On Sunday, members and volunteers of the Order of Malta Australia gathered at St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney for the annual Day of the Unborn Child.

It was standing room only inside St Mary’s Cathedral, as thousands attended a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP. A procession to NSW Parliament House then followed – a powerful demonstration of faith and solidarity in defence of society’s most vulnerable members.

Those in attendance heard a passionate address from Cardinal Bychok who spoke of the impact the “national tragedy” of abortion has had on Australia, which has claimed an estimated 5.5 million unborn Australian lives since the liberalisation of laws in the 1970s.

The Day of the Unborn Child is held annually on the Sunday closest to the Solemnity of the Annunciation and this year marked the 25th anniversary of the event in Sydney.

Images Courtesy Giovanni Portelli / The Catholic Weekly