in this issue:
hot button issues: JUDIE BROWN’S BOOK / MASS INTENTIONS / PREGNANCY CENTERS / ULTRASOUND VIDEO / WRONGFUL MOTHERHOOD
abortion: ANALYSIS / CHILD ABUSE
adolescents: YOUTH OUTREACH
catholic heroes: FR. EUTENEUER
euthanasia: FRANCE / FUTILITY / HOSPICE
pregnancy: INTENTIONS
reminders: BISHOPS PETITION / NATIONAL PRO-LIFE T-SHIRT DAY
reflection for prayer: HOPE
hot button issues
JUDIE BROWN’S NEW BOOK: Of Saving Those Damned Catholics, Joseph Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League writes, “We can always count on Judie Brown and American Life League to keep up with the shenanigans of the so-called ‘Catholic’ leaders. Judie’s call for authentic leadership from the nation’s bishops and priests is key to rejuvenating the Catholic Church’s role in American life.
TO ORDER: “Saving Those Damned Catholics” is available from ALL in hardcover or paperback. Call 866-LET-LIVE or purchase online.
MASS INTENTIONS: March 26 is the day the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation this year. A special Mass will be said this day for preborn children. If you would like to add preborn children to the list of intentions for this Mass, please click here.
PREGNANCY CENTERS: Of the battle against pro-life pregnancy centers being launched by pro-abortion interests, Chris Slattery of Expectant Mother Care in New York City, an American Life League associate group, writes: “Isn’t it ironic that the U.S. abortion industry, which is largely unregulated and faces thousands of lawsuits from those who have been injured and maimed as a result of their ‘medical practices,’ goes unreported and uninvestigated, while the media and others severely scrutinize the good work of pro-life pregnancy centers, whose care has never harmed a single human being.”
(Reading: “Why is saving babies lives considered unethical?” American Life League, 3/9/07)
ULTRASOUND VIDEO: “Baby Steps: Live from the womb, 16 stages of pre-birth development,” is an amazing new video from American Life League that many in the pregnancy center movement say is certain to save lives. The video features dramatic 4-D ultrasound images of preborn babies from 8 to 34 weeks development.
TO ORDER: The “Baby Steps” DVD is available from ALL for $9.95 plus shipping and handling. Call 866-LET-LIVE toll-free, or purchase online.
WRONGFUL MOTHERHOOD: Judie Brown offers her thoughts on the case of a woman suing an abortionist for the “wrongful birth” of her daughter, who is now two years old. The child was born after an unsuccessful abortion.
(Reading: “Wrongful motherhood,” American Life League, 3/12/07)
abortion
ANALYSIS: Michael J. New has prepared an analysis of the effect of state legislation on the incidence of abortion among minors.
(Reading: “Analyzing the effect of state legislation on the incidence of abortion among minors,” Heritage Foundation, 2/5/07)
CHILD ABUSE: The Elliot Institute conducted a study of 237 low-income women in Baltimore who had a history of abusing their children. The study found that those mothers who had aborted a child were more likely to have significantly higher rates of abuse.
(Reading: “Abortion linked to higher rates of child abuse, study finds,” Life Site News, 3/13/07)
adolescents
YOUTH OUTREACH: Generations for Life has produced a new program for involving teens in pro-life activism. You can learn about it at Generations for Life.
catholic heroes
FR. EUTENEUER: In a recent debate on Fox television between Fr. Tom Euteneuer and Sean Hannity, the clear winner, Fr. Tom, enunciated perfectly the Church teaching on contraception.
(Reading: “Hannity the liberal,” Spirit and Life, 3/12/07)
euthanasia
FRANCE: More than 2,000 French doctors and nurses have signed a petition declaring that they had helped patients suffering from incurable diseases to die. They are calling on the government to legalize euthanasia.
(Reading: “French doctors’ petition urges right to euthanasia,” Reuters, 3/8/07)
FUTILITY: The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s Committee on Ethics has issued a review of what is needed to prepare a “medical futility policy.” The recommendations include a statement that “Prospective policies on medical futility are preferable to unilateral decision making by individual physicians.” The statement is contained on a document filled with subjective language.
(Reading: “Medical futility,” American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 3/07)
HOSPICE: The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine has issued a position statement in favor of physician assisted suicide.
(Reading: “Physician-assisted death,” American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2/14/07)
pregnancy
INTENTIONS: A recent study analyzes the relationship between maternal attitudes toward pregnancy and the outcome of the pregnancy. The language of the report is centered on “unwanted,” “intended,” “mistimed,” and “ambivalent” attitudes.
(Reading: “Pregnancy intention and its relationship to birth and maternal outcomes,” Obstetrics and Gynecology, 3/07)
reminders
BISHOPS PETITION: An American Life League petition asks Catholic bishops to address the scandal caused by political figures who claim the Catholic faith but support abortion. Church law states that those “who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to communion.”
ACTION: All Catholics are invited to sign the petition that will be delivered to U.S. bishops in June.
NATIONAL PRO-LIFE T-SHIRT DAY: April 24 is the date for ALL’s fifth annual National Pro-life T-shirt Day. The day provides an opportunity for all pro-life people, especially students, to make a public stand on behalf of preborn children.
TO ORDER: The official shirt of ALL’s National Pro-life T-shirt Day is available for $6 plus shipping and handling. Call 866-LET-LIVE or order online. Additional information is available at NationalProLifeTshirtDay.com.
reflection for prayer
HOPE: “Hope does not come from what I do, but from the awareness that there is Someone who loves me with this everlasting love, who calls me into being every instant, having pity on my nothingness.”
(Reading: Father Julian Carron, Magnificat, p. 168)