in this issue:
hot button issues: BISHOPS FAIL / CRUSADERS ON THE MARCH
abortion: BREAST CANCER / DILATION AND EXTRACTION
activism: FACE THE TRUTH
alzheimer’s disease: NEW DRUG THERAPY
birth control: COST SAVINGS?
catholic bishops: GAINER / KISSLING’S GREEN LIGHT / McCARRICK
embryonic stem cell research: FAIRY TALES / REAGAN: I’M WITH MY DAD
lifeline: A THOUGHT
morning-after abortion pill: EXPOSED
peru: LAWBREAKING
vaccines: ETHICAL ALTERNATIVES / MERCK BOYCOTT
zinger: UNFPA USED CATHOLIC DISSIDENTS
reflection for prayer: TITUS BRANDSMA, MARTYR
hot button issues
BISHOPS FAIL: American Life League’s Crusade for the Defense of Our Catholic Church responded to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statement on “Catholics in Political Life” and points out its flaws
(Reading: “Catholics in political life,” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 6/18/04; “The American bishops have failed,” American Life League news release, 6/19/04)
CRUSADERS ON THE MARCH: See the latest update on the Crusade of young Catholics teaching the truth about what it means to be Catholic and pro-life.
abortion
BREAST CANCER: David Reardon, Ph.D., questions the factual basis of a recent meta-analysis of previous studies alleging that there is no connection between abortion and breast cancer. He says investigators “did not answer more specific concerns regarding the previously observed heightened risk of breast cancer when the abortion occurs during a first pregnancy, when the woman is younger than 18 years, and when the woman is younger than 18 years and has a family history of breast cancer.”
(Reading: “Abortion and breast cancer,” The Lancet, 6/5/04, pp. 1910-1911)
(Background: David Reardon’s work and updates on the news can be seen at the After Abortion site.)
DILATION AND EXTRACTION: This is also known as “partial-birth abortion.” Showing nearly unanimous support for the killing of the preborn and nearly born, medical researchers claim, “The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has a statement of policy which reads, in part, that it is ‘inappropriate, ill advised and dangerous’ to legislate against the options for a medical judgment of a trained physician in consultation with a patient. A recent study of the D and X procedure in the hands of well-trained gynecological surgeons, is like as safe as D and E for late second trimester pregnancy termination.”
COMMENT: Purification of killing techniques should not be part of the job description for gynecologists.
(Reading: “A call for an evidence-based evaluation of late midtrimester abortion,” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 5/04, pp. 1175-1176; “Dilation and evacuation at >20 weeks: comparison of operative techniques,” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 5/04, pp. 1180-1183)
activism
FACE THE TRUTH: For updates on the Maryland campaign, see Face the Truth; for the national news on this activist campaign, see Pro Life Action League.
alzheimer’s disease
NEW DRUG THERAPY: Guilford Pharmaceuticals has licensed an experimental drug, GPI 1485, that could reverse nerve damage and result in positive results for patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other such diseases.
(Reading: “Guilford licenses drug to hasten its development,” Baltimore Sun, 6/19/04)
birth control
COST SAVINGS? Researchers advise: “Trussell et al. [3] estimated the economic value of contraception over a 5-year time horizon. They found, as we did, that contraception saves healthcare costs and that all methods saved costs as compared with use of no method. The largest component of the cost savings was due to preventing unintended pregnancy. The number of pregnancies prevented by contraception in the earlier model compared with no method ranged from 2.8 to 4.2 over 5 years. The results from our model, 2.2-3.4 pregnancies prevented over 5 years, are in good agreement.”
COMMENT: Subjective rationalization that babies are too costly always results in higher levels of promotion for abortive and non-abortive methods of birth control.
(Reading: “Costs and net health effects of contraceptive methods,” Contraception, 6/04, pp. 447-459)
catholic bishops
GAINER: Bishop Ronald Gainer of Lexington, Ky., wants pro-abortion Catholics in his diocese to stop receiving Communion. The request drew disdainful responses from two pro-abortion Catholics. State Rep. Mary Lou Marzian of Louisville said, “I go to Communion when I want to go, and no bishop, no pope, they’re not going to keep me from my religion.” Lexington mayor Teresa Isaac responded, “I plan to continue taking Communion and would love to receive it from a woman priest some day soon.”
(Reading: “Bishop urges abortion-rights politicians not to take Communion,” Associated Press, 6/24/04)
KISSLING’S GREEN LIGHT: In a Newsday letter to the editor, Catholics for a Free Choice’s Frances Kissling writes, “The vast majority of bishops and dioceses have either been silent on the issue or have indicated that they would not deny Communion to policy makers who vote pro-choice. It would seem that the most interesting aspect of the current debate is the tacit admission by many bishops that to be pro-choice on the legality of abortion is neither a grave sin nor a cause for denying Communion. Perhaps there is some hope for the church after all.”
(Reading: “Hope for the Church,” Newsday, 6/3/04)
McCARRICK: “Disciplinary actions are permitted” for pro-abortion Catholics, according to Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C. ”But they should be applied when efforts at dialogue, persuasion, and conversion have been fully exhausted.” According to the Associated Press, “McCarrick said keeping the sacrament from defiant Catholic lawmakers could turn Communion into a ‘partisan political battleground,’ create a backlash in support of abortion rights and raise concerns about the loyalties of Catholic politicians.”
(Reading: “Cardinal sees risk in withholding Communion,” Associated Press, 6/24/04)
embryonic stem cell research
FAIRY TALES: Stem cell researcher Ronald McKay says that scientists have allowed society to believe wrongly that embryonic stem cells are likely to effective treat Alzheimer’s disease, claiming the public “need a story line.”
(Reading: “Of stem cells and fairy tales,” Weekly Standard, 6/10/04)
REAGAN: I’M WITH MY DAD: Michael Reagan’s syndicated column draws the distinction that must be made between embryonic [deadly] stem cell research and ethical stem cell research. This powerful column asks America to remember that the Reagan family included both the president and Michael: “The media should keep in mind that we are also members of the Reagan ‘family’ and my father, as do I, opposed the creation of human embryos for the sole purpose of using their stem cells as possible medical cures.”
(Reading: “I’m with my dad on stem cell research,” Michael Reagan, 6/22/04}
lifeline
A THOUGHT: Fr. Denis O’Brien, MM, on the Catholic Church in America: “Dissidents used to have the decency to leave. Today, it would seem that they are living high on our cowardly silence.”
(Reading: “Silence: the sin of omission,” Celebrate Life, 9-10/02)
morning-after abortion pill
EXPOSED: Clem Boyd tells readers of Focus on the Family’s Physician magazine, “If pregnancy doesn’t begin until implantation, you can justify all sorts of things.”
(Reading: “A pro-life pill?” Physician, 7-8/04, pp 20-22)
peru
LAWBREAKING: Fr. Thomas Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, denounced Peruvian health minister Pilar Mazzetti Soler’s effort to distribute the “morning-after” pill in government clinics despite a constitutional law barring such action.
(Reading: “Chemical warfare: HLI denounces Peruvian minister of health’s attempt to silently abort Peru,” HLI news release, 6/22/04; “HLI reveals hypocrisy of Flora Tristan’s Attach on Congressman Chavez,” HLI news release, 6/23/04)
vaccines
ETHICAL ALTERNATIVES: Human Life International and Children of God for Life have teamed up with American Life League to establish a nationwide network of pro-life doctors who will assist parents in obtaining ethical alternatives to vaccines derived from abortion. The goal is to set up geographically strategic pro-life sites where parents can take their children to obtain single dose measles and mumps vaccines that use chick embryo, not aborted fetal cell lines. Because they are only sold in 10-packs, parents are having trouble finding doctors willing to help. If you can be of assistance or know a doctor who is willing to help, please contact or .
MERCK BOYCOTT: Why a boycott? Because it is sometimes the only language corporate executives understand.
(Reading: “Children of God for Life advocates a boycott of Merck Drug products,” Children of God for Life)
zinger
UNFPA USED CATHOLIC DISSDENTS: A UNFPA report states that “selective collaboration” with Catholic dissidents in Brazil did lead to advances in the promotion of “reproductive rights” until the financing seemed to dry up, the Holy Father visited the nation, and their Catholic collaborators chose to go elsewhere for their funding.
(Reading: “Culture matters: Working with communities and faith-based organizations,” UNFPA, pp. 25-26)
reflection for prayer
TITUS BRANDSMA, MARTYR: He who wants to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come in conflict with it.