in this issue:
hot button issues: CRUSADE WALKERS / SCHWARZENEGGER
abortion: SAFETY MYTH / SUBSTANCE ABUSE
bioethics: LUCRATIVE COLLABORATIONS
catholic bishops: RATZINGER
catholic politicians: KERRY
euthanasia: SUICIDE HELPERS GO FREE
human stem cell research: BROWNBACK / MORE MYTHS
morning-after abortion pill: PLAN B FACTS?
reflection for prayer: JEAN DAUJAT
hot button issues
CRUSADE WALKERS: The team of college students walking through the Northeastern United States on behalf of American Life League’s Crusade for the Defense of Our Catholic Church has reached New York. For pictures and accounts of their mission to spread the pro-life message, please see Crusade Joural.
SCHWARZENEGGER: “So California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger scored points with the animal rights crowd by telling them he was wrong about euthanizing stray dogs and cats,” said Joseph M. Starrs, director of American Life League’s Crusade for the Defense of Our Catholic Church. “Too bad this pro-abortion Catholic won’t admit he’s wrong about the killing of innocent children in the womb. Animal lovers told the governor he was out of line about the dogs and cats. Where are the Catholic bishops, who should be telling Schwarzenegger he’s out of line about the babies? The bishops need to teach in a clear unified, voice that you can’t be a Catholic in good standing and support abortion in the least way.”
(Reading: “‘Terminator’ protects animals, ignores human babies,” American Life League news release, 7/1/04)
abortion
SAFETY MYTH: Australian pro-lifer Babette Francis recounts the story of a 15-year-old girl with cerebral palsy. A judge ruled in a medical malpractice case that her brain damage was most likely caused by an injury her mother sustained as the result of a previous abortion. Francis quotes research showing that abortion “has been linked with cervical and uterine damage which can increase the risk of premature delivery, labor complications, and abnormal development of the placenta in subsequent pregnancies.”
(Reading: “The myth of a safe abortion,” Endeavour Forum Newsletter, 6/04)
SUBSTANCE ABUSE: David Reardon, Ph.D., referring to a new study in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, argues that there is a causal connection between abortion and substance abuse.
(Reading: “Abortion of unintended pregnancy linked to higher substance abuse: new study,” LifeSiteNews.com, 6/21/04)
bioethics
LUCRATIVE COLLABORATIONS: The National Institutes of Health is being investigated due to reported “conflicts of interest” involving high salaries, biotech companies and pharmaceutical firms.
(Reading: “Agency tightens rules on outside work,” Associated Press, 6/24/04; “NIH conflict of interest rules,” Alliance for Protection of Human Subjects news release, 5/18/04; “Who cares about genetic engineering?” Dianne N. Irving, Ph.D., 6/22/04)
catholic bishops
RATZINGER: An Italian newspaper has published what it claims to be a letter from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to a pair of American bishops, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and Bishop Wilton Gregory. The letter reportedly says: “Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.”
Cardinal McCarrick responded by issuing a written statement that said the published account “may represent an incomplete and partial leak of a private communication from Cardinal Ratzinger, and it may not accurately reflect the full message I received. Our task force’s dialogue with the Holy See on these matters has been extensive, in person, by phone and in writing. I should note I was specifically requested by the cardinal not to publish his written materials, and I will honor that request.”
Catholic News Service said the Italian account of Cardinal Ratzinger’s memo, according to an unnamed Vatican official, “was authentic. But it apparently was accompanied by a cover letter that has not been published.”
(Reading: “Worthiness to receive Holy Communion,” L’Espresso, 7/3/04; “McCarrick tempered letter on pro-choice politicians,” Washington Times, 7/7/04; “Cardinal Ratzinger lays out principals on denying Communion, voting,” Catholic News Service, 7/6/04)
catholic politicians
KERRY: While campaigning in Iowa, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) told reporters, “I oppose abortion, personally. I don’t like abortion. I believe life does begin at conception. I can’t take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist. We have separation of church and state in the United States of America.” Kerry then attended Mass and received Holy Communion.
(Reading: “Kerry says he believes life starts at conception,” Washington Post, 7/5/04)
euthanasia
SUICIDE HELPERS GO FREE: Charges against the 21 witnesses to the assisted suicide of Nancy Crick in Sydney, Australia, have all been dismissed.
(Reading: “Euthanasia advocate’s suicide helpers go free,” Catholic World News, 6/21/04)
human stem cell research
BROWNBACK: Sen. Sam Brownback focuses on the ethical means of using stem cells for research and therapy purposes; stem cells acquired from a patient’s own stem cells and he recently introduced the media to patients who are living proof of success.
(Reading: “Recipients tell of benefits of adult stem-cell therapy,” Family News in Focus, 6/25/04; “Adult and non-embryonic stem cell research advances are numerous,” Sen. Sam Brownback news release, 5/22/04)
MORE MYTHS: In a rebuttal to a previous Chicago Tribune article, Indiana State University life sciences professor David Prentice notes that human embryonic stem cell research shows no promise, despite all the hyperbole expressed by proponents. “One of the major difficulties with embryonic stem cells is how to direct them into becoming differentiated and thus suitable for transplant,” he writes. “Most studies show production of the cells result in a mixture of cell types (rather than producing the one cell type needed) and consequently are totally unsuitable for transplant.”
(Reading: “No justification to fund embryonic research,” Chicago Tribune, 7/1/04)
(Background: “Stem cell facts,” David A. Prentice, Ph.D., 7/03)
morning-after abortion pill
PLAN B FACTS? Claiming that the Food and Drug Administration does not understand that the Plan B regimen is safe for adolescents, a recent medical report on the vague findings of several clinical trials exposes the problem. One study involving 29 adolescents from among a total of 585 females suggests there is sufficient safety data already on record to show that the pills are safe for teens. The same report claims that if young women have the pills on hand, a larger number would use them (15%) than those who needed to get a prescription (8%). However the total number of young women involved in the study is not provided.
(Reading: “Plan B for ‘Plan B’“, Journal of the American Medical Association, 6/16/04, pp. 2805-2806)
reflection for prayer
JEAN DAUJAT: By his grace, God communicates to man the holiness of which he is himself the fountain-head…God imparts to us something of himself, something of his divine sanctity, something not belonging to human nature, and which man cannot attain by his own efforts. It is something freely given to man without previous merit on his part, in order to make him like to God and holy even with the holiness of God.
(Reading: “The Theology of Grace,” Liturgical Press)