By Filipe Avillez, The Catholic Thing - And to be sure, being a Catholic and living so close to Fátima, in a country where Marian devotion is deeply embedded in the cultural fabric, is a privilege. But it’s not always a walk in the park... In 1997, we fought, and we won. We took to the streets in large numbers as our Parliament debated the legalization of abortion on demand. Then we went home to watch the vote on TV and we gasped as the votes were tied and only one MP, a socialist, had yet to speak out. He voted no. We rejoiced.