IN a bold declaration, the Christian global pro-life movement 40 Days for Life has chastised France for its recent decision to make abortion a constitutional right, claiming the move distances the nation from its spiritual roots and undermines the sanctity of life.

An overwhelming vote of 780-72 in favour of the movement at the Palace of Versailles on March 4 saw France become the first country in the world to explicitly state that abortion is a constitutional right. The decision has sparked worldwide debate and drawn sharp criticism from religious groups worldwide.

Robert Colquhoun, director of international campaigns at 40 Days for Life, is among those critics.

“France has an incredible religious and spiritual heritage. There is also a strong traditional Catholic movement, but it is a very secular country now. France has overwhelmingly turned away from God. It’s a radically secular country,” Colquhoun said in response to a question on the issue during last Friday’s sitting of the
Jamaica Observer Press Club at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters in St Andrew.

Colquhoun is in Jamaica providing support to Love March Movement’s implementation of 40 Days for Life’s internationally coordinated campaign that aims to end abortion through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful, all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses, over a 40-day period.

Describing France’s decision is a great tragedy Colquhoun said that French senators even went as far as to pass a Bill to ban pro-life websites from spreading what they deemed “false information” and punish anyone who attempts to intimidate a woman seeking an abortion by up to two years in prison or paying a fine.

“Politics is long lost if you’re enshrining abortion in your constitution. This is something that is bringing a curse to the country. It is not something that is gonna lead to the longevity and the continuity of the country, it’s enshrining death in the actual constitution of the country,” he stressed.

“Where will France be in 30, 40 years?” the anti-abortion activist questioned.

Despite the strict legislation against pro-life movements in the European country, Colquhoun said his organisation is still able to get its message across due to its unique approach.

“We don’t encourage people to do political activism. The politicians need to hear the gospel of life as much as everybody else, but we’re on the grassroots [level], and we’re in the streets, and that’s the place to be, meeting with one person at a time,” he said.

He explained that instead of staging demonstrations, 40 Days for Life gathers volunteers to pray outside abortion clinics in hopes that their prayers will change the minds of women who intends to abort their child, an approach that poses its challenges as protests are frequent in that country.

“They’ve got the farmers out in Paris protesting, they’ve got the French Revolution, they’ve got Manif pour Tous which is a protest of millions of people against gay marriage that came out in the streets,” he said.

“We’re trying to galvanise people there, and it’s like they don’t believe it will work, but if you light a fire, then suddenly the whole country is gonna come because it’s one of the most secular countries in the world,” he argued.

However, Colquhoun said that his organisation remains true to its mission to bring hope to the country.

The 40 Days for Life Spring campaign began on February 14 in more than 1,000 communities globally, including Jamaica. It will end on March 24.

The organisation says that so far, 104 unborn lives have been saved internationally through the movement.

According to Love March Movement, the Jamaican campaign has so far saved six unborn lives.