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at Guatemala City and was received at the airport by several great pro-life leaders, who took me to my lodgings at the Major Seminary, where practically all of the pro-life activities took place during the following four days. Fr. Tom had arrived the day before and was immediately plunged into a tight agenda that lasted until Saturday, April 5, when he had to leave for his pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Mexico City. Fr. Tom spoke to about two dozen leaders of a Youth for Life group in a Catholic university in Guatemala City, as well as a teacher's college, to bring a strong pro-life message and strengthen the pro-life commitment of these people. Based on our American experience, HLI operates on the principle that the people of a country will find it much easier to keep abortion out than to try to get it out once it comes in.

On my second day in Guatemala, we participated in a special pro-life seminar held just for the seminarians of the country-250 of them! In true HLI style, our Miami office prepared tons of pro-life material to bring to them, including our Seminarians for Life International Newsletters, which we gladly gave to two seminary rectors, along with tons of other materials that will keep their interest in the life issues alive for many years to come! We also gave them the best that we had to offer from our expertise on the subjects. In the course of six hours, they got their fill of pro-life teaching, and I can guarantee that not even one seminarian left his seat or nodded off during the whole day-I think that's a record!

One seminarian commented after the seminar that he had received a whole course on bioethics in just one day. How true. Here is what they heard:

• Two talks on bioethical issues and Natural Family Planning by Dr. Alejandro Leal, from HLI's affiliate in Costa Rica.
• A talk on the evils of contraception by Dr. Estuardo Carrera, a Guatemalan OB/GYN and head of the newly-formed Office of the Unborn for the Catholic Bishops of Guatemala.
• An introduction to the Theology of the Body of John Paul II and an exposé on dissent in the Church by me.
• Fr. Tom's talk on the international abortion situation and the role of the priest in fighting the culture of death.
• A talk on post-abortion syndrome by Rita Polo de Ponciano, a Guatemalan who is a licensed therapist and the President of HLI's new associate, Life and Family Association.

This was one of the best experiences of seminary training that we had ever had, due to both the quality of the presentations and the reception of the teaching by these good men who will one day be preaching from the pulpits of Guatemala's Catholic parishes.

THE FIRST-EVER PRO-LIFE CONFERENCE IN GUATEMALA

The next couple of days saw one of the most successful pro-life conferences in the Hispanic world. More than 1,200 people of all ages and backgrounds attended. It was the First National Pro-Life Conference in Guatemala, entitled "The Life and Dignity of the Human Person." It was convoked by the Guatemalan Bishops' Conference, and about ten bishops were in attendance, several of them being speakers, including the Apostolic Nuncio. The same speakers from the previous day's course for seminarians were present, giving essentially the same talks. The audience was enthusiastically receptive, especially when several women and one man came forward to give their heart-felt testimonies on post-abortion and post-contraception issues. What topped it all was a beautiful testimony of a lady whose mother gave her life against incredible odds after being raped 40 years ago. Julia Regina de Cardenal, the President of HLI-El Salvador, gave the final stunning talk about how to defend life against the "culture of death."

The whole Conference was transmitted live by Radio María, an international Catholic radio network that reaches at least half of Guatemala; and Jesús-TV, a Catholic TV network, video-taped parts of the Conference and re-transmitted them the following week. So, practically the whole country was educated on pro-life issues!

MEDIA COVERAGE AND GUATEMALA'S FIRST MARCH FOR LIFE

The speakers were also interviewed by Catholic and secular media. "Prensa Libre," the major newspaper in Guatemala, gave a short but substantial report on one of its main pages, with a picture of the pro-life march and pro-life youth concert, with which the Conference ended Saturday night.  About 500 pro-lifers took part in it with the seminarians being the loudest and most energetic participants! I did three different radio interviews, along with Fr. Tom and other pro-life leaders, for a total of about four and a half hours of live air time. Two of the stations were Catholic: Radio Estrella ("Star Radio") and local Radio María. One of the local pro-life leaders that accompanied me to Radio María was long-time HLI collaborator and CPC head, Alejandra de Skinner-Klee, the sister of Julia Regina, the leader of HLI's affiliate in El Salvador.

During my last day of activities in Guatemala, Sunday, April 6, Dr. Carrera and I spoke to 40 married couples about the evils of contraception, immoral sex "education," and the beautiful Theology of the Body. The couples belong to a Catholic movement founded right there in Guatemala City called "Victorious Marriages." They were so enthusiastic about our presentations that they wanted to repeat the experience for their counterparts in Miami, where their movement has extended!

One of the most positive outcomes of this visit to Guatemala was the newly founded pro-life organization, named "Asociación Vida y Dignidad" ("Life and Dignity Association") or ASODIV, whose president, Rita Polo, is mentioned above. ASODIV is in the process of becoming the first ever HLI affiliate in Guatemala. Of course, we promised Dr. Rita Polo and ASODIV our full support, and we will surely pray for their pro-life success in Guatemala. 

THE BATTLE CONTINUES!

Because of its Catholic heritage, Latin America continues to be the main battle ground for anti-life activities and pressure, but thanks to so many HLI-inspired pro-life groups and organizations that have formed over the past 30 years on the continents of Central and South America, we believe that we stand a fighting chance of keeping legalized abortion out of many areas of this region. We are literally a pro-life David versus a pro-abortion Goliath everywhere, but the Church is our greatest strength, and the deeply pro-life cultures of this Catholic region are the greatest preservative against the decadence of the "culture of death." The battle is far from over, but with HLI's help, Latin American babies will never be without their advocates!