LifeZine No. 603: 24th Jun 08
New Irish Figures Show Fewer Women Going to Britain for Abortions
New figures from the British government show fewer women traveling from Ireland to the UK for abortions. Pro-life groups welcomed the downward trend, which indicate it is the sixth year that the statistics showed fewer Irish women in Britain for abortions. The latest Irish abortion figures released today by the British Department of Health show 4,686 women giving Irish addresses had abortions in 2007. That's down from 5,042 for the previous year and is the sixth year such abortions have declined after more than a decade of upward trends. Every reduction in the number of babies killed by abortion is welcome. A Family & Life spokesman said he welcomed the reduction as it pointed to the success of pro-life efforts to highlight the humanity of the unborn. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Day for Life, 2008
The Day for Life for 2008 will be celebrated in Ireland on 5 October next. The theme for the Day for Life 2008 is “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; He rescues those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34, 18). The Day will focus on mental illness. This Day for Life celebrates a common theme each year and the Episcopal Conferences of England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland jointly draft a pastoral letter. There is a dedicated website now in place for the annual celebration of the Day for Life. See “Useful Links” section on the Family & Life website. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Catholic Prelate Tells British MP's to Examine Their Consciences
A Catholic prelate has told politicians to examine their consciences over how they voted on the British government's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. Preaching at Mass in the crypt of the House of Commons, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, reminded MPs of their duty to protect the common good. He said: "... the vast majority of politicians have given support to various attacks on human life with apparent lack of reproach from conscience." Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Two British Doctors Discuss Refusal to Do Abortions for Medical, Faith Reasons
Two more British doctors have joined the growing numbers who are refusing to do abortions. Dr. Greg Gardner and Dr. Laurence Crutchlow said they wouldn’t do abortions. Gardner, a GP for 20 years, told the Sunday Mercury he believes all abortions are harmful to women's physical and mental health. Crutchlow says approving an abortion violates his religious beliefs. "If a patient comes to me for an abortion I give a proper assessment of the kind of risks they may be causing their health. I also offer to give information about foetal development", Gardner says. "If they are determined to go ahead then I say, 'I'm sorry, but I can't help you any more.’” He added: "My reasons concern ethics and good medical practice. I have never seen a study which shows abortion is good for a woman. Yet there are numerous studies which show it is harmful to mental health and long term physical health." Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Pro-Life Members of the European Parliament Intervene in Lithuania
A group of 100 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) has intervened with the government of Lithuania on the question of abortion. In a letter sent at the end of May, MEPs representing 19 European Union (EU) Member States and four different political groups informed the Chairman of the Lithuanian Parliament, Ceslovas Jurenas, that nothing in European law would prohibit Lithuania from restricting access to abortion. The letter said, “There is no conflict between either European law or political commitments arising from European integration and legislative measures aimed at providing better legal protection for unborn children.” The letter goes on to state, “We welcome Lithuanian parliamentarians’ efforts to ensure better protection for children prior to birth.” Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Italian Prime Minister Meets Pope, Vows Support
The Italian prime minister has intimated that he might pursue pro-life policies. After a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, Mr Silvio Berlusconi expressed total agreement with pope on "the sanctity of the human person and of the family" and said the Church would welcome what his new government did in this sphere. Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....
Egyptian UN Delegate Says Abortion is Brutal Murder
The Egyptian delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mr. Amr Roshdy Hassan, told a session on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, "We must also take a serious look at induced abortions undertaken for whatever reason in the absence of medical force majeure.” He continued, “In this form, abortion, more accurately defined as the brutal murder of a defenceless soul in its mother's womb, is the worst form of extrajudicial killings accounting for tens of millions of lost lives annually. Legalising induced abortion does not diminish the fact that it constitutes a violation of the right to life." Details: CLICK TO READ MORE.....