This past July, I had the privilege of taking part in an epic pro-life caravan through Brazil. I was part of a group of some 30 young men of the Brazilian Plinio Correa de Oliveira Institute. The Institute is one of the autonomous organizations that make up the vast Tradition, Family, Property worldwide network.
I have often campaigned against procured abortion. However, traveling throughout Brazil was a very different experience.
Warning about the Evils of Abortion
From July 6-23, we distributed a book titled Catechism Against Abortion written by Fr. David Francisquini, an Institute friend. The book is set in a question-and-answer format and deals with the religious, moral and scientific arguments about procured abortion.
While abortion is generally illegal in Brazil, many people seek clandestine abortions in their homes or other locations. We visited pro-life locals who told us about these activities in their localities.
One thing I noticed was that procured abortion is generally viewed as wrong. People were overwhelmingly receptive to our message, purchasing the pro-life catechism and donating to help the caravan with food and lodging.
Brazil: Land of the Holy Cross
The campaigns would usually start in front of a historic church or cathedral in the city square. We would sing a hymn to Our Lady of Aparecida, patroness of Brazil. A slogan followed this, ‘Brazil is the Land of the Holy Cross!’ This slogan is a reminder of Brazil’s rich Catholic heritage and the call for those who have abandoned the truth to return.
Sadly, the loss of the Catholic Faith in Brazil was noticeable in our campaigns when we offered people a picture of Our Lady of Fatima. Many people identified as Protestant, while others said they had no religion. According to a 2024 Datafolha survey, only about 50% of the population identifies as Catholic. This is down from a high of 83% in 1991. Despite this, many Protestants were very supportive, thanking us for our work and donating to our cause.
Where We Went
Over the two-and-a-half-week caravan, we visited three of the country’s major states, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Minas Gerais.
We visited several cities in the countryside of the State of São Paulo, including Itu, Campinas, Boituva and Sorocaba. During the campaign in Sorocaba, a pro-abortion woman screamed from an upper window that we were all men. Just then, a woman stopped and received a pro-life book. She turned and, while waving her book, said, “I’m with them!”
We later moved into Rio de Janeiro State. In the large city of Volta Redonda, I encountered a horrifying reminder of what abortion is. We met a pro-life woman who showed us a picture of a six-month-old aborted baby. She knew the woman who had killed this unborn child at home and thrown the baby in the trash can. Another mutual friend found the body and sent a picture to this pro-life woman.
We spent most of the rest of the caravan in Minas Gerais, a state known for its picturesque colonial Portuguese towns. In the town of São João del Rei, we attended a Catholic procession. The whole town turned out for an evening procession through the streets carrying a statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Many hundreds of people attended, and it was very moving to see their devotion.
We spread the pro-life message through many towns, including Congonhas, which is famous for a church on a hill with life-sized statues of several Old Testament prophets.
Another important city the caravan campaigned in was Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais. This city has a very strong secular influence, and our pro-life message had a big impact there.
Overall, the caravan was a success since it demonstrated to the public that young people are willing to appear in the public square in defense of the unborn. I found the people very open to our message and was overwhelmed by their hospitality. At the same time, I saw that the mentality behind procured abortion is the same, no matter what country.
May Our Lady of Aparecida intercede and protect Brazil from the sin of abortion and give many graces for its return to the Catholic Faith.