LifeZine No. 526: 27th Sep 07
Pro-Abortion Activists See Red over Family & Life’s Pro-Life Cinema Ad
According to an “Irish Examiner” newspaper report, pro-abortion advocates are up in arms over Family & Life’s new pro-life cinema ad. The pro-life cinema advertisement encouraging women to “choose the positive option” has been criticised by apparently enraged pro-abortion advocates. The ad was produced professionally and paid for by Family & Life and has been running successfully in cinemas throughout Ireland since June. To see ad click on: CLICK TO READ MORE.....David Manly of Family & Life said he was surprised it has been met with anger, as he believes the ad to be “very mild and very positive”. “We are running the ad because we are concerned we are living in a culture that is inevitably going to favour legalising abortion in Ireland and this is to counteract that culture”. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Theme of ‘Day for Life’ Pastoral Letter: Blessed is the Fruit of Your Womb
The Catholic Church in Ireland celebrated ‘Day for Life’ 2007, last Sunday, October 7th, with a pastoral letter called: "Blessed is the fruit of your womb". The pastoral letter highlights the sacredness of human life at all stages. It is a joint publication by the Catholic bishops of Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. This pastoral letter explains why the Church is opposed to abortion: “The Church believes that every life has been created by God in his own image and likeness and that all life is sacred from the moment of conception to the point of natural death. The Church opposes abortion because it is the taking of an innocent human life.” Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Amnesty's Abortion Stance Splits Grassroots Support in UK
UK members are resigning from Amnesty International over its new stance supporting a right to abortion. According to the “Independent” newspaper, Amnesty branches in Birmingham, Kent, Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle, England, have been affected by the resignation of long-standing supporters. Mr Neville White, chairman of the Bromley and Orpington, Kent, group, said, "I think the leadership of Amnesty have failed to grasp how divisive this policy has been and instead taken the view that they must not buckle to the views of local campaigners. Much of the strength of Amnesty lies in the work of its local activists who are on the streets weekend after weekend and yet the consultation of the membership was at best too brief and lacking in the necessary depth to tackle such a sensitive subject." The Independent. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Archbishop Decries Spread of Abortion and Euthanasia
The Catholic archbishop of Glasgow, Scotland, has lamented the spread of abortion and euthanasia. In a sermon to mark the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's visit to Scotland in 1982, Most Rev Mario Conti warned against the "ever-increasing incidence of abortion and the creeping acceptance of euthanasia". The Herald. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Pope Calls Abortion the ‘Opposite’ of a Human Right
Abortion is not only a "deep wound" in society, it is also the antithesis of a human right, said Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope delivered this message to the members of government and diplomatic corps in Austria, during his recent visit there. In his address he called for the defence of human rights: "The fundamental human right, the presupposition of every other right, is the right to life itself. This is true of life from the moment of conception until its natural end. Abortion, consequently, cannot be a human right—it is the very opposite." He continued: “In stating this, I am not expressing a specifically ecclesial concern. Rather, I am acting as advocate for a profoundly human need, speaking out on behalf of those unborn children who have no voice." He added: “I do not close my eyes to the difficulties and the conflicts which many women are experiencing, and I realise that the credibility of what we say also depends on what the Church herself is doing to help women in trouble." Zenit. CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Cardinal Critical of Researchers’ ‘Blind Faith’ in Embryonic Stem-cell Research
Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, Chairman of the bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities, identified the worship of “a modern-day false idol” as the greatest modern threat to the unborn. Dr Rigali identified an “idolatrous gospel of total autonomy, sheer utility and false mercy” as the philosophy behind new attacks on human life. “Those who have blind faith in embryonic stem-cell research and its so-called 'biblical power to cure'—as House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi called it recently—are worshipping a modern-day false idol", Cardinal Rigali said. “They are putting their faith in an exaggerated view of the wonders of science and in their own ingenuity to overcome disease and aging.” LifeSiteNews.com. CLICK TO READ MORE.....