Ioana Picos: “Adoption Is an Act of Love”
You’ve seen Ioana Picos in modeling, film, theater, music, in the events United We Save Rosia Montana, in campaigns against shale gas exploitation through fracking, while supporting autistic persons and many other humanitarian campaigns. The 28-year old actress has recently been ambassador of Romania’s March for Life 2014 – “Adoption, the Noble Choice” and of Romania’s Pro-Life Week, which included and promoted the march and its theme.
Rep: What made you say Yes to the proposal to become ambassador of Romania’s March for Life 2014 – “Adoption, the Noble Choice”?
Ioana Picos: Many things. First, I knew Alexandra Nadane, President of the Association Studenti pentru Viata, who asked me to be spokesperson for the Pro-Life Week and The March for Life 2014, both having the theme “Adoption, the Noble Choice”.
I’m an actress and somehow it’s part of my attributions to convey messages to the public. But the most important reason why I accepted is that I am pro-life and I believe adoption is an extraordinary solution which caters for so many needs. I’m thinking about the mothers who cannot provide their child optimum familial conditions, and also about adoptive parents who often long for a child’s love for years on end. Also, let’s not forgive the child – actually, the most important party involved in this process – who gets the chance to develop in a healthy family.
Adoption is an act of love. It’s not only for those who cannot have natural children, it can also be made by those who already have kids.
Rep: In general, the March for Life aims to protect the life of the unborn children, a controversial subject in Romania, where abortion on request is legal until 14 weeks of pregnancy. Aren’t you afraid your reputation can be hurt by publicly expressing your pro-life convictions?
Ioana Picos: I openly and publicly express my opinion and I take whole responsibility for it, whatever the consequences.
Because I think a human being who is one week into one’s development is no less than a human being two weeks in one’s development. Otherwise, the baby would come into being directly when it’s 14 weeks old. But it is not so. It is just like you’d say a six-month old baby is less human than a teenager just because it is so much smaller and it cannot walk and talk yet. Does that make him have less rights than the teenager? That does not give its parents the right to kill it.
It’s a pity women don’t understand abortion actually deprives men of what is their natural responsibility. Neither does abortion bring any benefits to them as women. I don’t think there is a woman who got pregnant and, having her man’s entire support, she still wants to abort. Women get to that because men refuse to take responsibility.
They should understand sex leads to conceiving children and you cannot trick nature through abortion, pills or spermicides without serious physical, psychological and spiritual risks. All these are against nature and, as any artificial thing, negatively impact women. Contraceptive pills wreak havoc in your body – you need other pills to prevent water retention and other pills to detoxify. Just take a look at the contraceptives prospect and you can better understand what women subject themselves to because men are not willing to take responsibility for a child.
We’d better raise our children according to our robust Christian values, we’d better not promote sexuality so much, we’d better remember we as humans are more than basic instinct and that, when a child appears into our life, we’d better trust God, Who gave it to us with a well-designed purpose.
People are the only creatures on Earth who kill their babies. I think it speaks volumes about us. From my point of view, it’s mere cowardice. It’s so simple to think about abortion when you have already been born and you’re alive and well. But what if your mother thought just like that?
That’s why I consider that all who are close to me in my professional and personal life understand this and understand how important family is. As for those who don’t share these views, I wish them all the best.
Rep: You were the March for Life ambassador and host of the charity concert. How did the 12 artists participating in the Live for Life charity concert view this event?
Ioana Picos: We’ve had excellent feedback from them! Vlad Mirita, Alexandra Usurelu, Bogdan Vladau, Anthony Icuagu, Vlad Stoia, Beatrice Vladan and Caitlyn are very close and dear friends of mine. They’ve known me long enough to realize that, if I get involved in a project, it must be serious and worth it. They did not even once wondered whether to go along with me on this. Their only question was: “How many songs do you need us to sing?”. And I think this sums it up. Vlad Mirita even brought one of his friends, soloist Iordache Basalic, from the Bucharest National Opera, while, immediately after the concert, Marius Bălan called me and told me not to forget about him next time!
Rep: It was the first time you got publicly involved pro-life and in favor of adoption. Have you ever had any doubts about the cause or moments when you thought you wouldn’t be able to keep it up?
Ioana Picos: No doubts, only moments when I prayed that everything turns out well. I must admit I was surprised by the effort needed to organize such an event. But when you do things with pleasure and passion everything goes well. Of course, when it’s for a noble cause, God helps you. So it happened! There were no incidents, everything went smoothly.
Rep: What impressed you most about the March?
Ioana Picos: People’s solidarity. Their beauty. I remember the moment when I was in Tineretului Park and I saw them all coming! They were so many! Determined, joyful and also undeterred, knowing why they were there and believing in Romanian healthy values and traditions. United Romanian souls! I had such a unique feeling!
Rep: Have you thought of adopting children yourself?
Ioana Picos: Some say it’s not you who choose the child, it’s the child who chooses you. If this happens, I’d surely do it. God takes care of everything and it will be according to His will.
Rep: What is family to you?
Ioana Picos: The roots without which you cannot have stability in life.
Rep: The March brought to the public’s attention the need to start the adoption process during pregnancy, for mothers or families who cannot raise their children. What arguments in favor of this option would you give to such a person?
Ioana Picos: When you love somebody, you wish them well. Therefore, if the first option – that of raising the child in its natural family – proves impossible, then the next step would be adoption. Surely, if it could speak, no child would want to be killed. That is why, if, while she is pregnant, the woman, the mother could chose a proper family for the child, with professional help, of course, she would thus prove her love to her child. She would prove it by ensuring for the baby a future she could never offer to it. It’s her proof of love for the child.
This is also a sacrifice made out of maternal feeling. We should not judge mothers who do that, it’s not a proof of irresponsibility. On the contrary, it is exactly their most responsible act. She will never be ashamed by her choice, because she will know she put first the interest of the child and this was the most important thing about her decision. Many such children thank their natural mothers for their decision. How much joy will then be in the mother’s heart! She will be confirmed that she made the right choice. That she walked the path of love and she did well for the child.
Rep: Would you like to star in pro-life movie such as Bella?
Ioana Picos: I’d enjoy it.
Rep: How would you define in one word or expression, Romania’s March for Life 2014 – “Adoption, the Noble Choice”?
Ioana Picos: Love.
Rep: If you were to change the slogan of the March, with what would you replace “Adoption, the Noble Choice”?
Ioana Picos: “An Act of Love”.
Rep: What else would you like to tell to our readers, who visit Stiripentruviata.ro?
Ioana Picos: Thank you for having been with us in the March for Life and for working daily to do good in different ways. God bless you!
Iona’s interview is superb. I would in particular thank her for this quotation ” We’d better raise our children according to our robust Christian values”. This, the parents’ inalienable right to educate their children is the key to the new civilisation of love to which Ionna is calling us in spite of coersive government policies. She and many other young people are the New Civilisation of Love.
Multu mesc,Iona.
Dr.Thomas Ward England