AN ELECTION PRAYER TO MARY
O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, at this most critical time, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. Most Holy Mother, we beg you to reclaim this land for the glory of your Son. Overwhelmed with the burden of the sins of our nation, we cry to you from the depths of our hearts and seek refuge in your motherly protection. Look down with mercy upon us and touch the hearts of our people. Open our minds to the great worth of human life and to the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Free us from the falsehoods that lead to the evil of abortion and threaten the sanctity of family life. Grant our country the wisdom to proclaim that God’s law is the foundation on which this nation was founded, and that He alone is the True Source of our cherished rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. O Merciful Mother, give us the courage to reject the culture of death and the strength to build a new Culture of Life.
WINNERS OF PRO-LIFE ESSAY/POSTER CONTEST HONORED AT STATE CONVENTION
The following high school and junior high students were honored at the K of C State convention on Saturday evening 05/03/2008. They participated in the annual March for Life essay/poem/poster contest. This year's theme was Building Unity through Life Principles. These young people used their talents to demonstrate how we all must work together to build a culture of life. Each student was awarded with a $100.00 check and a precious feet lapel pin. The honorees were Mary and Joseph Donohue of Warner, Katrina Lessard from Grantham, Jo Anna Wise of Bedford, and Alice Marolla of Amherst. Congratulations!!
New Hampshire State Convention Talk
Jim White, Supreme Director
Knights of Columbus
May 3, 2008
Worthy Chaplain, Reverend Fathers, Sisters, Worthy State Deputy, Worthy Officers, Delegates to this Convention, My brother Knights, good morning, I am honored to be here today to have the opportunity to represent our Supreme Knight and to address your Convention.
Jill and I wish to thank you for the wonderful hospitality which you have shown us during our stay with you.
Last month, Jill and I had the privilege of standing on the south lawn of the White House and hearing the words of our president and of the Holy Father. The Holy Father spoke about patriotism in America. Reminding us that freedom is not free but must be bought, he said “It (freedom) also demands the courage to engage in civic life and to bring one’s deepest beliefs and values to reasoned public debate. In a word, freedom is ever new. It is a challenge held out to each generation, and it must constantly be won over for the cause of good.”
The Holy Father spoke clearly; he praised America; he praised the American people as a people of hope. He told us that we and the World were at a crossroads and that we must all work to see Jesus in others, and to help to create a united and loving society.
Clearly, if we are to preserve freedom, we as Catholics and as Knights of Columbus must do our part by bringing Catholic principles to the reasoned public debate.
Certainly there are critical moral issues that cry out for our action—divorce, euthanasia, abortion, same sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research, and the root cause of many of these problems, pornography.
We need only to look at the headlines to confirm the Holy Father’s analysis.
We face many evil and growing trends. We must make sure that our country, America, the leader of the world, makes the right moral choices.
Let’s examine a few recent headlines that highlight causes for the Holy Father’s deep concern.
Marriage: -- The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University made public a report on marriage. The report, based on interviews with adult Catholics, shows a widespread indifference to the Church's teachings on marriage.
The most striking result of the survey is the revelation that American Catholics now divorce at rates indistinguishable from those of their non-Catholic neighbors. About 23% of adult Catholics in the US have been through a divorce; of these 11% have remarried.
CARA reports, two-thirds were married in the Church. That means, of course, that about 33% were married outside the Church. Some 34% reported that they attend Mass "rarely or never," another 26% "a few times a year," and 9% "once or twice a month."
Marriage is threatened not only by divorce but also by the enactment of same sex marriage laws. To see the dangers posed by same sex marriage, we need only look at what is happening in Massachusetts where the legislature has refused to let the people decide on what the definition of marriage should be.
The homosexual agenda reaches beyond marriage and is a direct threat to our children. Let me cite just a few examples.
A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit from Massachusetts’ parents seeking to prevent the discussion of homosexual families in their children’s elementary school classrooms, and A Maryland Circuit Court judge has ruled in favor of a public school curriculum promoting homosexuality, bisexuality, anal intercourse, and transvestitism to 8th and 10th grade students. The curriculum also teaches how to use
condoms during unnatural sex acts and instructs students that homosexuality is innate.
And this is just the beginning, - Boston Children’s Hospital is now offering transgender operations to children who do not feel they are the correct sex.
Embryonic stem cell research : - This has been partially checked by the discovery of an ethical method of creating embryonic-like stem cells from skin cells. While many researchers are using these cells, others persist in demanding that only embryonic cells will do.
Euthanasia: - A Massachusetts girl, Haleigh Poutre, nearly became a victim of euthanasia when doctors gave up hope on her after she entered a coma and state officials, who had custody, petitioned a court to let them take her life. Poutre showed unmistakable signs of consciousness just prior to her possible euthanasia and now the young girl is talking more about what happened to her.
Futile Care is a new term being reported and argued about in such influential publications as The Journal of the American Medical Association, The New England Journal of Medicine, and The Hastings Center Report. Under Futile Care a hospital can withhold treatment at their discretion regardless of the patient’s wishes.
ABORTION: - The fight to preserve life and to ban abortion has reached world wide proportions. The merchants of death are active all over the world, often under the auspices of the UN, they pressure third world countries to enact laws permitting abortion. They are doing their best to make abortion a human right in the charter of the European Union. In the US they have tried unsuccessfully this year to force the president to include abortion “services” in the legislation appropriating AIDS funding for Africa.
As the worldwide conflict grows, the pro-life effort is paying off here in the US where we are beginning to win this fight. True there have been reverses like the loss of the parental notification law here in New Hampshire and Planned Parenthood’s development of mega abortion centers in metropolitan areas, but we now have the momentum here in the US and we must increase it if we are to overturn Roe v Wade. Polls now show that the majority of young Americans are pro-life. For example, a recent Harris Poll found 55 percent of "young adults" opposed "abortion rights."
Hollywood has taken notice of this trend in public opinion, and always eager to make a profit, is producing pro-life films that play to its key audience -- teenagers and young adults. One of these films, Juno, has received 3 Golden Globe awards and has done extremely well at the box office. Others include "August Rush, " "Knocked Up," "Bella," and "Waitress."
This sea change in opinion has come about in part because of technological advances allowing us to look into the womb. The main reason for this change, however, is due to prayer and good old Catholic action, ordinary people doing extraordinary things to protect life.
In the technology area, National Right to Life reports that 13 states have enacted legislation giving women the option of seeing an ultrasound image of their womb before undergoing an abortion. Such legislation prevents many abortions and saves lives. I urge your councils to get behind the enactment of similar legislation here in New Hampshire.
The merchants of death have also taken notice of the sea change in youth opinion. No longer assured of monolithic media support, they are now resorting to draconian measures mainly focused on denying freedom of conscience. Let me cite a few examples.
Freedom of Conscience:- A San Francisco area USCCB Pro-life Ad Campaign has been targeted for suppression by Planned Parenthood. Denver's Catholic Charity Group is the latest to be threatened by so called "Anti-Discrimination" legislation. Commenting on this, Denver’s Archbishop Charles Chaput in his weekly column, said that Catholic Charities has a right to its religious identity. "Catholic Charities has no interest at all in generic do-goodism; on the contrary, it’s an arm of Catholic social ministry. When it can no longer have the freedom it needs to be 'Catholic,' it will end its services. This is not idle talk. I am very serious."
A Colorado Hospital Owner is suing the state Attorney General over allowing the sale of a hospital to a Catholic hospital because it would end abortion at the hospital being sold.
A federal law protecting pro-life medical clinics and professionals on abortion remains in legal limbo three years after abortion advocates brought a lawsuit against it. The state of California and pro-abortion groups had challenged the Weldon amendment shortly after Congress approved it and the suit has been held up in court ever since.
Catholic Belmont Abbey College’s president and chancellor are currently embroiled in a defense of the college’s Catholic identity against eight faculty members who insist on insurance coverage for voluntary sterilization, abortion, and contraception
A national organization for pro-life OBGYNS is challenging the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) over a new policy saying all doctors, including those who are pro-life, should refer women to abortion centers. And, pro life pharmacists all over the USA are being forced either to prescribe abortifacient drugs or lose their jobs.
It is apparent from these headlines that the strategy of the death merchants to preserve abortion is to limiting the right of conscience. - So, what must we do about all of this? The Holy Father has told us we must change. Well, lately you and I have been hearing a lot about change and the need for it. The Holy Father, however, is showing us the best way to change. Let us all pledge ourselves to adopt and follow the Holy Father‘s plan for change.
Our Holy Father has told us that God is Love and that only by love can we change this world for the better. He is the vicar of Christ on earth. Let’s listen to him, and follow his direction. Let us love one another as God loves us.
Throughout his visit, Our Holy Father’s words have been very clear. He tells us to get back to basics – regular Mass attendance, Confession, Communion, and the rosary; he asks us to begin building what our Supreme Knight in his new book has called a civilization of love.
At this critical time in our history, we need to follow the wise counsel of our Holy Father. We need to have courage; we need to shake off our fear; and we need to bring our deeply held Catholic beliefs to the reasoned public debate. We need to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world.
Let me close with a quote form our former Supreme Secretary, Charlie Foos, who came to a New Jersey State Council Convention a few years ago and said, “ We Knights of Columbus like to say that we are the right arm of the church, well it’s time now to be its steel spine.” - Vivat Jesus.
The Virgin Mary and
Abortion
By Fr. Frank Pavone
Abortion is largely a problem of mothers afraid to be mothers. That may be one of the reasons why there is such a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother within the Catholic element of the pro-life movement.
Let's look at a few of the links between our beliefs about the Virgin Mary and our pro-life convictions.
There is one Mediator...
Some Christians question why we give so much devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and claim that it compromises the unique worship which Christ alone deserves. We do not, of course, "worship" Mary in any sense. She, too, is a creature, and all her importance flows from the uniqueness of Christ.
But how is it that Christ became the unique Mediator? A mediator is a bridge between the two parties being mediated, in this case, God and humanity. Christ was God from all eternity. It is precisely in taking upon Himself a human nature that He becomes the Mediator. This human nature is taken from Mary. The very fact that Christ is the one Mediator demonstrates the critical role of the one Mother from whom He became human.
All the importance of Mary flows from her Son, and worship of the Son naturally leads to honoring the Mother. Right from this fundamental point, Marian devotion teaches us something about our pro-life commitment. Mother and child belong together.
The difference between the pro-abortion side and the pro-life side is not that they favor women's rights and we love the baby. The real difference is that they think you can separate the two and we say you can't. The pro-abortion mentality claims you can love the mother while killing the child. The pro-life mentality asserts that you can't harm one without harming the other and you can't love one without loving the other. The pro-life position has never been, "Love the baby and forget about the mother." It is rather, always and only, "Let's love them both."
Immaculate Conception
Mary was conceived without Original Sin. This favor was granted to her in anticipation of her role as the Mother of God. A fundamental truth that appears here, and is reflected in various Scriptures, is the relationship of God with the child in the womb and the manner in which he prepares that child for his/her mission.
This doctrine likewise proclaims to us the broader truth about victory over sin. Mary was not exempt from the need of a Savior; He simply shared with her in a unique way the victory over sin that He offers all of us.
Those who have abortions do not have them because of "freedom of choice," but rather because they feel they have no freedom and no choice. Mountains of pressure and confusion fall upon them. Yet in the struggle against temptation and sin, there is always sufficient grace to do what is right. "God keeps his promise. He will not let you be tested beyond your strength. Along with the test he will give you a way out of it so that you may be able to endure it" (1Cor10:13). This conviction is a key tool to help those who are tempted and to encourage those who counsel others against abortion.
Annunciation (Lk.1:26-38)
Mary faces an unplanned pregnancy. Her response is Let it be done to me according to your word. She freely chooses to accept the Child, and in doing so, acknowledges the primacy of the word. In other words, the truth of God's Word exists before her own choosing. She submits to a word, a truth, she did not create. At the heart of the "pro-choice" mentality is the idea that we create our own truth. This mentality holds that the value of the unborn child, and that child's very right to exist, depend upon the choice of the mother. In the pro-life mentality, on the other hand, the choice of the mother must respect the truth of the inherent value of the child, which does not in any way flow from or depend upon us. Let it be done to me according to your word.
As we submit to that truth, God does not rob us of our freedom. Instead, He lifts it up to Himself.
Mary's Practical Charity
Mary was firmly rooted in the truth and in charity. When she received Gabriel's message and learned she would be the mother of God, she did not lose sight of the pressing needs of her kinswoman Elizabeth. She undertook the arduous journey to the hill country, and tended to Elizabeth's needs for three months. (See Lk.1:39-56). Mary kept in touch with both heavenly and earthly reality. The truth of her new status did not distract her from Elizabeth's needs. Mary responded to those needs in a very practical way. The same happened at Cana. The celebration there in company with Christ and the Apostles did not blind her to the real needs of the newlyweds. And she responded.
Union with God does not turn us in on ourselves. Authentic holiness makes us more aware of and responsive to the real needs of others. The pro-life movement responds to the real needs of real children and their mothers. We provide these mothers with the concrete medical, financial, psychological, and spiritual help they need. Nothing distracts us. This is Marian pro-life ministry.
There is an axiom in psychiatry that says, "Believe behavior." See what the speaker does. The "pro-choice" (pro-abortion) movement masks over reality, and for all its rhetoric leaves women only three things: a scarred mind, a wounded body, and a dead baby. The pro-life movement, through more than 3000 helping centers throughout the nation, offers women real help in their need, and the gift of life. We learned this from a very special Mother.
Assumed into Heaven
The Assumption speaks of the victory of Life over death. "Today the virgin Mother of God was taken up into heaven to be the beginning and the pattern of the Church in its perfection..."(Preface of the Assumption, P59). The Assumption is not only about Mary; it's about us. Mary has a unique privilege. Being the Mother of God, she was taken at once into glory upon the completion of her earthly life. Yet the entire Church is the Body of Christ. As we pray on the Ascension, "where He has gone, we hope to follow" (Preface of the Ascension, P26). We, too, are called to share an everlasting life, in body and soul, in the company of Christ and all who are saved. "I will raise him up on the last day" (Jn. 6:54).
The conviction, renewed by the Assumption, that the destiny of the human person is to be in the heights of heaven, is clearly incompatible with allowing human persons to be thrown in the garbage.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Unborn. Her image was left on the tilma of Juan Diego at a time when human sacrifice was practiced by the Aztecs. They did this because of fear and despair, thinking the gods were against them and would destroy them. In her image, Our Lady is pregnant, and is carrying the God who is so much on our side that He becomes one of us! This Christian truth restored hope, and ended the practice of human sacrifice.
In our day, the child
sacrifice which is abortion is likewise fueled by despair
and fear. The Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe
continues to travel the nation and inspire people in their
fight against abortion. You can inquire about its schedule,
or request its presence in your community, by contacting The
Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Inc.
144 Sheldon Road
St. Albans, Vermont 05478
Tel. 802-524-5350; fax 802-524-5673; email
jkmi@jkmi.com
Below is the fundraiser for a Pro-Life training camp, given by NH Right to Life, in NH at the Deering Center in Deering, June 19-27. This week long camp will train, inspire and educate students (age 14 and up) about abortion in NH, and teach them how to confront the culture of death. If you know of anyone that may be interested in this camp please give them an invitation.
CONTACT DARLENE PAWLIK AT 785-0016
ALSO FROM N.H.R.T.L.
International Speaker and Author Ron Bourque discusses the socioeconomic climate of America in light of social changes in recent history.
Sunday, June 22nd
3pm
Holiday Inn Concord, NH
172 North Main Street
Capital Room
Our Cumulative Trade Balance is minus $7.53 trillion! It’s the greatest exportation of wealth and jobs the world has ever seen. The downward slide seems to have started right after Roe vs. Wade. Could this be more than just coincidence? It’s a crazy question, but could the two possibly be related? Our national debt is unprecedented; we can no longer afford our lifestyles. We’re embroiled in a war against terror, and natural disasters are taking ever greater tolls. We no longer feel we can trust anyone, especially our political and business leaders.
Is it possible God has stopped Blessing America, since our acceptance of legalized abortion, despite the popularity of the Irving Berlin song? W ith tact and style Professional Management Consultant, Ron Bourque, postulates some of the reasons for America’s corporate decline. In his book, Disturbing Questions — Has God Stopped Blessing America, Ron demonstrates correlations between the economic status of America and the social changes of the last century. You will be mesmerized, as you muse the details and you just may be motivated to promote social changes of your own.
Sponsored by NHRTL Educational Trust PO Box 421 Merrimack,
NH 03054 603-626-7950
life@nhrtl.org
www.nhrtl.org Bourque Associates
Intl. wwwBourqueai.com
NEWS FROM THE PAST FEW WEEKS
New Outreach Helps Family Members of Abortion Victims Find
Hope, Healing
Washington,
DC (LifeNews.com) -- A woman whose abortion experience
adversely impacted her family has started a new web site to
minister to family members who need hope and healing
following an abortion. While post-abortions groups focus
mostly on the women having abortions, and sometimes the
fathers, family members are often forgotten. Fredenburg
became pregnant at 18 and an abortion she now regrets. "I
thought abortion would erase the pregnancy," she told
LifeNews.com. "I thought I could move on with my life. I was
wrong." Fredenburg was able to deal with her abortion grief
with the help of a professional counselor, family and
friends. During the grieving process, Fredenburg discovered
her family had been negatively impacted be her abortion
decision. Drawing from this experience, Fredenburg is
breaking new ground with the launch of the Abortion Changes
You outreach that connects those touched by abortion with
support resources. AbortionChangesYou.com is more than a Web
site for people who have experienced abortion, she tells
LifeNews.com. It's a safe online environment where visitors
can participate in interactive content, explore the
experiences of others and type in a ZIP code to connect with
local resources.
Full story at LifeNews.com.
Senate Approves Genetic Discrimination Ban, Pro-Life
Advocates Applaud Vote
Washington,
DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Senate voted 95 to 0 to pass the
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act on Thursday, which
bars employers and health insurers from discriminating
against individuals on the basis of their own or their
family members’ genetic information. Pro-life groups say the
bill helps protect the disabled. The House of
Representatives overwhelmingly passed a nearly identical
bill by a vote of 420 to 3 this time last year. Deirdre
McQuade, a pro-life spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops told LifeNews.com they're very happy with
the passage of the Senate bill. “Today the Senate took a
stand for some of the most vulnerable members of the human
family, whether born, yet to be born, or placed for
adoption," she said. "No one should be discriminated against
on the basis of genetic testing." She said the Catholic
bishops were particularly grateful to Rep. Bart Stupak, a
pro-life Democrat from Michigan. McQuade said he "ensured
that this bill’s protection against discrimination will
cover the families of unborn children with adverse prenatal
diagnoses, as well as children being adopted."
Full story at LifeNews.com.
New York Abortion Center Closes After 40 Days for Life
Pro-Life Campaign
New
City, NY (LifeNews.com) -- A local abortion center in a
northern suburb of New York City has closed as a result of
the recent 40 Days for Life campaign. The Abortion Services
facility in the New City, New York was one of more than 50
abortion centers across the nation that saw prayer vigils
during the spring event. David Bereit, national campaign
director, told LifeNews.com on Thursday night that his group
joins pro-lifers in Rockland County, New York in rejoicing
over the news. He said the abortion business was
"responsible for ending the lives of untold numbers of
innocent unborn children over its many years of operation."
"The unceasing prayers of these faithful people have been
answered," he said. Bereit said he visited one night of the
prayer vigil as he traveled the country to support the local
efforts. "My family and I visited that particular clinic
vigil on a snowy night earlier this year," he said. "My wife
and children were photographed alongside a young man who
carried a sign reading, 'Nothing is impossible with God.'
That is certainly the case here."
Full story at LifeNews.com.
Barack Obama Defends Opposition to Partial-Birth Abortion
Ban in Interview
Washington,
DC (LifeNews.com) -- In a Sunday interview, pro-abortion
presidential candidate Barack Obama defended his opposition
to a ban on partial-birth abortions. Though he wasn't in
Congress at the time it voted on the ban, he said he would
have supported it had it contained a health exception.
However, doctors and medical groups readily acknowledge that
the three-day-long abortion procedure -- involving the
killing of an unborn baby halfway through the birthing
process - never helps women medically. In an interview on
Fox News Sunday, Obama said, "On an issue like partial-birth
abortion, I strongly believe that the state can properly
restrict late-term abortions. I have said so repeatedly. All
I've said is we should have a provision to protect the
health of the mother, and many of the bills that came before
me didn't have that." In addition to providing no medical
benefit for women, pro-life groups oppose a health exception
because they typically allow virtually all abortions to
remain legal. In this case, the health exception, which the
Supreme Court ruled was not required in the federal
partial-birth abortion ban, would have gutted the
legislation. Obama also claimed pro-life advocates only
brought the partial-birth abortion ban forward to "polarize"
the abortion debate. "Now, part of the reason they didn't
have [the health exception] was purposeful, because those
who are opposed to abortion — and I don't begrudge that at
all. They have a moral calling to try to oppose what they
think is immoral," he said. "Oftentimes what they were
trying to do was to polarize the debate and make it more
difficult for people, so that they could try to bring an end
to abortions overall."
Full story at LifeNews.com.
Planned Parenthood Paints False Choice on Birth Control vs.
Groceries
Washington,
DC (LifeNews.com) -- Planned Parenthood emailed its
supporters on Monday urging them to contact Congress and ask
for more funding for birth control. The abortion business
claims college students need the funding because they're
supposedly choosing between birth control and groceries.
"Birth control pills or dinner? Pills or a tank of gas?
That's the decision college students and low-income women
are facing around the country," Planned Parenthood president
Cecile Richards says. The abortion advocacy group says a
"legislative error" raised the price of birth control and
Planned Parenthood needs Congress to fix the problem. "It
was a devastating, unintended mistake, and Planned
Parenthood started working immediately to help Congress
restore affordable birth control," Richards said in an email
LifeNews.com obtained. But Wendy Wright, the president of
Concerned Women for America, tells LifeNews.com that Planned
Parenthood paints a false picture. “If it is truly a choice
between groceries and birth control pills, then many women
will make the responsible choice to not engage in sexual
activity – an overall healthier decision," she said. "Women
will not only not get pregnant, they won't be at risk of
sexually-transmitted diseases and emotional entanglements.
Full story at LifeNews.com.
Scientists Turn Ethical Embryonic-Like Stem Cells Into
Heart, Blood Cells
Los
Angeles, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Stem cell researchers continue
to make progress with induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS
cells, which are embryonic-like stem cells that don't
require the destruction of human life to obtain. After their
discovery last year, pro-life groups hailed the cells as an
ethical alternative to embryonic stem cell research. The
UCLA researchers that have advanced the use of the iPS cells
before were able progress further and grow functioning heart
and blood cells. They said the success is the first time iPS
cells have been differentiated into the three types of
cardiovascular cells needed to repair heart and blood
vessels. Dr. Robb MacLellan, the senior author of the study,
published in the May 2008 edition of the medical journal
Stem Cells, says the discovery could one day lead to
clinical trials of new treatments for people who suffer
heart attacks, have atherosclerosis or are in heart failure.
He also said the ethical cells don't present the same
problems as the use of embryonic stem cells -- that have
issues with growing tumors and immune systems rejecting
them. “I believe iPS cells address many of the shortcomings
of human embryonic stem cells and are the future of
regenerative medicine,” he said.
Full story at LifeNews.com.
Haleigh Poutre Testifies About Abuse After Nearly Becoming
Euthanasia Victim
Boston,
MA (LifeNews.com) -- A young girl who doctors claimed was in
a vegetative state after she was abused by her adoptive
parents has made such a strong recovery she has been able to
tell officials more about the problems. One bioethicist says
there are lessons to be learned about writing off patients
who are supposedly too far gone. After 14-year-old Haleigh
Poutre was viciously abused, she had to be admitted to a
pediatric rehabilitation hospital in September 2005.
Massachusetts officials eventually took custody of her and
physicians indicated Poutre had entered into a coma. State
officials asked the Massachusetts Supreme Court for
permission to remove Poutre's feeding tube and end her life
as Terri Schiavo's ex-husband was allowed to do. However,
new reports indicate Poutre made such a strong recovery she
was able to testify about the abuse in court in December.
The Boston Globe indicated she used simple words and hand
gestures along with pointing to letters and words to
indicate what had happened to her. Bioethics watchdog Wesley
Smith says the media needs to do a better job reporting on
how doctors got their assessment of Poutre's condition wrong
and how that may be the case with other patients like
Schiavo. "There is a huge lesson to be learned in this
story, but we won't learn it and the media won't highlight
the issue -- lest we come to the 'wrong conclusion' about
Terri Schiavo," he said.
Full story at LifeNews.com.
United Methodist Church Takes Small Pro-Life Steps to Oppose
Abortion
Ft.
Worth, TX (LifeNews.com) -- The United Methodist Church is
finally getting some praise from the pro-life community for
its recent small steps in promoting a pro-life position on
abortion. The Protestant denomination has long come under
criticism for its involvement in a pro-abortion coalition
for religious groups. However, in a recent meeting of the
United Methodist General Conference, the Church's governing
body, pro-life advocates made progress. The group meets
every four years and it overwhelmingly adopted several
petitions affirming the sanctity of life during its
quadrennial meeting in Fort Worth. Conference delegates
voted for a resolution to "Respect the sacredness of the
life and well-being of the mother and the unborn child," and
voted to urge parental notification and consent when a
teenager is seeking an abortion. They deleted language from
a previous United Methodist statement that had been used to
support abortion as a means of back-up birth control. Also,
the delegates voted to speak out against the international
problem of sex-selection abortions. The UMC delegates also
voted to promote the work of crisis pregnancy centers and to
encourage local churches to get involved in supporting them.
Full story at LifeNews.com.
New York's Extreme Abortion Bill May Not Get Vote, Will Play
in Elections
Albany,
NY (LifeNews.com) -- The extreme bill in the New York
legislature that would significantly expand unlimited
abortions and remove any pro-life protections from state law
may not get a vote this session. However, where state
lawmakers stand on the bill will play a huge role in the
upcoming elections. Pro-life organizations have strongly
opposed the
Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act because
it would enshrine abortion in state law and overturn
virtually every pro-life limit. The measure would also force
Catholic and other pro-life hospitals to change their
policies and do abortions upon request. In an interview with
the Catholic Courier newspaper, Kathleen Gallagher, director
of pro-life activities for the state’s Catholic Conference,
says she doesn't think the measure will get a vote in large
part because the Republican-controlled Senate opposes it.
"All the signs are that this bill will not come up for a
vote this year," she said. Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins,
introduced a new version of the bill in march and it was
sent to the Health Committee where it hasn't moved since.
Gallagher said she planned to use a special parliamentary
tactic to get the bill out of committee and on the Senate
floor, but it appears to be going nowhere.
Full story at LifeNews.com.
Kansas Archbishop Urges Pro-Abortion Gov. Sebelius to Skip
Communion
Topeka,
KS (LifeNews.com) -- A leading Catholic official in Kansas
says the state's pro-abortion governor, Kathleen Sebelius,
needs to refrain from receiving communion until she changes
her position supporting abortion. Sebelius recently came
under fire from pro-life advocates for vetoing a bill that
would limit abortions. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of the
Archdiocese of Kansas City, and a strong pro-life advocate
himself, criticized the veto as well and called on Sebelius
to take the "necessary steps for amendment of her life." In
a column published in Friday in the diocesan Catholic
newspaper The Leaven, Naumann said he wrote Sebelius in
August and urged the potential Democratic vice-presidential
running mate to refrain from communion. Following the
letter, he learned she had taken the sacrament and he wrote
to her again asking her to respect his request and "not
require from me any additional pastoral actions." "I hope
that my request of the governor, not to present herself for
Holy Communion, will provoke her to reconsider the serious
spiritual and moral consequences of her past and present
actions," the Archbishop wrote. He indicated he has met with
Sebelius many times since he's been the Archbishop to urge
her to back down from her pro-abortion position.
Full story at LifeNews.com.
Colorado Pro-Life Group to Submit Enough Signatures for
Abortion Amendment
Denver,
CO (LifeNews.com) -- The pro-life group leading the effort
in Colorado to get a personhood proposal on the November
ballot says it will submit enough signatures to state
officials to qualify the measure. Members of Colorado for
Equal Rights say they will have more than the requisite
number of signatures the Secretary of State needs. The
measure would define unborn children as persons under state
law from the moment of fertilization and it could set off a
statewide battle over abortion, embryonic stem cell research
and other practices that kill people before birth. The
pro-life group needs 76,047 signatures when it turns in its
petitions to state officials on Tuesday. "May 13th will be a
day to be remembered as a defining moment in the effort to
defend all human life," said Kristi Burton, the young woman
who has organized the initiative. She told LifeNews.com, "We
are seeing an awakening of the powerful grassroots movement,
and thousands of individuals along with myself are making
the commitment not to rest until every human being is
equally protected by love and by law."
Full story at LifeNews.com.
Iowa Catholic St. Ambrose University Bashed for Awarding
Abortion Advocate
Des
Moines, IA (LifeNews.com) -- Iowa-based St. Ambrose
University, a Catholic college, is under fire from pro-life
advocates in the Midwestern state for honoring an abortion
advocate. The school awarded what one pro-life group called
"one of Iowa’s most notorious abortion activists" with an
honorary degree. At the St. Ambrose graduation ceremony on
Sunday, school officials handed an honorary degree to
Margaret (“Maggie”) Tinsman, a former state senator in Iowa
from 1989-2006. Tinsman received an “Honorary Doctor of
Public Services” by the St. Ambrose Board of Directors. That
came despite a strongly pro-abortion voting record,
including opposing a measure that would have given women
information about abortion's risks and alternatives. Tinsman,
who appears on Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa’s 2007
list of donors also promoted a bill allowing for a Medicaid
waiver that tripled the abortion businesses' income from tax
dollars. Kim Lehman, the president of Iowa Right to Life,
told LifeNews.com that St. Ambrose has honored someone who
actively opposes the pro-life teachings of the Catholic
Church, with which it is affiliated. ACTION: Express your
views about the honorary degree by contacting: Sister Joan
Lescinski CSJ, PhD, President, Saint Ambrose University, 518
West Locust Street Davenport, Iowa 52803, or calling
563-333-6213.
Full story at LifeNews.com.