Meeting Colleen Bayer and Elizabeth

21 Feb 2009:  Ali with Colleen Bayer and little Elizabeth

The audience with Pope Benedict had an unexpected and very welcome bonus.  While waiting to be admitted to the audience hall Ali and I met, for the first time, Colleen Bayer, who was to become a dear friend.  Colleen is the founder and Director of Family Life International (FLI) in New Zealand, and was in Rome with 3 year old Elizabeth.  Elizabeth was born with Down's Syndrome and is also profoundly deaf.  Her young mother was unable to support her, so Colleen and her husband Terry welcomed Elizabeth into their own family - as they had with other children before Elizabeth.

Shortly after returning from Rome Ali received a call from Colleen asking if she would speak at the FLI conference in New Zealand later in the year in October.  She was delighted to go, even though she was very unwell for most of the trip.   Apart from a pilgrimage to Lourdes six months before died, it was Ali's last overseas' trip, and was the occasion of her last major talk.  Ali did not generally speak publicly on religious topics, but in New Zealand she spoke (among other things) of her conversion from atheism to Catholicism, and how suffering with Christ is "the greatest privilege possible in the world." 

The friendship with Colleen and her family developed not only in New Zealand , but on subsequent visits to our home in Dorset when Colleen was in the UK.  Colleen even came over from New Zealand solely to be present at Ali's funeral in December 2013.   Clearly,  Colleen had much regard for Ali, but it was a mutual regard, and a friendship that Ali treasured.  Ali was impressed not only with what Colleen had done to promote the cause of life through FLI, but that she embraced the cause personally, at considerable cost, within her own family, by her selfless dedication to those with particular needs.  There are many great people in the pro-life movement, and Colleen Bayer (with her husband Terry) is among the best of them.  

Colleen Bayer with Elizabeth and one of the Tyburn Sisters based in Rome.

Ali with Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Another audience with Pope Benedict XVI

Meeting Pope Benedict XVI on 21 Feb 2009

My mum left us on Thursday 19 February 2009, and on the next couple of days Ali and I attended the symposium of the Pontifical Academy for Life.  It was always a privilege to go over to the Apostolic Palace, where Pope Benedict addressed the participants.  At the beginning of Rome Reports' coverage of the meeting on 21 February 2009, Ali and I can be seen as the Pope enters. 

Coverage by Rome Reports 

21 Feb 2009:  Pope Benedict being welcomed by the
President of the Pontifical Academy for Life

Participants at the Pontifical Academy for Life symposium 

General Audience with Pope Benedict XVI

Wed 18 Feb 2009:  Pope Benedict arrives for the general audience in St Peter's Square

When we had previously attended general audiences - once with Pope John Paul II and twice with Pope Benedict XVI - they were held indoors in the Pope Paul VI audience hall.  The audience we attended on Wednesday 18 February 2009 was outdoors in St Peter's Square.  It was the last time we were present at a general audience.   

18 Feb 2009:  Waiting for Pope Benedict to arrive

18 Feb 2009:  Still waiting....

It turned quite cold in the afternoon as we continued our sight seeing, visiting among other places the Trevi fountain and the Pantheon.

Ali with my mum and me at the Trevi fountain

Inside the Pantheon

The Vatican Museums

17 Feb 2009:  Visiting the Vatican museums

The highlight of 17 February 2009 was visiting the Vatican museums, including the Sistine chapel where Popes are elected.  I assume that taking photos inside the chapel itself was not allowed as I haven't got any. 

Ancient Roman artefacts

Ali and Bridie Harte overlooking the Vatican Gardens

Inside one of the Raphael Rooms with his painting of
the Disputation of the Holy Sacrament

Still in Rome

16 Feb 2009:  St John Lateran

Our sightseeing on 16 Feb 2009 included a visit to the Basilica of St John in the Lateran, which is the Pope's Cathedral.  Ali had always particularly liked its cloister, built in the early 13th century.

Ali with Bridie Harte in the Lateran cloister

The Lateran cloister

Ali and my mum outside the Lateran basilica

Same scene from a different angle

Next to the Lateran basilica is the Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs - the Scala Sancta.  According to tradition, these are the stairs leading up to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate, which Jesus climbed prior to the trial which led to his Passion and death.  They were taken to Rome by St Helena, the mother of Constantine, in the 4th century.

With the Scala Sancta sanctuary in the background

Having now seen three of the four major basilicas of Rome (St Peter's, St Paul's Outside-the-Walls, and St John's in the Lateran) we went on to see the fourth - St Mary Major's.

The Basilica of St Major

16 Feb 2009:  Ali and mum at St Mary Major's

Ali's last visit to Rome

15 Feb 2009:  Ali with my mum and me in St Peter's Square

I recently mentioned Ali's first visit to Rome in 1993.  We subsequently went together in June 2005, and then for a few days in February of 2007 and 2008, to attend the annual symposium of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

Our final visit together to Rome was in February 2009.  Though the reason for our visit was mainly to attend the Pontifical Academy for Life symposium, as in previous years, we arrived a few days earlier, taking my mum, Bridie, with us.  My mum, who shared the same birthday as Ali  (8th January) had just turned 80 and this was a special trip  - it was her first and only visit to Rome.

After arriving on the evening of Saturday 14 Feb, we made our way to St Peter's Basilica on the Sunday morning for Mass, and then to the Piazza for the Angelus with Pope Benedict.

14 Feb 2009:  The Angelus with Pope Benedict XVI

14 Feb 2009:  A large gathering for the Angelus

Afternoon sight-seeing included Circus Maximus and generally driving around Rome, before heading on to the Basilica of St Paul Outside-the-Walls.  A special Jubilee Year of St Paul was being held in 2009 to celebrate the 2000th anniversary of the Apostle's birth, so there was an additional reason for visiting.

Circus Maximus

St Paul's Outside-the-Walls

Ali and mum at St Paul's Outside-the-Walls

Baby Ali - giving thanks for her birth

Baby Ali with her grandmother

When Ali was born, 64 years ago today on 8 January 1955, who would have known what lay ahead for her?  Who would have known what an inspiring life she would lead and how many lives she would touch?

Just to be born nowadays is an achievement, with one in five babies not being allowed to see the light of day because "choice" is rated higher than human life itself.  For babies born with spina bifida the prejudice is so great that 90% are aborted.  After Ali became aware, in the early 1980s, of the great injustice towards unborn children, she spent the rest of her life defending their right to life.

After Ali's death I came across a short video on YouTube, taken from a TV programme in the Republic of Ireland, broadcast on 25 August 1983, shortly before the September 1983 referendum that brought constitutional protection to unborn children.  Ali does not speak in the YouTube excerpt and I do not know if she spoke in the programme itself. It would have been one of Ali's first appearances on television, if not her first.  She makes a couple of brief appearances in the audience after 1 minute 40 seconds.

25 August 1983: Abortion Referendum TV debate in Eire

Ali would have been dismayed by the Irish referendum result last year that removed constitutional protection for unborn children, and by the law subsequently passed that came into effect just one week ago on 1st January 2019.  The new law allows abortion on demand in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and indicates a range of grounds for abortion at any time during pregnancy (as does the UK law).

While the new law specifically allows abortion at any time of gestation - i.e., right up until birth - for those babies who are expected (maybe rightly; maybe wrongly) to have a very short life after birth,  abortion campaigners claimed they were not promoting abortion more generally on grounds of disability.  It is, however, impossible to maintain that the right to life of disabled babies, as well as other babies,  has not been greatly undermined by the change in the law.

Mothers in Ireland expecting babies in difficult circumstances will come under pressure to abort - as happens in the UK.  Mothers expecting disabled babies will come under pressure - as in the UK.  May Ali's life be a witness and an encouragement, to mothers in the UK, Ireland and everywhere , to always be on the side of life.

Ali was born 12 years before the UK's Abortion Act was enacted.  In today's world, we have to be so very thankful that she had the opportunity even to be born.