Week in Review – Biden administration taking shape as election results challenged. Bad news for babies.
First, some good news. On Wednesday, the Ohio Senate sent to Gov. Mike DeWine Senate Bill 27 that would require the burial or cremation of fetal remains from surgical abortions. The legislation, which carries a first-degree misdemeanor penalty, requires abortion clinics to pay for cremations and burials and offers pregnant women the option to choose how to dispose of the remains. The governor is expected to sign the bill. Also in Ohio this week, members of the House began activity on SB 260, which bans medication abortions performed via telemedicine. The bill passed the Senate earlier in the year and received its first hearing in the House Health Committee on Tuesday.
Now, the bad news. The Washington Free Beacon reported this week on activities in Congress: “House Democrats are setting the stage to overturn the longstanding ban on taxpayer-funded abortion in anticipation of a Biden administration. Democrats denounced as racist the Hyde Amendment, a 1976 prohibition on the use of federal funding for abortions, at a Tuesday subcommittee hearing. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D., Conn.) said any curb on taxpayer funding is ‘discriminatory.’ ‘Now is the time to empower all women to be able to make deeply personal life decisions without politicians inserting themselves into the doctor’s office,’ DeLauro said. Rep. Lois Frankel (D., Fla.) described the Hyde Amendment as ‘one of the best examples’ of systemic racism. ‘The Supreme Court gave women in Roe v. Wade the constitutional right to safe, legal abortion,’ Frankel said. ‘With the Hyde Amendment, that right is really for people who can afford it.’ Subcommittee Republicans said forcing taxpayers to pay for abortion would violate their First Amendment and conscience rights. Rep. Tom Cole (R., Okla.) said federal funding of abortion is a matter of moral and religious freedom. ‘The Hyde Amendment protects the conscience rights of the great majority of Americans who are opposed to publicly funded abortions for religious, moral, or simply fiscal reasons,’ Cole said.”
Joe Biden has announced that, if he takes office as president, he will nominate current California attorney general Xavier Becerra to be the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Various newspapers classified this nomination as a “shocker.” Becerra has no experience in the health field. But he is a friend of Planned Parenthood. As hotair.com noted: “What California’s top lawyer does have is plenty of experience marshalling the forces of the state to crush religious dissenters, pro-life pregnancy counselors, and independent journalists. … In 2017, Becerra filed felony charges against the pro-life activists and citizen journalists who had gone undercover to expose Planned Parenthood’s gruesome practice of selling the body parts of aborted babies … The L.A. Times editorial board called Becerra’s decision to file criminal charges a ‘disturbing overreach.’ … One writer at Mother Jones called the Planned Parenthood videos ‘a legitimate investigation, and no level of government should be in the business of chilling it.’ Becerra has also zealously defended a California law requiring abortion coverage in insurance plans offered by churches … the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services ruled that California’s abortion mandate violated a federal law … which prohibits federal funding of states and localities that force health providers and insurers to participate in or cover abortion. Becerra announced California would not comply.” Now, if confirmed, Becerra will be head of HHS.
This nomination of Xavier Becerra highlights the importance of the two US Senate races in Georgia. The runoff election for these two seats will be on January 5, 2021. Right now, the newly elected US Senate has 50 Republicans and 48 Democrats. The Georgia election will fill the last two spots. If the Democrats win both, they will effectively control the Senate. Because the Senate must confirm presidential nominees, the Georgia vote will most likely decide whether Becerra gets control of HHS. Please pray for a pro-life victory in both Georgia races.
ALL in the News – ALL Stands Alone in Defending the Preborn against Politically Motivated Bishops
On Monday, Judie Brown released a statement following president-elect Joe Biden’s announcement that he will nominate California’s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, to serve as his first secretary of Health and Human Services. Becerra has a long and sordid history of supporting abortion, even going after Planned Parenthood investigator, David Daleiden. Brown notes that his appointment is further proof that Biden’s first priority is abortion and Planned Parenthood. Brown’s statement was reprinted in this article by the Christian Post.
Earlier this week, Judie Brown issued a statement following the call from US bishops for President Trump to suspend federal executions during the season of Advent. The call comes from Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, chair of the US bishops’ domestic justice committee, and Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, chair of the bishops’ pro-life committee. Brown notes that these bishops have never called for an end to abortion, prioritizing death row criminals over preborn lives. American Life League was the only pro-life organization to speak on this matter.
Every Friday afternoon, the American Life League social media team, Dwain Currier and Katie Brown, host the Friday Live Show on Instagram Live. During the show, they discuss current events and provide young adults a platform where they can have their culture of life questions answered.Replays of the show can be found on Facebook.
Twice a week, Judie Brown’s commentaries are distributed to an expansive media list. The list contains over 100 media outlets, such as Fox News, The Federalist, Breitbart, and The Daily Caller, among others. Judie’s Tuesday commentary, Denying the Real Presence, noted that the same people who deny the lives of the preborn also deny the true presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Each commentary is also featured as a part of Judie’s recurring column on Renew America. Judie’s commentary from last Friday was reprinted as an opinion piece on CNSNews.
Jim Sedlak’s Pro-Life Activism from Creation to Death is a weekly talk-radio program on the Radio Maria USA network. The show can be heard live every Friday at noon (Eastern Time) and is repeated on Saturdays (10 PM).
Video of the Week – Baby in-utero is miraculously healed through the intercession of Knights of Columbus founder, Fr. Michael McGivney.
Mikey Schachle has Down syndrome. Before he was born, he was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition. When his parents asked others to pray, through the intercession of the founder of the Knights of Columbus, a miracle happened.
Action Item of the Week – Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe—tomorrow, December 12
The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 12 is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We take a look at the story behind the indigenous peasant who came across the Patron of the Americas, and how he fought for her message to be heard.
By Francesca Merlo
The Virgin of Guadalupe, like the shroud of Turin, appears on a piece of fabric. Both are sacred objects, hundreds of years old, and both depict an image said to be miraculous. The Virgin of Guadalupe was declared Queen of Mexico and is Patron of the Americas.
First apparition
Our Lady of Guadalupe first introduced herself as the Mother of God and the mother of all humanity when she appeared on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico in 1531. An indigenous peasant, Juan Diego, saw a glowing figure on the hill. After she had identified herself to him, Our Lady asked that Juan build her a shrine in that same spot, in order for her to show and share her love and compassion with all those who believe.
Afterwards, Juan Diego visited Juan de Zumárraga, who was Archbishop of what is now Mexico City. Zumárraga dismissed him in disbelief and asked that the future Saint provide proof of his story and proof of the Lady’s identity.
Juan Diego returned to the hill and encountered Our Lady again. The Virgin told him to climb to the top of the hill and pick some flowers to present to the Archbishop.
Winter bloom
Although it was winter and nothing should have been in bloom, Juan Diego found an abundance of flowers of a type he had never seen before. The Virgin bundled the flowers into Juan’s cloak, known as a tilma. When Juan Diego presented the tilma of exotic flowers to Zumárraga, the flowers fell out and he recognised them as Castilian roses, which are not found in Mexico.
What was even more significant, however, was that the tilma had been miraculously imprinted with a colorful image of the Virgin herself.
Tilma
This actual tilma, preserved since that date and showing the familiar image of the Virgin Mary with her head bowed and hands together in prayer, represents the Virgin of Guadalupe. It remains perhaps the most sacred object in all of Mexico.
The story is best known from a manuscript written in the Aztec’s native language Nahuatl by the scholar Antonio Valeriano. It was written sometime after 1556.
Over 20 million people visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe each year, now situated on the very same hill on which she appeared.
In 1990, Pope Saint John Paul II visited Mexico and beatified Juan Diego. 10 years later, in the year 2000, he was declared a Saint.
ACTION ITEM:
We ask all our readers to say the following prayer in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, while asking her to bring a culture of life to the United States:
Virgin of Guadalupe,
Patroness of unborn children,
we implore your intercession
for every child at risk of abortion.
Help expectant parents to welcome from God
the priceless gift of their child’s life.
Console parents who have lost that gift through abortion,
and lead them to forgiveness and healing
through the Divine Mercy of your Son.
Teach us to cherish and to care for family and friends
until God calls them home.
Help us never to see others as burdens.
Guide our public officials
to defend each and every human being’s life
through just laws.
Inspire us all to bring our faith into public life,
to speak for those who have no voice.
We ask this in the name of your Son,
Jesus Christ, who is Love and Mercy itself.
Amen.
Pro-life Social Media – ‘REPENT’: Georgia Senate Candidate Declares Himself a Pro-Choice Pastor
“Pastor,” in its current usage, comes from the Latin word “pastor,” a herdsman or shepherd. In our modern world, Church leaders are given this title, since their role is to lead people—Jesus’ sheep—to His heavenly kingdom. Reverend Raphael Warnock, a run-off candidate for the US Senate from Georgia, is pretending to be one. Rather than leading lambs to Christ, he leads them to their slaughter.
I am a pro-choice pastor.
— Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) December 9, 2020
This reminds us of Heretics Catholics for Choice.
Satan would be proud of you sir.
— ZUBY: (@ZubyMusic) December 9, 2020
You need to have a talk with God.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) December 9, 2020
At the Church of Satan?
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) December 9, 2020
That’s entirely possible.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing.
— Aubrey Huff (@aubrey_huff) December 9, 2020
Matthew 7:15.
How????
— Anna Kraken (@Annakhait) December 9, 2020
You’re not a pastor. REPENT.
God is PRO-life, not PRO-death!
Running against the “pastor” is current Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler.
And it’s shameful that you would kill innocent babies right up until birth. We should ALWAYS protect the most vulnerable among us — and you’ve refused to do so.
Jeremiah 1:5 https://t.co/1RGNNzR3Zs— Kelly Loeffler (@KLoeffler) December 9, 2020
And I'm an Amish computer programmer https://t.co/BBnUjZORbJ— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 9, 2020
If Warnock is elected, he’ll fit in nicely with the likes of apostates Pelosi and Biden. They claim to be practicing Christians while passing legislation destructive to the protection of the most vulnerable people among us.
