The beauty of life’s continuum

By Christine Flowers
National Right to Life News Today

Recently, I’ve had occasion to contemplate the value of life at its extreme edges. I’m talking about the moments when we see it bursting into the world, fresh from its mother’s womb, “trailing clouds of glory,” as Wordsworth wrote.

I’m also talking, and personally, about those moments when life is a faint shadow of that former glory, the final moments of a magnificent life that is on the verge of ending. To me, humanity is not measured by what we look like, what we are able to contribute, our ability to speak, feel, see or create. To me, life simply exists on a beautiful continuum, and each stage of that continuum is precious.

In my mother’s last days, she was as dear to me, if not more, than when we took that trip together to Paris and London, and shared laughter, beauty and croissants. As I approached losing her, my appreciation for her weighty presence in my own life took on exponentially greater proportions.

continue reading at http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org

A Call of Conscience

A Brief History of Priests for Life: Part One

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

My team and I have often discussed the fact that one day we need to write a history of the marvelous ways that God's Providence has allowed Priests for Life as a ministry to come into existence, grow and diversify, and to be protected in the midst of many battles both with church and state, not to mention the pro-aborts. And, of course, a big part of that history would be the marvelous people whom our team has met and continues to meet on our constant travels, and who have, at various times, worked with us on our staff.

But before such time as a formal history is written, I thought I would devote a few columns to looking at some of the key elements in the development of this ministry. By understanding our history, whether as individual organizations or as the pro-life movement generally, we better understand where we are today and where we are going.

People often ask me if I am in the "founder" of Priests for Life. I do not use that title, because it was a group of priests in San Francisco who originally got it off the ground in 1991. But I found out about that after I had thought of doing the same, and that idea came to me because of something Cardinal John O'Connor did in that same year. He was Archbishop of New York, and ordained me to the priesthood. He was a fervent pro-life advocate and the key leader at that time among the hierarchy as a voice for the unborn and for the priority of the abortion issue. He announced that he was forming the "Sisters of Life," a religious community dedicated to fostering the sanctity of life. I thought it was marvelous, and I immediately thought, "There should be something like this for priests." I saw for myself the fruits in my own parish of preaching clearly, compassionately, and frequently on abortion.

So I joined Priests for Life. That was 1992.

By the next year, I experienced a profound call of conscience. In a letter I wrote to the Director of Priest Personnel for the New York Archdiocese on June 30, 1993, I stated the following:

 "Because of the nature and extent of the abortion/ euthanasia problem, I feel at this time that I cannot proceed with my life "business as usual," but rather must address these issues with all the strength and resources at my disposal. In other words, I am being drawn not by a mere preference or interest, but by a strong demand of conscience."

And so it began. Cardinal O'Connor granted me permission to devote all my time and energy to fighting abortion. Moreover, between the time I requested the meeting with him to ask permission, and the time I had the meeting, I was asked by the founders of Priests for Life if I would become its new President! My desire now had an opportunity for fulfillment, and I became the first full-time director of Priests for Life on September 1, 1993.

PRI Saves Baby from “Therapeutic Abortion Protocol” in Peru

by Paul Wilson

Population Research Institute

Through the grace of God, PRI has saved the life of an unborn child in Peru who was slated to be aborted for so-called “therapeutic” reasons.

Doctors in a Peruvian hospital had decided to give a woman with breast cancer an abortion, claiming that the abortion was necessary to save her life. In fact, they were primarily worried that their plans to put the woman on chemotherapy would cause the child to be born with birth defects. Rather than undertake alternative treatment, they decided to simply do away with the child.

Problem solved, right?  Wrong. Peru’s Therapeutic Abortion Protocol was never intended to be used to justify an abortion where the mother’s life was not in immediate danger.

When PRI heard about the doctors’ deadly plans, we quickly intervened.

Carlos Polo, the president of PRI in Latin America, first called the head of the cancer department who wanted the abortion performed, and told him that this would be a violation of the law. When the doctor balked, we upped the ante. Using our connections in the Peruvian legal system and government, we brought in an attorney and a legislator to talk to the doctor. These managed to persuade the unwilling oncologist and his colleagues to call off the abortion by threatening them with criminal prosecution.

The abortion that the doctors were originally bent upon was never medically necessary. The mother is currently receiving alternate treatment for her cancer in the form of chemotherapy that does not harm her unborn child. Mother and child are doing well.

Here we have a perfect example of how the pro-abortion movement uses Therapeutic Abortion Protocols to push for ever more abortions. In this case, it was used as an excuse to pressure parents into agreeing to an abortion that was neither medically necessary nor legally permitted. Worldwide, the “health of the mother” exception to many pro-life laws is one of the principal justifications for executing unborn children. It becomes in effect, a license to kill.

Until recently, Peruvian doctors would never have dared to propose performing an abortion under these or any other circumstances. The right to life was protected from conception by the Peruvian constitution.

But the “therapeutic abortion protocol” adopted in Peru this past June has blurred the lines. Doctors are now allowed to perform abortions when “it is the only means to save the mother’s life or to prevent serious and permanent damage to the mother’s health.”

Some doctors are taking this exception to be the new rule, and are performing so-called “therapeutic abortions” under a wider and wider array of circumstances. Unless this trend is stopped, abortion on demand is just around the corner.

One of the dirtiest tricks in the pro-abortion arsenal is their penchant for exploiting the urgent need to protect the lives and health of mothers by using this to justify aborting their unborn children. First, laws and regulations instituting abortion for reasons of health are established. Then, exceptions permitting abortion to ensure “the health of the mother” are expanded in practice until they become the norm, and abortion on demand becomes the order of the day.

Some call this health care. We call it homicide. And we intend to stop it whenever and wherever we can.

The pro-life Population Research Institute is dedicated to ending human rights abuses committed in the name of "family planning," and to ending counter-productive social and economic paradigms premised on the myth of "overpopulation." Find us at pop.org.

THE SUSPENSION OF PHILIP NITSCHKE’S MEDICAL LICENSE

WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG?

By Paul Russell, Founder,
HOPE Australia

National Right to Life News Today

The trigger issue for the medical board was the suicide death of Perth man, Nigel Brayley; Beyond Blue chairman, Jeff Kennett; and others. [The board argued] that, in Nitschke’s contact with Brayley, he had a duty of care to try and stop Brayley from taking his own life.The recent news of the suspension of Philip Nitschke’s medical license pending the medical board of Australia’s investigations is good news. But many have asked: why has it taken so long?

Nitschke has claimed that his contact with Brayley was not medical in nature and therefore created no onus upon him to attempt to stop Brayley. But a medical professional is a medical professional 24/7 and not simply during a scheduled clinical consultation. There are many professions in our community that hold some sort of mandated civic duty at all times; surely a doctor is no different?

That it has taken so long for the ubiquitous head of the Exit ‘death cult’ (as journalist Angela Shanahan called it) to find himself ‘in the dock’ is indeed a matter of some frustration for opponents, including this writer. That it eventually did happen was always a safe bet.

continue reading at http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/

American Life League Asks Pope Francis to Declare Planned Parenthood an Enemy of the Church

From American Life League

In anticipation of the Vatican's October 2014 Synod on the Family, American Life League is launching a new campaign called Defend the Family. Rooted in prayer, this campaign seeks to expose Planned Parenthood as the most dangerous enemy of traditional families and of the Catholic Church. 

American Life League president, Judie Brown, stated, 

"Planned Parenthood has torn apart the family like a pack of ravenous wolves. The pro-life movement and the Church must stand together, face this threat, and shield our families from Planned Parenthood's continued assaults."

The Defend the Family campaign is centered around a report entitled The Vatican Can Help Save Souls from Planned Parenthood in 2014. HERE'S HOW! The report, which has been translated into Spanish, Italian, and French, builds a case that an official declaration from the Vatican that Planned Parenthood is an enemy of the Church would be a powerful way to defend families. 

The Defend the Family campaign is centered around a report entitled The Vatican Can Help Save Souls from Planned Parenthood in 2014. HERE'S HOW! The report, which has been translated into Spanish, Italian, and French, builds a case that an official declaration from the Vatican that Planned Parenthood is an enemy of the Church would be a powerful way to defend families. 

The report is available on the campaign web page at  www.DefendTheFamily.org.

Michael Hichborn, ALL's director of Defend the Faith, stated, "An official declaration of Planned Parenthood as an enemy of the Church will be a real game changer. Such a declaration will prevent Planned Parenthood employees and volunteers from serving in positions of responsibility in our parishes. Simply put, Catholics could no longer hide behind an uninformed conscience in order to assist or promote Planned Parenthood or its agenda and be able to continue calling themselves Catholics in good standing."

Jim Sedlak, vice president of ALL, added, "Some people have told us this campaign has an impossible goal. But with God, nothing is impossible. In addition to being a massive educational effort, this campaign has a large spiritual dimension."

ALL's new campaign encourages regular prayers after Mass for the conversion of individual countries from the ideologies of Planned Parenthood, offers prayers for the pope, and aims to open communication with local bishops about the dangers Planned Parenthood poses to the family. 

ALL's hope is that this prayer-led effort will inspire the Holy Father to officially declare Planned Parenthood an enemy of the Church.

‘Shame on PBS!’: The Late-Term Abortion Documentary That Has One Group Fuming

by Billy Hallowell
The Blaze

A pro-life organization is demanding that PBS cancel a controversial airing of the documentary “After Tiller,” a film that sheds light on the personal and professional stories surrounding doctors who regularly perform third trimester abortions.

“After Tiller’ is nothing short of pure propaganda intended to demonize the entire pro-life movement and drum up support for late-term abortion,” Judie Brown, president of American Life League, said in a press release. “Why are pro-life tax dollars being used to paint a sympathetic picture of abortionists who stab babies in the base of their skulls just moments before they are born?”The American Life League, a Catholic organization, is calling the film a work of propaganda, asking PBS to rethink its decision to air it on Labor Day.

After Tiller’ is nothing short of pure propaganda intended to demonize the entire pro-life movement and drum up support for late-term abortion,” Judie Brown, president of American Life League, said in a press release. “Why are pro-life tax dollars being used to paint a sympathetic picture of abortionists who stab babies in the base of their skulls just moments before they are born?”

continue reading at http://www.theblaze.com

The Loss of a Human Life is a Tragedy, not a Gimmick

From Carol Tobias
National Right to Life President

Americans are known for their generosity. Sometimes they give simply because they’re asked. But if it takes a fun gimmick like an “Ice Bucket Challenge” to get people to give, that’s great, too!

But viral fundraising to kill – literally kill – unborn babies?

How low can we get?

The pro-abortion blog RH Reality Check is irreverently asking supporters to mimic the “Ice Bucket Challenge” by engaging in what they call the “Taco or Beer Challenge.” That calls on readers to enjoy a taco or a beer and then donate money to funds that help pay for others’ abortions.

continue reading at http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org

Culture of Life or Culture of Death? My ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Dilemma

By now everyone has seen or participated in the “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” including my whole family.  I actually challenged my family, and God Bless them; they all accepted the challenge, including my grandchildren, one in the picture above and two of them only two years old. 

My husband and I had planned to do our ice bucket challenge a few Saturdays ago; however, after reading articles about the ALS Research Fund, we hesitated on doing so.  Apparently, some of the clinical trials used in this research use cells from the remains of aborted babies. 

The paragraph highlighted in the picture above states: 

“Adult stem cell research is important and should be done alongside embryonic stem cell research as both will provide valuable insights.  Only through exploration of all types of stem cell research will scientists find the most efficient and effective ways to treat diseases."   (Use this link to read complete article from ALL)  

ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease as it is more commonly referred to, is a horrible disease.  And research for a cure for this disease is important and long overdue; but at what expense?  Do we further exploit aborted babies by desecrating their remains in order to achieve a cure?  After all, these babies didn’t have a choice in their demise or consent to have their remains used for research.  And I’m sure that there are others avenues that could be used in research. 

Because of the various articles I have read, I have made a decision that the monies that I promised to send to ALS for the ‘challenge’ would be better used by an organization that supports the culture of life.  

The John Paul II Research Fund is a secular organization that is grounded in a pro-life bioethic that respects the dignity of every human life. (Use this link for more information about this fund and to make a donation)

Until the ALS Research Fund stops using aborted babies in their research, I in good conscience cannot support them or this culture of death in which we live; I’d rather do what I can to help return our nation to one of a culture of life. 

My donation will be going to the John Paul II Research Fund, and I hope others who took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge will do the same. 

ABORTIONIST NOT DISTURBED BY SEEING MUTILATED CHILDREN

“BECAUSE I’M NOT DELUDED ABOUT WHAT THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS”

by Lauren Enriquez
Live Action News

A recent story at Esquire chronicled the abortion practice of Willie Parker, an abortionist who commutes from Chicago to Mississippi to commit abortions at the state’s last abortion mill. Mississippi is devoid of any abortionists of its own who are capable of obtaining hospital admitting privileges, a requirement now mandated by law in several states. Consequently, Parker — who boasts an unusually clean record for an abortionist, and was able to obtain privileges nearby — travels to the South to fill in.

Esquire calls Parker’s practice a “ministry,” playing off of theabortionist’s professed Christianity. The author chose to conclude the piece with a chilling look into the heart of Parker’s so-called ministry, following him through the process of examining fetal remains immediately after each abortion.

continue reading at http://liveactionnews.org/

Lauren Enriquez has worked for great organizations such as Texas Right to Life and Students for Life of America. She is a graduate of Ave Maria University, where she studied Classics and Theology. Her husband and children are the greatest blessings in her life.

THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF ABORTION, 101

From Reverend Katherine Marple
KeepLifeLegal.com

Lots of recent legislation in MANY states will shut down MANY abortion facilities, but not all of them….by design. In Texas, Ohio and Louisiana laws that are essentially the same across the board were designed to protect the lives of the unborn AND the women who choose to kill their child. This year in a Cleveland facility, a woman died from the procedure. Was anything done about it? Well, Preterm is still open so I’d say NO. Read all of the documentation of this and others here. 

Laws have been put into place by legislators to protect. These have been tested for their constitutionality so that they can survive past committee.

For instance, Martin Haskell in Ohio has been told that since he cannot meet the new requirements, he has to shut down. Period. He claims he has a constitutional right as an abortionist to stay open…but the truth is he has a lucrative business that he is not willing to give up on. The blood money he makes from killing unborn children keeps him in luxury homes and vehicles. This also holds true to the owner of Capital Care Network of Toledo who cannot meet the new law requirements; currently she has been given a ‘stay’ so she can ‘do business’.

continue reading at http://keeplifelegal.com/