by Frank Tinari, Ph.D., Life Education Council Board of Trustees

The Rise of Pro-life Women 

Thus far the number of newly elected pro-life women in Congress is up to 16. Seven of these candidates flipped seats held by pro-abortionists. The group includes the first Iranian American elected to Congress, a member of the Cherokee nation, a daughter of Cuban exiles, & a first-gene ration Korean American, showing that the life issue brings a diverse coalition together. Including incumbents, the tally of pro-life women in the House is now 27. In the Senate, the ranks of pro-life women continue to grow. Joni Ernst and Cindy Hyde-Smith won competitive reelection races, & Cynthia Lummis will be the first woman to represent Wyoming in the Senate.

This is breathtaking progress with three out standing justices on the Supreme Court, including the court’s first pro-life woman Amy Coney Barrett, and more than 200 new federal judges who will serve for life, providing the best chance in half a century to mount a serious, successful challenge to the status quo under Roe v. Wade. 

Whatever else happens, the American people have spoken. No “mandate” exists to enact deeply unpopular policies expanding abortion-on-demand through the moment of birth, paid for by taxpayers, or to drastically remake the brilliant system of checks and balances that has existed from the founding of our nation. 

The rise of pro-life women leaves me more convinced than ever that momentum is on our side, and the battle to save unborn children and their mothers is one we can – and will – win. [Marjorie Dannenfelser, Pres. of Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life group that fights the well-funded abortion lobby. www.LifeNews.com, 11/20/20] Ed. Note: Famed rock & roller Dion DiMucci objected to being connected to a Catholic Voter Guide in Our October issue, saying the Italian Tribune took it out of context. We extend our apologies. 

Voters Reject Abortion Rights

Although Coloradans rejected a moderate measure to prohibit abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy, when many unborn children are able to survive if delivered premature. Louisiana voters backed an amendment declaring that the state constitution does not protect a right to abortion or abortion funding. It is the fourth state to pass such an amendment, intended to preempt post-Roe v. Wade courts from discovering a right to abortion in state constitutions. If the Supreme Court overturns or even scales back its invented abortion right, expect to see many more such votes across the country. We hope voters take their cues from Louisiana. [National Review, 11/30/20] 

Non-Essential Religious Services?

On Thanksgiving eve, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive order limiting occupancy in houses of worship could not stand, saying that “even in a pandemic, the Constitution cannot be put away and forgotten.” It was a win for the Diocese of Brooklyn & Agudath Israel of America, who argued that declaring religious services to be “non-essential,” while labeling pet stores, hardware stores and other secular entities “essential,” was a serious First Amendment infringement on their religious liberty.

We would expect secular militants to be angry, and they were. No organization has exerted more time, money, and energy using Covid-19 as a pretext to abridge religious liberties than Americans United for Separation of Church & State, founded by anti-Catholics after World War II; to this day it remains hostile to Catholics and to other religious affiliations, and filed an amicus brief in this case.

Liberal religious publications and organizations were in a jam: if they approved of the Supreme Court ruling, it would put them on the side of religi ous conservatives; if they disapproved, it would link them to secular militants. So, they said nothing!

America and Commonweal, liberal Catholic media outlets, said not a word. The National Catholic Reporter, a dissident media source that rejects many Church teachings, also said nothing. Sojourners, a liberal Protestant publication, and Religion News Service, which hosts a variety of liberal religion writers, also went mute. 

Religious media outlets should be expected to affirm a special place in constitutional law for religious institutions—that is what the First Amendment ordains! Their failure to do so is telling. [Bill Donohue, Catholic League, 11/30/20]

Child Book “When You Became You”

Teaching little children when life begins is not only vital to helping them understand the morality of life issues, it’s also fundamental in fighting progressive ideology taught to children in schools, authors Brooke Stanton & Christiane West said in an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation.  “Having a book that starts them off correctly and hopefully keeps them protected against false infor mation later is part of the goal of this book as well.”  Stanton & West co-founded Contend Projects, a “secular, nonpartisan, science education nonprofit for spreading accurate information and awareness about the biological science of human embryology and when a human being begins to exist.” Most pro-life advocates argue that life begins at fertilization. Pro-abortion advocates have various definitions of when life begins, or when unborn babies should be considered human: some argue that life begins with a viable heartbeat, while others argue that life does not begin until birth.

“Your humanity— the fact that your nature is a human nature— is what you have in common with all human beings,” page 1 of the book reads. “It does not matter what you look like, where you are from, how old you are, how young you are, if you can talk, if you can walk, if you can dance, or even if you aren’t born yet. You are a human being.” 

“There are countless children’s books that teach children to care about the environment, but children also want to learn about their own science stories. This is actually the real science,” Stanton told the DCNF. [Mary Margaret Olohan, www.LifeNews.com, 11/20/20] 

Banned for Being Pro-Life – But Victorious

A British midwife student won a legal victory against the University of Nottingham after it threatened to expel her because of her pro-life beliefs. Julia Rynkiewicz, 25, received an apology and won a settlement from the university this fall. She is just one of many pro-life medical workers who are facing discrimination simply for believing that unborn babies are patients who deserve care, too. 

Earlier this year, Rynkiewicz said she was banned temporarily from finishing her hospital training after her instructors questioned her “fitness to practice.” Their reason was her pro-life Catholic beliefs and her leadership as pres. of the Nottingham Students for Life. She said she filed the lawsuit so that no other student would be unfairly punished for their beliefs. “The settlement demonstrates that the university’s treatment of me was wrong. I hope this means that no other student will have to experience what I have.” She said she had to delay her studies and postpone graduation as a result of the investigation, and did not qualify for financial aid while she was temporarily banned from completing her hospital training.

In a statement, the university said it is considering how to better respond to such situations in the future. It also emphasized that it supports killing of unborn babies in abortions.  Pro-life medical professionals in the USA, UK and other parts of the world are increasingly con cerned about conscience protection rights. 

Dr. Regina Frost, a New York OB-GYN, recently wrote a column for The Federalist describing how her state leaders, Planned Parenthood and others are fighting against her religious freedom via a lawsuit challenging a federal government rule that protects medical professionals’ conscience rights.  Last year, a Vermont nurse said her employer forced her to help abort an unborn baby even though it knew she objected. In South Africa, a medical student was prohibited from practicing medicine for two years while he was prosecuted for ‘unprofessional conduct’ for telling a pregnant woman that an unborn baby is a living human being and an abortion kills a human life. A medical board finally dropped the charges this fall. 

These events demonstrate the importance of conscience protection laws. Without them, medical students can be prevented from practicing, medical workers can lose their jobs and, worse, be prosecuted just for telling the truth. [Micaiah Bilger, www.LifeNews.com, 11/25/20] 

Pope Francis: Fair to Hire a Hitman?

Pope Francis, answering the pleas of Argentine women who are fighting for the rights of unborn babies, wrote a public letter to his home country this week urging its leaders not to legalize abortions.  Their letter and the pope’s response both appeared in the newspaper La Nacion. “Is it fair to eliminate a human life to solve a problem? Is it fair to hire a hitman to solve a problem?” the pope wrote, adding that the pro-life women “know what life is.”

Argentina is facing renewed pressure to aban don its protections for unborn babies. Widespread public opposition stopped a similar bill from passing in 2018. Pro-life advocates hope to do so again.  One survey that the women conducted found that 80 percent of Argentines oppose abortion.

“The country is proud to have such women,” the Pope wrote. “Please tell them for me that I admire their work and their testimony; that I thank them from the bottom of my heart for what they do, and that they keep going.” 

Currently, Argentina protects unborn babies from being killed in abortions, with a few exceptions. Most countries in Central & South America protect unborn babies from abortion. Pro-abortion groups often overestimate the number of illegal and unsafe abortions that occur in countries across the world, & some have admitted to lying about the numbers. Growing research also indicates that access to basic health care, not abortion, is what really helps improve women’s lives. [www.LifeNews.com, 11/25/20] 

This free monthly newsletter is used by dozens of churches as a bulletin insert, and has over 30,000 readers. To receive a copy in your inbox, email editor Frank Tinari, Ph.D. at tinarifr@shu.edu

by Frank Tinari, Ph.D., Life Education Council Board of Trustees

Violent Pro-abortion Protests

Pope Francis encouraged Christians in Poland to keep standing strong for life as riots continued across the country. “I ask God to inspire in the hearts of all, respect for the life of our brothers, especially of the most fragile & defenseless, and to give strength to those who welcome it, even when it requires heroic love,” Pope Francis said.

Riots have been occurring since the nation’s high court issued a ruling that protects unborn babies with disabilities from abortions. Authorities have arrested at least 76 people for disrupting church services and vandalizing church buildings, the AP reports. On Oct. 22, Poland’s constitutional court struck down one of the few exceptions allowed in its 1993 abortion law – abortions on unborn babies with disabilities, saying that the exception violates the constitution because it discriminates against humans with disabilities.  Mikolaj Pawlak, Poland’s commissioner for child rights, said: “The decision of the Constitutional Court declaring eugenic abortion incompatible with the constitution is a victory of life over death. It is a restoration of equal rights for every human being, including those who have not yet been born.”

In the city of Poznan, dozens of pro-abortion protesters broke into a church service, shouting, “We’ve had enough!” and “Barbarians!” as they held signs up in front of the altar, the Daily Mail reported. [Pope Francis Condemns Abortion…, LifeNews.com, 10/29/20] [Ed. note: Poland’s govt. has delayed implementation due to protests.] 

New York Threatens Adoption Agency

New Hope Family Services, a faith based adoption agency based in Syracuse, won a victory for religious freedom last month when a U.S. District Court judge granted a temporary injunction, saying the state had shown evidence of hostility toward New Hope’s religious beliefs.

Over the last 50 years, the agency has placed 1,000 children for adoption, but in 2018, the NY office of Children and Family Services ordered New Hope to place children with unmarried or same-sex couples – or face closure. This month the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case involving an adoption agency supported by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. We pray that these organizations will be able to continue their mission without having to compromise their First Amendment rights. [Our Sunday Visitor, 10/25/20] 

Did Catholics Vote as Catholics?

Catholics who take citizenship seriously paid attention to the US Bishops’ voting guide called Faithful Citizenship, to help form our consciences by looking at the following goals or issues and acting accordingly. The first three goals are:

1. Sanctity of life from conception to natural death
   The preeminent requirement to protect the weakest, innocent unborn children, by restricting and bringing to an end their destruction through abortion, & providing women in crisis pregnancies the supports they need to make a decision for life.
2. Not to resort to violence to resolve issues
   Support policies that stop: a million abortions each year, euthanasia and assisted suicide to deal with the burdens of illness & disability, the destruction of human embryos in the name of research, the use of the death penalty to combat crime, and imprudent resort to war to address international disputes.
3. Sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman
   Protect the fundamental understanding of marriage as the life-long and faithful union of one man and one woman and as the central institution of society; promote the complementarity of the sexes and reject false “gender” ideologies.

Ardent Feminist Becomes Supreme Court Justice

The confirmation process is a grueling examination of a nominee’s life. Yet, we saw a role model for women, someone who rose to the top in school and in her career while choosing to have the husband, family, and spiritual life she dreamed of. “I never let the law define my identity or crowd out the rest of my life.”  

 We witnessed newly-appointed Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a devoted mother whose family was the first thing she talked about at her confirmation hearing. She and her husband have five biological children and two adopted children. One of her children was detected with Downs Syndrome while she was pregnant but the couple refused abortion. Justice Barrett is the oldest of seven children, and attended Catholic grammar and high schools. She graduated at the top of her Notre Dame Law School class.

During the hearings, her opponents distorted her record, launched bad-faith attacks against her religious views, and even attacked her family and her decision to adopt children from Haiti. We saw her compassion as she recounted struggling through the death of George Floyd with her black daughter. We also got a glimpse of Justice Barrett the mentor, who went out of her way to take care of her students and help them launch impressive careers of their own. During her three years on the Seventh Circuit bench, Judge Barrett authored approximately 100 opinions that bolstered her reputation as a textualist and originalist in the mold of her mentor, Justice Anton Scalia. 

“If you can keep in mind that your fundamental purpose in life is not to be a lawyer, but to know, love and serve God, you truly will be a different kind of lawyer.” Amy Coney Barrett 

Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas, wrote an opinion piece in the local paper about the prejudicial treatment given to the nomination of Barrett. “Faithful Catholics help many and harm no one; anti-Catholic bigots harm everyone. It is unimaginable that the senators’ harassment be applied to any other religious group. Why is this tolerated? When will it end?”

Barrett is the only mother of young children ever to serve on the high court. She is the only Midwesterner on the court, and the only member of the court who did not graduate law school from either Harvard or Yale. [GianCarlo Canaparo, The Heritage Foundation] 

A new postage stamp for Christmas shows detail from a gorgeous Peruvian painting of Our Lady of Guapulo from the 1700s. Use it as a Christian witness. 

College Pro-Life Group Called “Hate Group”

Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins applauded the decision released today from the University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook to allow a pro-life club on campus after student organizations blocked the effort by saying that fellow students wanted to start a “hate group.” 

“Viewpoint discrimination is both unconstitutional and undemocratic. The free marketplace of ideas is designed to allow for citizens to share their views. For the Pro-Life Generation, a conversation on the human rights issue of our day – abortion – is demanded of all those who care about how our society has devalued life based on location,” said Hawkins. 

Student leader Sophia Schuster had been advocating for a Students for Life club this school year and, with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys, appealed the NISG’s decision to the school’s Supreme Court, which ruled against the pro-life students. Said Schuster: ‘They have overstepped their role and tried to use their power to silence us just because they disagree. This is a direct attack on free speech & due process of law, an example of abandoning standards that they claim to hold.” [LifeNews.com, 10/29/20] 

Gene Editing: Big Mistakes in Human Embryos

Scientists using the Crispr gene-editing technology in human embryos to try to repair a gene that causes hereditary blindness found it made unintended and unwanted changes, frequently eliminating an entire chromosome or large sections of it. This is a very adverse outcome. 

In September, an international commission sponsored by the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the U.K.’s Royal Society issued a report stating that the gene-editing technology isn’t ready for such a use because scientists don’t understand how to make precise fixes without also introducing potentially dangerous changes. 

Two separate papers published earlier this month indicate that the ethical debate continues over whether and under what circumstances creating genetically modified children could be permissible. Crispr germ-line editing, which involves making changes to eggs, sperm and embryos, is controversial because any changes can be passed to future generations. In her comments on the report, Nobel Prize winner Dr. Jennifer Doudna said the commission’s recommendations reflect consensus in the field that the technology shouldn’t be used for embryo editing in the clinic at this time.

The researchers found 96 of the countries already had gene-editing policy documents, such as legislation, regulations or international treaties; 75 of these countries bar the use of genetically modified embryos for the purpose of starting a pregnancy, an indication that it might be possible to create an international consensus on the issue, the researchers said. [Amy Dockser Marcus, Wall Street Journal, 10/29/20] 

33 Countries Declare “There is No Right to Abortion” 

 The USA and 32 other nations recently signed the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women’s Health and Strengthening the Family, declaring “’there is no international right to abortion” and that the family is “fundamental” to society. The Declaration was co-sponsored by the USA, Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia & Uganda, & signed by countries representing more than 1.6 billion people.  Geneva Consensus Declaration further strengthens a coalition to achieve four pillars: (1) better health for women, (2) the preservation of human life, (3) strengthening of family as the foundational unit of society, and (4) protecting every nation’s national sovereignty in global politics.  The signers of the declaration agree to “reaffirm the inherent dignity and worth of the human person,” that “every human being has the inherent right to life.” [www.LifeNews.com, 11/2/20]

This free monthly newsletter is used by dozens of churches as a bulletin insert, and has over 30,000 readers. To receive a copy in your inbox, email editor Frank Tinari, Ph.D. at tinarifr@shu.edu 

by Frank Tinari, Ph.D., Life Education Council Board of Trustees

Remembering Aborted Babies

On Saturday, Sept. 12th, Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, Priests for Life & Pro-Life Action League will co-sponsor the 8th annual National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children, calling on pro-life Americans to hofnor the grave sites of our aborted brothers and sisters. Solemn prayer vigils will be conducted at 54 such grave sites as well as at dozens of other sites dedicated in memory of aborted children.

Tens of thousands of these children have been retrieved & buried at grave sites across our nation. The stories of how they were killed, how they were found, and how they were buried, along with the pictures and videos that document those events, are powerful tools to awaken the consciences of our fellow citizens. But while a funeral and burial for an aborted baby may be a relatively rare event, the opportunity to visit the burial places and recall how those children got there shouldn’t be.

The first National Day of Remembrance was held in Sept. 2013 on the 25th anniversary of the solemn burial of the earthly remains of some 1,500 abortion victims in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Videos from past Day of Remembrance memorial services can be found on the National Day of Remembrance Facebook page.

Pro-lifers are also encouraged to carry on the spiritual mission of the Day of Remembrance throughout the year by visiting a grave site of aborted children or other memorial site to offer prayers of mourning for the victims of abortion. You could pray one of the suggested prayers (found at its website): Prayer at a Gravesite or Memorial Site; Prayer of Mourning for Victims of Abortion; Prayer for Those Who Have Lost a Child to Abortion.

“A nation that kills its children in the womb has lost its soul.” Saint Mother Teresa

U.S. Catholic Bishops Speak Out

The U.S. Catholic Bishops have stated: that the threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, because of the number of lives it destroys. Despite all of the other issues we face in this nation, we are urged to pray specifically to end abortion in our country, and for the protection of human life from the moment of conception to natural death. 

A Better Way to Plan Your Family

Natural Family Planning (NFP) is the most effective, natural, healthy & inexpensive system for couples trying to achieve pregnancy, couples having fertility concerns or couples planning to postpone pregnancy – all by observing natural signs of fertility.

Research shows NFP is as effective as the birth control pill (but has no hormonal side-effects), can help monitor your reproductive health, and can help strengthen the couple’s relationship. These methods successfully address: delaying or achieving pregnancy; hormonal imbalance; infertility; menstrual cycle abnormalities; endometriosis; PMS; and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

The two most popular & effective methods are the Creighton Method and the Marquette Method. Creighton relies upon the standardized observation & charting of biological markers that are essential to a woman’s health and fertility. The bio-markers also indicate abnormalities in a woman’s health. It is the only family planning system which has net- worked family planning with gynecologic and procreative healthcare, and health maintenance. Many physicians have been trained to incorporate the Creighton Method into their medical practice. It is great for those with normal or abnormal cycles or those struggling with infertility.

What sets the Marquette Method apart from most other methods is its incorporation of hormone monitoring as well as simplifying sometimes unclear signs of fertility. A woman can track her hormone levels through her cycle using the Clearblue Fertility Monitor together with the Marquette Method to identify her fertile window. This method provides clear and objective hormone readings taking much of the guesswork out of natural family planning. It is great for those with normal or abnormal cycles or postpartum.

For all NFP methods, couples need to be diligent and have plenty of self-control. They have to follow instructions completely to be successful.

To sign up for an NFP intro class, or reach trained medical providers in the NYC metro area, contact the Office of Family Life, Diocese of Paterson, NJ. [https://insidethewalls.org/nfp] 

College and Dorm Life

Students typically spend only 15 hours per week in the classroom. Unfortunately, binge drinking, drug use and hook-up culture are common on most college campuses. College students report high rates of STDs, pregnancies, abortions and sexual assaults.

“That’s no way to grow in faith and maturity” says the Cardinal Newman Society (CNS). It has identified faithful Catholic colleges where “chastity and clean living are encouraged. Most of them provide single-sex dorms, which most other colleges have abandoned. Even more helpful, some preserve the privacy of bedrooms, forbid- ding opposite-sex visitors at all times of the day. We think this is ideal–a common-sense, traditional practice that protects privacy, chastity and safety” and reduces the likelihood of sexual assault against female students. At a truly faithful Catholic college, “you’ll find a culture that respects chastity, charity and virtue. And you’ll make good friends who share your priorities and values–the sort of friendships that can last a lifetime!”

CNS also sponsors a $5,000 essay contest for high school seniors. [www.newmansociety.org]

Learning or a “College Experience”?

Schools across America are fiercely competing to offer the best buildings and recreation centers, the most things to do around campus, all tied together with the biggest scholarships package. We have stopped emphasizing the bachelor’s degree and now emphasize the “college experience.” Yet professors determined to undermine even the most rooted Christians lurk on campuses far and wide. Biases exist in almost all subject areas, many of them propelled by an anti-Christian agenda.

Even if a Catholic Newman Center on a campus is active, college is hard enough without having your beliefs challenged at every turn. Unfortunately, while many colleges claim to be Catholic, few adhere to Church teaching in the classroom and on campus. [Elizabeth O’Donnell, College: a Choice of Life or Death, Ave Maria Magazine, Summer 2020]

U.S. Birthrate Hits New Low

“American women had babies at record-low rates last year and pushed U.S. births down to their smallest total in 35 years, according to federal figures. The total fertility rate, i.e., the average number of babies a woman would have over her lifetime, ticked down to 1.7 in 2019. Almost every year since 1971, that rate has been below 2.1, which is the level needed for the population to replace itself, without accounting for immigration.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/20/20] 

Preparing for October

Each year the month of October is designated as Respect Life Month. Some of the activities that will be available to us include prayerful participation in the one-day National Life Chain, “baby showers” that solicit donations of clothing for pregnant moms, and sign-ups for the March of Life (in January). Some parishes may host guest speakers or discuss films. In addition, the 40 Days for Life campaign for picketing Planned Parenthood will be in full swing during the month, having started on September 23rd.

Jesus, Son of an Unwed Mom

“As Christians we first met Jesus as a stirring embryo in the womb of an unwed mother and saw him born 9 months later in the poverty of the cave. It’s no coincidence that Jesus stood up for what was just and was ultimately crucified because what he said wasn’t politically correct or fashionable. As followers of Christ we are called to stand up for life. Against the politically correct or fashionable of today we must fight against a legislative agenda that supports and even celebrates destroying life in the womb. The laws we create define how we see our humanity. We must ask ourselves, what are we saying when we go into a room and snuff out an innocent, powerless, voiceless life?”

So said soldier, surgeon and religious sister Deirdre Byrne. A retired colonel in the U.S. Army and a member of the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Byrne has done missionary work with the poor and sick across the globe, including in countries like Haiti, Sudan and Kenya. During her time in the military, she discerned a religious vocation, and sought a religious order that would not require her to give up her work in the medical field. Her discernment led Byrne to her order, an Italian pontifical institute founded in the late 19th century with the primary apostolates of teaching and medical care, and present in Washington DC since 1954.

“The largest marginalized group in the world can be found in the U.S. They are the unborn,” she said. “As a physician I can say without hesitation, life begins at conception.”

At his party’s convention, the U.S. President said: “On September 11, 2001, the sister raced to Ground Zero, through smoke and debris, she administered first aid and comfort to all. Today Sister Byrne runs a medical clinic serving the poor in our nation’s capital. Sister, thank you for your lifetime of service. Thank you.” [www.LifeNews.com, 8/27/20] 

This free monthly newsletter is used by dozens of churches as a bulletin insert, and has over 30,000 readers. To receive a copy in your inbox, email editor Frank Tinari, Ph.D. at tinarifr@shu.edu

by Frank Tinari, Ph.D., Life Education Council Board of Trustees

Priest Hears Confessions in Outdoor Shed

Fr. Daniel O’Mullane, pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Boonton NJ, sits in a grey shed on church grounds while parishioners walk up to the shed window to make their confessions. Fr. Dan sits on a folding chair behind a fabric screen six feet away, counseling parishioners and prescribing penance. [The Beacon, 4/2/20]

That is one of the many unique ways our faithful priests serve their flock. Other priests are reaching out to homebound parishioners through video chats & podcasts. Many are livestreaming Masses, sending regular updates to their parishioners, providing counseling and teaching virtually, and going live on social media to offer love, support and prayer to their communities. Some have even set up drive-up Eucharistic adoration. Taking all due precautions, priests are visiting & comforting the sick in hospitals. Several bishops have provided leadership, especially those who literally have brought the Eucharist to all corners of their dioceses.

We can only pray that what we are witnessing in Italy does not come to the U.S. As of the beginning of April, more than 60 Italian priests have died. Many were hospital chaplains and likely contracted the virus by administering the sacraments to the sick & dying. Their sacrifice, made in service to the Church its people, cannot be forgotten. [Editorial, Our Sunday Visitor, 4/5/20]

Postscript: At the end of last month, the Dept. of Homeland Security included “clergy for essential support” in its definitive list of federal agency personnel. Thus, they are treated like first responders, moving and ministering on the front lines.

Ohio Abortionists Defy Closure Order

“After being told that they must stop all abortion procedures to fight the spread of the coronavirus and to avoid using precious protective gear needed for health care workers tending to those suffering from the disease, abortion providers in Ohio are defying orders to close up shop. In a joint statement, Ohio Planned Parenthood leaders said the it “can still continue providing essential procedures, including surgical abortions.” On March 20, Deputy Attorney General Jonathan Fulkerson told the clinics that “if you or your facility do not immediately stop … the Dept. of Health will take all appropriate measures.” It’s unfathomable that while some doctors and nurses are working tirelessly to keep people alive, at their own risk, others are claiming that ending human life is an “essential service.” [Our Sunday Visitor, 4/5/20]

For Teens Stuck at Home

Did you see Teen Vogue is back encouraging teens as young as thirteen to sext? Last month the magazine posted a Snapchat Discovery story with the following message and worse: “Like Anything Worth Doing, Sexting Takes Practice.”

Last week, the Human Life Alliance launched the 2020/21 teen abstinence magazine Just for Girls/Just for Guys. Put your pro-life beliefs into action during the COVID-19 epidemic by giving copies of this important magazine to a teen you know today. Now’s a perfect time—they’re captive at home due to the virus.

The content is irresistible, practical, appealing, all in the format of a glossy magazine. It has science, advice, stories, etc. And even though young people aren’t reading that much anymore, they read this. They get immediately engrossed in it when they sit down. At first they might giggle a bit, but then they get very serious. Request your copy today. The teen you love will be glad you cared enough to share Just for Girls/Just for Guys with them. [www.humanlife.org]

Life and Death

The Easter season doesn’t end with Holy Week but begins on Easter Sunday. Go back to read one of the Gospel accounts of when the tomb was found empty. This is the center point of human history and should take on that significance in our lives. The season means life has conquered death – new life is available for all. For those of us who struggle to promote respect for all human life, Easter gives us renewed hope that truth will defeat falsehood, that light will overpower darkness, and a culture of life will outshine a culture of death. So, no matter what sorrow surrounds us, no matter the difficulties of the current pandemic, we can be filled with hope and joy. Happy Easter!!

If God Is All Powerful, Why Does He Allow This?

Gideon asked this question in the biblical narrative of Judges. That was in the 12th century B.C. Such questions plague even the strongest people of faith. Facing the pandemic, many today struggle to believe and to hope. The question of evil, pain and suffering in the world is ultimately a question of God’s existence. God doesn’t explain why to us. It remains a mystery. But He does show us how to defeat the enemy. God has gifted us with the means to deal with the evils we face. The many health care workers, the doctors and nurses, our government officials, religious leaders, volunteers and all people of good will who are doing their best to fight this battle: they are God’s response. “By my strength, my help, my grace, you can do it!” [Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli, The Question of God in the Midst of a Pandemic, April 2020]

Marriage Involves Procreating New Life

As human beings, we possess bodies and souls. Basically, all humans grow and eventually decline. All need nourishment, air and water. All are subject to disease. All die. All have the emotional ability to love, even heroically. All are inclined to relate, very personally and perhaps exclusively, with others. All have the potential to procreate new life in personal conjunction with another human of the opposite gender.

The sacrament of marriage provides true believers the opportunity to pursue the purpose for which God created them. It enables & enhances the human inclination to love unselfishly and without qualification. Marriage also involves procreation since humans are capable of uniting with others in creating new life. In the ideal, procreation should occur in a loving marital relationship that provides a mother and father for children that are brought into the world. The Catholic Church supports traditional marriage because it is part of a much larger vision of who & what we are, as humans created by God to love and serve Him. [Msg. Owen F. Campion, Our Sunday Visitor, 1/19/20]

If the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition of all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination, then the common outcry, justly made on behalf of human rights (for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture), is false and illusory. [Pope John Paul II, The Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World, 1988.]

WHO Claims Abortion is “Essential”

The World Health Organization recently stated: “Women’s choices and rights to sexual and reproductive health care should be respected, irrespective of whether or not she has a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection.” However, medical groups representing over 33,000 doctors disagree. Yet, WHO insists that “services related to reproductive health are considered to be part of essential services during the COVID-19 outbreak,” adding that it provides both global technology and policy guidance to WHO members “on the use of contraception to prevent unintended pregnancy, safe abortion, and treatment of complications from unsafe abortion.” [Ed: As of April 7th, there have been 1,429,437 cases of the coronavirus worldwide and 82,074 people have died from the virus.]

In the USA, Texas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Indiana, Mississippi & Iowa have declared abortions non-essential and banned these procedures to preserve equipment & resources for fighting coronavirus. Yet Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana, New Jersey, Illinois, Oregon, Hawaii and Virginia, that have all banned elective medical procedures, have made an exception for abortion procedures. [Mary Margaret Olohan, www.LifeNews.com, 4/6/20]

Next Battleground: Chemical Abortion

The Mifeprex abortion pill regimen is used for aborting babies up to 10 weeks old at which point the baby already has a heartbeat, head, hands, feet, fingers & toes. The rate of chemical abortions in the United States is at an all-time high.

The increase is being driven by the abortion industry, which regards drug-based do-it-yourself abortions as the best way to get around state-level pro-life laws. Mifeprex is subject to the FDA’s drug safety program because it carries life-threatening risks. The abortion industry wants the restriction lifted in order to have abortion pills available through the pharmacy & the mail, making do-it-yourself abortions the future of the industry.

Abortion advocates once claimed that legal abortion would alleviate the danger to women of “back-alley” abortions. Yet, the health complications that often result from an induced chemical abortion are eerily similar to those “back-alley” abortions, including severe bleeding, infection, retained fetal parts, possible emergency surgery & even death. In addition, the woman, who may or may not have health insurance coverage, is expected to bear the added cost of any complications.

Over-the-counter abortion drugs could have radical implications for women’s health and safety, especially pertaining to intimate partner violence, sexual abuse, sex trafficking and accurate patient assessment. It appears that advancing the abortion industry’s agenda for the abortion pill regimen is about political, ideological & financial goals—not care for women. [Patrina Mosley, Family Research Council, www.frc.org]

This free monthly newsletter is used by dozens of churches as a single-sheet bulletin insert, and posted on four diocesan websites. To receive your free copy, email editor Frank Tinari, tinarifr@shu.edu 

by Frank Tinari, Ph.D., Life Education Council Board of Trustees

Division Exists on Many Issues

While a federal Commission on Unalienable Rights makes its plans, Hollywood tries to normalize acceptance of abortion and the NY Times publishes a piece by a gynecologist who argues that sexually transmitted diseases should no longer have any stigma. While abortion groups issue their ‘Blueprint’ to promote abortion without limits, the federal government implements a partial end to funding abortion and a doctor has successfully filed an injunction against New Jersey’s new physician-assisted suicide law. The U.S. population is seriously divided on issues related to the culture of life. Here are a few details:

• Mary Ann Glendon has been appointed chairwoman of the administration’s new Commission on Unalienable Rights. She is a former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See and a Harvard Law professor with an extensive back- ground in international human rights. The commission will re-examine the nation’s distinctive rights tradition, and study the Universal Declara- tion on Human Rights issued in 1948 by the UN with involvement of former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. “The world is confused about human rights,” she said. “Many regimes not only ignore basic freedoms but also make deliberate efforts to undermine our common ground of human rights.” [National Catholic Register, 8/18/19]
• Hollywood agents, celebrities and producers were recently invited to a ‘diversity summit’ to hear a pitch from an abortion attorney on the need to normalize abortion on television. Such tactics are working. There are more TV shows putting a positive spin on women who have had an abortion. [Bill Donohue, Catholic League]
• Dr. Jen Gunter says it is better to called STDs ‘sexually transmitted infections’ that reduces their stigma. She states that no sort of sexual behavior is “wrong” and yet 50% of sexually active people will have at least one STD by age 25. The viral forms that persist worry people. “The idea of an infection that you can’t get rid of is very challeng- ing.” Between 2013 and 2017, the number of cases of gonorrhea increased 67% and syphilis by 75%. [J. Gunter, Why sexually transmitted infections can’t shake their stigma, NY Times, 8/25/19] We wonder if the good doctor ever considered encouraging patients to change their behavior.
• A coalition of nearly 80 pro-abortion groups including Planned Parenthood and NARAL released a ‘Blueprint for Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Justice’ that outlines their vision for the future of abortion: no restrictions, no religious exemptions and full funding by the U.S. government. They argue that the government should mandate that Catholic & religious hospitals provide abortion and “gender- affirming” care, and that parental notification for pregnant minors be eliminated.
• Updated federal regulations state that no longer will Title X funds be granted to a clinic that provides abortion on site or refers teenage girls or adult women to an abortion provider. Planned Parenthood is refusing to comply with these requirements and thus will no longer be able to tap into this portion of federal money. On August 19, Human Life Review President and Editor, Maria McFadden Maffucci, said “For too many years, the U.S. government has wrongly permitted American taxpayer dollars to abet Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates in terminating millions of innocent unborn babies. Federal law outright states that no taxpayer dollars shall be used to abort an unborn child. The new regulations now make that crystal clear.”
• In a letter (8/22/19) to The Beacon (Paterson Diocese), Sean Parkot reported that a physician and orthodox Jew, Dr. Yosef Glassman, obtained a restraining order preventing implementation of New Jersey’s physician-assisted suicide law. The doctor “cannot condone any participation in the process, even the transferring of the patient.” The law passed by only one vote in the assembly & the senate, and Catholic governor Murphy said he had reservations although he signed the bill. Parkot urged New Jerseyans to contact their elected officials to determine how they voted.
• Even our laws have created internal conflict. “Because of Roe v. Wade, contradiction permeates through our system of laws. Our laws mandate accommodation for the disabled at the same time our government funds attempts to prevent the birth of those with disabilities; they say that gender cannot determine whether one is hired or fired, but allow it to determine whether an infant lives or dies.” [Tim Busch and Kevin Stidham, Undaunted, Justice Thomas seeks the court’s atonement on abortion, Washington Examiner, 8/17/19.]

A Look at Catholic Families 76% of married Catholic parents have a Catholic spouse 22% of Catholic parents attend Mass weekly 53% of Catholic parents attend Mass at least monthly 66% of Catholic parents with three or more children attend Mass at least once a month. 71% of parents agree “somewhat” or “strongly” that prayer is essential to their faith. 36% of parents pray at least once a day. [U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org] 

Conquering Pornography Addiction

Pornography addiction is a growing epidemic in America today. It is an addiction that can have the same effect on the brain as cocaine, is widely available, and has a devastating effect on relationships, families, and marriages.

On July 27, Father Cassiday Stinson began the #BreakTheChains prayer campaign on Twitter, writing that he was tired of seeing “so many souls caught in shame and isolation and despair.” (Follow Fr. Stinson on Twitter @TheHappyPriest) The Knights of Columbus’ official account re- tweeted his original thread with a call to action: “Knights, time to #BreakTheChains.”

Fr. Stinson says that if you’re struggling with pornography in your life, then look very concretely and realistically at the times and places where you’re struggling with it. What does the habit look like? Once you’ve identified that, you can start to make concrete changes & put up boundaries for yourself to help avoid it. That may be as simple as during certain times of the day & in certain circumstances, you put the source somewhere else.

Alongside that human dimension, make sure there is some kind of prayer in your life as well. Very often we’re turning to any kind of quick pleasure, like pornography, because there is some kind of wound or loneliness there. One of the important things that needs to happen is to let God into that wound. [Brian Fraga, Priest starts a Twitter group to break the chains to pornography, Our Sunday Visitor, 8/16/19]

STRIVE: A “21-Day Detox from Porn” is an online video series for men who wish to break free from an addiction to pornography. The series, which launched March 27, is written and hosted by Matt Fradd, an anti-pornography crusader and Catholic apologist, and directed by Chris Cope of Cardinal Studios. Participants sign up at www.strive21.com to receive access to daily videos, where Fradd takes viewers on a step-by- step process of ridding their lives of pornography. 

Missouri Bans Certain Abortions

Missouri may protect unborn babies with Down syndrome from discriminatory abortion deaths after a judge declined to block the new law Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs’ order stops the state from enforcing most parts of the law, but he did not include the non- discrimination parts in his preliminary injunction.

Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the state law, which includes multiple pro-life provisions including a ban on abortions after 8 weeks when an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable. 

This means that Missouri is one of just a few states that legally can protect unborn babies with Down syndrome from discriminatory abortion deaths. The law also ends abortions based on the unborn baby’s sex and race. “As the father of a child with special needs, Attorney General Schmitt is particularly sensitive to suggestions that an unborn child who will have special needs is any lesser of a human being, and we’re glad that provisions relat- ing to that issue were left in place in the judge’s ruling today,” a spokesman said.

However, Dr. Colleen McNicholas, an abortionist and chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, said: “Although we are grateful today’s ruling allows us to provide care to some Missourians, we will continue to defend the truth: every reason to have an abortion is a valid reason.”

This eugenic targeting has prompted a number of states to pass laws protecting the unborn. Missouri is not the first, but it is one of the few that has been allowed to enforce its law. Eight states also prohibit sex-selection abortions, which often target unborn baby girls. [M. Bilger, Judge Rules Missouri Can Ban Abortions on Babies With Down Syndrome, LifeNews.com, 8/27/19]

ATTENTION: Each year, October is declared Respect Life Month by the U.S. bishops. More information will be provided in the October issue of this newsletter. Your parish likely will have a homily, guest speaker, pamphlets or other means to help you support the dignity of every human life. For New Jersey residents, the 20/20 Campaign continues and everyone is urged to obtain a “baby feet” car magnet – visit http://babiesinthewombfeelpain. com/ for more information. In addition, the US Catholic Bishops’ Respect Life Office publishes new material each year to help parishes promote the respect for life in various ways. For example, information is available regarding Project Rachel that serves to help women heal from the effects of an abortion.[www.usccb.org]

by Frank Tinari, Ph.D., Life Education Council Board of Trustees

Laity & Clergy Continue to Promote ProLife Values

Jennifer’s Words: “On the day I walked out of the rectory…”

… after confessing my abortions to the priest, I fell in love with a God I never knew existed before. I became a new creation and the daughter He always had in mind.” The Sisters of Life journey with women like this who have suffered after abortion, to experience the love & healing mercy of Jesus. For more information about Days of Prayer and Healing, contact the Sisters at 866-575-0075.

They Entered a Planned Parenthood Facility to Help the Unborn

Just before last Christmas, Red Rose Rescue, led by Fr. Stephen Imbarrato of Priests for Life, Fr. Fidelis Moscinski of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, and two others entered a Pl. Prthd. waiting room in NJ to speak to women, offering prayers and assistance for them to keep their unborn babies, and handed out red roses with a note, “A new life, however tiny, brings the promise of unrepeatable joy.” Red Rose Rescue has engaged in a number of similar efforts over the past few years. When law enforcement officers come, they go limp, refusing to cooperate with the arrest, and risk jail time for trespassing, disorderly conduct and such. [Stephen Vincent, Is Our Love Enough?, Human Life Review, Winter 2019.]

Knights of Columbus’ Ultrasound Initiative

An especially effective program since 2009, the KofC recently placed its 1,000th machine in pro-life pregnancy centers. In the Initiative, local Knights councils identify centers that are able to medically staff and operate an ultrasound machine and then raise half of the funds for its purchase. Knights’ headquarters in New Haven then matches the funds for the machine’s purchase and delivery. A majority of the women who see the live ultrasound image of their baby make the choice for life. Donations to this worthy cause are always welcomed. Go to www.kofc.org!

“The practice of medicine purposefully seeks to eradicate illness. Physicians pledge an oath to ‘do no harm.’ Taking a life before natural death violates that vow, and there is no turning back.” – Bishop David M. O’Connell of Trenton, NJ, speaking in opposition to the state’s Aid in Dying legislation.

Do Parents of Kids with Down Syndrome Love Their Offspring?

[Christopher M. Reilly, Eugenics Goes into Hyperdrive, Human Life Review, Winter 2019.] Most healthcare professionals have negative attitudes regarding DS and provide poor counseling and inadequate information for parents; they automatically recommend abortion when pre-natal DS is detected. As a result, close to 90% of unborn children diagnosed with DS are aborted in the United States.

Yet, it is astounding to learn that 99% of the parents of children with DS love their offspring, and 88% of siblings say they are better people because of their brother or sister with DS. [Skotko, Levine & Goldstein, Having a Son or Daughter with Down Syndrome: Perspectives from Mothers and Fathers, American Jnl of Medical Genetics, 2011.] This nearly universal positive attitude between siblings is extraordinary.

Hitler-style eugenics has been revived in a different yet still deadly form. Increasingly, unborn children are killed specifically because they have the potential to be disabled or are perceived as failing to thrive in some way. Opposition to eugenics works to protect vulnerable and genetically different populations from being excluded from the human community.

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Abortion Needed to Stop Overpopulation?

In China, India and Indonesia, tens of millions of unborn children, mostly female, have been aborted in the name of population control. But “overpopulation” is a myth. The world is not running out of living room or resources.

We can now easily feed the 7.5 billion people on the planet; with current agricultural methods, we can feed twice that number. We now produce more food on less land, and humanity is eating better than ever before. There are still hungry people, not because there is a global food shortage but due to corrupt governments, poor distribution systems, and ongoing wars and civil unrest.

Around the world, birth rates have fallen, and the number of workers is shrinking while the number of elderly increases. This is a recipe for economic decline. It is now clear that young people are the scarce resource in many countries. In this century the U.S. could be the slowly aging leader of a rapidly aging world.

Overpopulation is not only a myth, it is one that kills. We need more babies, not fewer. That means ending abortion. [Steven Mosher, Population Research Institute Review, March/April 2019.]

“Abstinence doesn’t generate a profit for Planned Parenthood. Risky behavior does.”

So said Ryan Bomberger of the Radiance Foundation in 2017: “Our nation is facing an STD epidemic. The 18% failure rate of condoms is alarming. Birth control pills, shots, implants, rings, and IUDs don’t prevent STDs at all. Abstinence is the only 100% effective way to avoid STDs, HIV, HPV & unintended pregnancy. So, should a business that profits from selling abortions, birth control and STD treatments be teaching our teens that there’s nothing wrong with promiscuity?”

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found nearly 2.3 million people were diagnosed with chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in 2017, an increase of more than 200,000 from 2016, according to Vogue. The 2017 numbers represent the fourth consecutive year of an increase and the highest number of STDs ever reported, according to the CDC.

Planned Parenthood’s materials suggest why. In 2015, pro-lifers discovered a Planned Parent hood booklet telling patients that it is their “human right” not to tell their sexual partner that they have HIV. The abortion chain also tells children on its Tumbler page that: “There’s nothing bad or unhealthy about having a big number of sexual partners.”

Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in America, aborting about 320,000 unborn babies annually. Abortion is a lucrative practice, and sexual promiscuity often is connected to abortion. [M. Bilger, STDs Reach Record Highs Despite Planned Parenthood and Its Tax- payer-Funded Sex-Ed Programs, LifeNews.com, 8/30/18.]

Unplanned Movie Inspires Nationwide Candlelight Vigils Outside Planned Parenthood Facilities

Organizers are calling the National Pro-Life Candlelight Vigil on April 13th outside abortion mills an outstanding success. Altogether, there were 166 vigils at Planned Parenthood facilities across the nation, in 40 U.S. states, including many for whom this was their first time taking part in pro-life activism. The vigils were inspired by the chilling look inside the abortion industry as portrayed in the recently released movie Unplanned, which tells the story of Abby Johnson, a Planned Parenthood manager turned pro-life activist. The film has seen unanticipated commercial success, playing for several weeks all through April, despite efforts to squelch awareness due to its pro-life message. Many of the attendees said they were inspired to participate because of having seen the movie.

At a number of vigils, clergy were guest speakers including Fairbanks, Alaska’s Bishop Chad Zielinski & Colorado Springs’ Bishop Michael Sheridan.

Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League, said: “We’re encouraging people to take those feelings of sorrow and sadness, what they saw in that movie, and also that feeling of gratefulness to God’s mercy that Abby Johnson was shown, and turn that into action,” he said. “Go out into the front lines, be part of this movement.” He listed praying at Planned Parenthood during a vigil, sidewalk counseling, volunteering at a pregnancy center, supporting pro-life groups, getting involved legislatively, talking to neighbors and becoming informed. “There’s so much that you can do,” Scheidler said, “but do something. Be a part of this movement actively. It’s the only way we’re going end abortion.” [LifeSiteNews.com, 4/15/19]

Well-Funded Groups Pressure Legislators to Legalize Marijuana Despite Health Concerns

Both the cannabis industry and states seeking more revenue are pushing for the legalization of marijuana. Even elements of the press such as the Newark Star-Ledger promote legalization in its editorials despite the numerous reports the paper itself publishes on the various dangers of pot use. One recent example is a report titled “Study: Smoking weed as teen linked to suicide risk as adult”, March 10, 2019.

A new book by Alex Berenson details the many problems with marijuana use: Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness and Violence (Free Press, 2019). Berenson once believed what many believe today: “Marijuana is safe. Nobody every died from smoking too much pot.” According to one reviewer: These words are a more or less perfect summary of the lazy, ignorant, self-serving beliefs of highly educated, rather stupid middle-class metropolitans all over the Western world in such places as, let’s just say for example, the editorial offices of the New York Times.” [Peter Hitchens, Reefer Sadness, First Things, May 2019.]

Medical studies indicate that a long-term cumulative effect of pot use leads to mental illness and, often, violence. Yet we are on the verge of allowing it to be advertised and put on open sale. Berenson’s book provides facts and data about violent crime in places where marijuana is widely available. The campaigns to legalize it cite “medical marijuana”use, but only about 6% of users use it for medical therapy. The book also exposes the false belief that associates marijuana and liberty.