LifeZine No. 466: 22nd Feb 07
Special Book Offer from Family & Life!
“How do you bring a friend or relative back into the Church? First, you pray. Then, you follow Patrick Madrid’s advice in ‘Search and Rescue’”—Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop of New York. You do not have to become a biblical scholar or a theologian to be an effective spokesman for the Catholic Faith. In fact, even though you do not know all the answers and cannot explain every aspect of the Faith, you can begin winning souls to the Church right now … using prayer, friendship, and common sense. This classic book is now available from Family & Life. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Portuguese Ambassador to Ireland Claims Failed Abortion Referendum Result will be ‘Enforced’ in Portugal
According to Paulo Castilho, Portuguese Ambassador to Ireland, writing in “The Irish Times”, “The report in Monday's edition (I.T. February 12) concerning Portugal's referendum on abortion appears to convey the idea that the referendum either ‘failed’ or was ‘invalid’.” He continued, “This may be misleading. Since fewer than 50 per cent of the electorate cast their votes (43.61 per cent, to be precise), the result of the referendum is not binding. However, a majority (59.25 per cent) of those who voted were in favour of making abortion on demand legal in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.” The ambassador added: “The issue will now be debated in Parliament and the likely outcome will be a new law enforcing the view of the majority who voted.” The Irish Times. February 14. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
‘Contraceptive’ Push by Abortion Business Leads to Largest Ever Surge in UK Abortions
As reported in last week’s “LifeZine”, almost 6,000 abortions were carried out in January alone by the nine Marie Stopes International (MSI) abortion businesses in the UK, the highest rate ever in the last 32 years. MSI professed itself “taken aback” at the surge in abortion demand despite its campaign to promote the use of “emergency” contraception. However UK pro-lifers responded to Marie Stapes’s comments on the unprecedented numbers of abortions it performed last month, saying, “Marie Stopes should stop trying to fool the public by feigning innocence and bewilderment about the rise in abortions. There is overwhelming evidence that easier access to birth control drugs and devices, which Marie Stopes promotes and provides, has failed to contain the rising number of abortions.” The spokesman pointed out: “Marie Stopes also spends significant resources promoting and providing abortion.” Furthermore, “Unborn children are being killed and vulnerable women are suffering post-abortion trauma as a result of Marie Stopes’s work.” LifeSiteNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
300 Babies a Year Damaged by Alcohol in Scotland
Experts believe that over 300 babies a year are born in Scotland with damaged health caused by their mothers’ alcohol drinking during pregnancy. And this is probably only the tip of the iceberg as only a small number of these cases are diagnosed and recorded. Dr Maggie Watts, of Scottish Association of Alcohol Action Teams, said that—based on studies from other countries—an estimated 37 children per year are born with foetal alcohol syndrome, and 340 with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The Scotsman. February 12. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
France: Religious Leaders Sign Joint Statement Defending Traditional Marriage
Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders in France came together last week to sign a statement proclaiming the fundamental place of marriage in human society and their opposition to same-sex unions. Signatories of the statement included the Catholic Archbishop of Lyon, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin. The religious leaders emphasized the many difficulties young families are already facing, without the added burden of a society that does not value the institution of marriage. “How will young people be able to acquire a solid formation, face their future with confidence, fulfill the obligations of a profession and build their own family in balance, if the institution of marriage is relativised?” the statement asked. The family, as the “foundational reference of humanity,” is an essential institution that “cannot be subjected to the fluctuations of currents of thought. It is situated beyond religious differences or ideological divisions.” The institution of marriage between a man and a woman is the basic foundation of society, the religious leaders said. Zenit. LifeSiteNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Panel Calls for More Scrutiny of Embryonic Stem Cell and Other High-Profile Studies Published by Scientific Journals
A panel of American scientists has called for more scrutiny of human embryonic stem cell studies published in scientific journals. The panel was commissioned by the journal “Science”, which previously published two fabricated papers by the North Korean researcher Hwang Woo-suk, who falsely claimed to have cloned 11 embryonic stem cell lines. John Brauman, a chemist from Stanford University who led the panel, recommended four changes in the journal's reviewing procedure after examining how Hwang's reports had originally been handled. “Science” editor-in-chief Don Kennedy said: “The environment for science has changed... an enhanced reputation, visibility, position or cash rewards is sufficiently high that some may not adhere to the usual scientific standards.” Medical News Today. CLICK TO READ MORE.....