LifeZine No. 480: 12th Apr 07
Kerry Diocese Rejects CPA’s ‘Positive Options’ Campaign
The Kerry Diocese has distanced itself from the Irish Government-funded Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA) that promotes abortion as a “positive option”. A statement from the CPA listed the Kerry Diocesan Youth Service (KDYS) as a partner in a new “counselling” service in Kerry. However, KDYS has insisted that it has no “active role” in the project, which is part of the CPA’s “Positive Options” campaign. “Positive Options” has been criticised because it lists counselling services that will refer women to the UK for an abortion. More than two years ago, the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference directed that CURA, the Catholic Church’s pregnancy counselling agency, to withdraw from involvement with the “Positive Options” campaign, in light of “unacceptable elements” in it. Tim O’Donoghue of the KDYS said his organisation will not be involved with the CPA, since it “upholds the right to life of the unborn and does not consider abortion as an appropriate response to crisis pregnancy”. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Irish Pharmaceutical Union Supports Easier Availability of MAP
According to a report in the “Irish Medical Times”, the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) “believes that a number of drugs, including the morning after pill, should be available from pharmacists without a GP prescription”. However, this stance is in direct contrast to that of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in the UK, which, according to the “Irish Medical Times”, recently emphasised its “concern that the contraceptive pill may be made available without prescription in the UK”. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MRHA) in Britain is discussing whether or not the pill should be available in pharmacies without a GP prescription. The RCGP said any change needs to be “considered very carefully” and urged particular caution in patients with thrombolysis, high blood pressure and epilepsy. The Irish Medical Times. March 23. END.
Pro-Abortion Lobby—UK Law Allows Nurses to Carry out Abortions
An analysis of Britain's 1967 “Abortion Act” published in the “Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care” has suggested that it is legally permissible for unsupervised nurses to perform abortions. Vincent Argent, a consultant gynaecologist and Lin Pavey, a former manager of a BPAS abortion clinic, argued: "Our analysis of the ‘Abortion Act’ 1967 and the RCN v DHSS case shows that registered nurses and midwives could currently perform surgical abortions themselves as long as a medical practitioner is in overall charge, even if the medical practitioner is not physically present." However a UK pro-life spokesman commented, "The pro-abortion lobby claim that so-called safe, legal abortion was necessary to safeguard women's health—yet having achieved legal abortion, the pro-abortion lobby now wants to remove safeguards by getting nurses to do doctors' dirty work for them." The Times. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Adult Stem Cells Success in Heart Surgery
Adult stem cells taken from bone marrow have been used to grow part of a human heart, according to British scientists. Heart surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub led a team of researchers at Harefield hospital in Middlesex, who cultivated stem cells into tissue that works in the same way as human heart valves. Sir Magdi said that he hopes in the future to be able to grow an entire heart from adult stem cells. He said: "It is an ambitious project but not impossible. If you want me to guess I'd say 10 years." BBC. April 2. END.
Dutch Euthanasia Law Marks 5th Anniversary—What They Won't Tell You
In his book “Seduced by Death”, Herbert Hendin reported the one reason why the Dutch people have not turned against their euthanasia law. He pointed out that doctors and the media in Holland do not candidly report the many abuses and violations of the law that occur under their country's euthanasia policy. A recent news report on Radio Netherlands to commemorate the fifth anniversary of formal legalization gives a good example, he argued. It contained no discussion of the approximately 1,000 patients who, without requesting euthanasia, were nonetheless killed by Dutch doctors. The programme contained no discussion of the Dutch Supreme Court permitting the depressed to be assisted in suicide. Dr Hendin and others have argued that there are all sorts of ways to pressure patients into accepting euthanasia. LifeNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Pro-Life Song Wins Annual Pop Music Contest in the Philippines
In the Philippines, "Bakho sa Anghel," a song that condemns abortion and praises unborn life, beat 11 other songs to capture the top prize for composer Frederick Villarojo. He won the prize recently at the Cebu Pop Music Festival. This is the second year that lyricist Gwendolyn Suico-Crescencio penned the lyrics of a prize-winning song, after last year's "Tatay, Pauli Na," a ballad for a father working overseas. The pro-life song seemed a fitting winner this Easter Season in a music festival that began with the observation that "the highest form of praise for the Holy Child" is that offered through song. LifeNews.com. END.