Free Republic

New Pembroke Bishop: "Pro-life is an incredibly important issue for us in the Church today" Adds, "It's a difficulty that's reeking havoc in our spiritual lives, in our nation and throughout the world" By John-Henry Westen and Steve Jalsevac PEMBROKE, ON, September 21, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Immediately after his ordination today as the new bishop of the Catholic diocese of Pembroke, a small diocese in Canada's Ottawa Valley district, Bishop Michael Mulhall emphasized that the pro-life issue is a very high priority for him. During a brief meeting with the press after the ordination LifeSiteNews asked the bishop for his...

Planned Parenthood Loses Court Case to Open Aurora "Abortion Fortress" Making mass appeal to supporters for financial help and volunteers to fight to open facility By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman AURORA, September 21, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A federal judge yesterday struck down a motion by Planned Parenthood to force the opening of their newly-built abortion clinic in Aurora, Illinois against the will of city officials. The clinic, which was built under a building permit that concealed the name of Planned Parenthood from the city, has been prohibited from opening while officials investigate charges of fraud. Thousands of Aurora citizens have protested...

Anti-Coerced Abortion Bill 'Absolutely Necessary' Say 'Silent No More' Leaders STATEN ISLAND, NY, September 19, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Leaders of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, the nation's largest network of women and men testifying to the harm they endured from abortion, today said that a Wisconsin bill to help prevent coerced abortion is needed not only in that state, but across the country. "In recent months alone, we've seen numerous high profile news stories about women threatened and intimidated by their parents, boyfriends, and others into having abortions," said Georgette Forney, Co- Founder of the SNMAC. "I know from...

Abortion Opponents Prepare Nationwide Campaign Following Victory in Aurora, IL 40 Days for Life campaign begins Sept. 26 AURORA, Ill., September 20, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - "On September 26, more than 80 cities in 33 states will follow the courageous example set by Aurora, Illinois, and join together for the largest and longest simultaneous pro-life mobilization in American history," said David Bereit, national director of the 40 Days for Life campaign. The 40-day pro-life campaign in Aurora that thwarted the scheduled opening of a new Planned Parenthood abortion facility was inspired by 40 Days for Life. Local pro-life leaders have collaborated...

Major Republican Candidates Skip Family Values Debate Mike Huckabee won "value voters" straw poll By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman September 19, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) -The four top Republican presidential candidates skipped Monday's "Values Voter" debate, leaving the forum to several second-tier candidates who lag at single digit levels of poll support. The debate, which was held at the Broward Center for Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, intended to stimulate debate over religious and moral issues, including those pertaining to human life and family. Rudolph Giuliani, who shares front runner status with Fred Thompson, claimed he had not been present at the...

Argentine Legislators Seek to Establish Abortion as Protected "Right" Constitution prohibits all abortions but penal code does not punish abortions for rape, health or life of mother By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman ARGENTINA, September 18, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Hearings were conducted yesterday in the Argentine Congress on several measures that would protect the practice of abortion in a broad number of cases, including the "health" or life of the mother, fetal deformities, and pregnancies caused by rape. The Penal Legislation Commission of the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house of the Congress), heard testimony from four legal experts yesterday, two pro-abortion...

Poland Insists EU "Right to Life" Venture against Death Penalty Should Include Abortion and Euthanasia By John-Henry Westen BRUSSELS, September 18, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A debate in the European Union is simmering over the upcoming World Day against the Death Penalty on October 10. The current EU President from Portugal is requesting that the EU jointly declare an EU-wide day against the death penalty on that date. However, Poland has rightly seen hypocrisy in the venture with regard to the "right to life". The 2006 declaration by the Presidency of the EU on the occasion of the World Day against...

Largest Abortion Center in the U.S. Refused Permission to Open Today a federal judge stopped Planned Parenthood of Aurora, Illinois from opening as scheduled tomorrow By John-Henry Westen AURORA, September 17, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A victory celebration will be underway tonight as citizens in Aurora celebrate the fact that they have at least delayed the opening of the largest abortion center in the United States.  Today a federal judge stopped Planned Parenthood of Aurora from opening as scheduled tomorrow.  The massive Planned Parenthood facility applied for a building permit under false pretences and outraged the community.  Led by the Pro-Life...

Pro-Life Ruling Overturned -- Grandparent Fights for Life of Mentally Disabled Daughter's Unborn Child By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman PARANA, Argentina, September 17, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The decision to preserve the life of an unborn child in Argentina has been overturned by a higher tribunal, and now the child's grandfather is fighting to preserve the child's life. Judge Claudia Salomon of the city of Parana ruled against an abortion last week for a nineteen year old mentally disabled girl who had been impregnated by a relative, when an attorney in the case made a preventative motion in the interest of the...

Judge Reserves Judgment in Canadian Case on Abortion Protests Outside Abortion Facilities VANCOUVER, British Columbia, September 14, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Judgment has been reserved in the "Bubble Zone" case concerning protest within a proscribed geographic area near abortion clinics. The Canadian Religious Freedom Alliance (Alliance), represented by legal counsel, Julie Owens, presented arguments Sept. 13 and 14 at the B.C. Court of Appeal in defence of freedom of speech for those protesting within the "bubble zone" around abortion clinics.  This action arose from B.C. resident, Donald Spratt's, December 1998 conviction under the B.C. Access to Abortion Services Act, on charges...

Pope Rules Patients in Permanent Vegetative State May Not be Denied Artificial Nutrition and Hydration Response to certain questions raised by US Conference of Catholic Bishops concerning artificial nutrition and hydration By John-Henry Westen VATICAN CITY, September 14, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In most hospitals in North America, families of patients in permanent vegetative state are asked if they wish their family member to have their artificial feeding tube removed. According to a definitive ruling by the Vatican made public today, the withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration from such patients is immoral. The ruling from the Vatican's Congregation for the...

Australian Doctor Dies After Refusing Cancer Treatment in Order to Save Her Unborn Child Refused high-level chemotherapy that might have saved her from Hodgkin's lymphoma By Hilary White MELBOURNE, September 14, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Another woman has saved her unborn child's life at the expense of her own. In a case similar in many ways to that of Gianna Beretta Molla, the Italian doctor recently canonized by the Vatican for a similar act of self-sacrifice, an Australian GP, Dr. Ellice Hammond, 37, refused high-level chemotherapy that might have saved her from Hodgkin's lymphoma. The treatment would have endangered the life...

New Jersey Supreme Court: Doctors Not Required to say Abortion Kills a Child By Hilary White TRENTON, New Jersey, September 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Doctors in New Jersey are not required to inform women seeking abortion, that it will "kill not just a potential life, but an actual existing human being", the state's highest court ruled unanimously yesterday. The case was important to the ongoing attempts to install legal protections to the unborn in the US. For decades the arguments of the abortion lobby has been that a child in the womb is not fully a human being, but only...

Major UK Newspaper Caught by Bloggers Censoring Its Own Graphic Abortion By Hilary White September 12, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - With Britain facing its 40th anniversary of the legalizing of abortion, this October the issue is finding its way into the mainstream British press. Today's Daily Mail, whose "small-c" editorial policy makes it Britain's largest circulating daily newspaper, is carrying a series of interviews titled, "What WE think of abortion - by the women who had them..."The story covers interviews with six women, two of whom say they have "no regrets", chronicling the horrors of abortion. But a US blogger is calling...

Georgia Singing Group Makes Available Free Pro-Life Song with Sheet Music and MP3 Audio DULUTH, GA, September 12, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Cathy Weaver (left) and some children record a new song that they believe could possibly change the minds of expectant parents contemplating an abortion. Written by David Burke (right), "We Want to See the World" is an emotional call-and-response ballad between an angel and children who are still in their mothers' wombs.  The lyrics portray beautiful images of earth, convey messages about reaching heaven, and assure parents of God's grace for their children.  Burke sent the song to more...

Archbishop Burke: Bishops Must Discipline Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians Calls his brother bishops to task - “To remain silent is to permit serious confusion regarding a fundamental truth of the moral law" By Hilary White ST. LOUIS, September 11, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Writing in the latest edition of the Canon Law journal, Periodica De Re Canonica, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, bishop of St. Louis, Missouri, has called his brother bishops to task for their silence on the problem of Catholic politicians who support abortion, euthanasia, cloning, embryo research, the homosexual political agenda or other legislation “contrary to the natural moral law.” Burke’s lengthy...

Bishops Denounce Influence of International Abortion Lobby in Nicaragua Warn that they will take to the streets to Prevent Legalization of Abortion By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman NICARAGUA, September 11, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) -The Catholic bishop's conference of Nicaragua denounced attempts by foreign organizations to promote "therapeutic abortion" in the country on Sunday, and warned that they would take to the streets to protest if it was necessary to prevent the practice from being legalized, something that they have done in the past. "We know that there are international entities who are interested in legalizing therapeutic abortion in Nicaragua," said Abelardo Mata,...

Peruvian Cardinal to Health Minister: "Abortion is Murder" Adds "We cannot remain in silence to avoid problems, and those children have every right to live" By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman LIMA, September 11, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Cardinal Archbishop of Lima, Peru, gave a stinging sermon Sunday stating that abortion "is murder and those who commit it are murderers", as Peru's health minister Carlos Vallejos sat in the pews. Although Vallejos claims to be pro-life, he supports the abortifacient morning after pill and has cooperated with efforts to normalize "therapeutic abortions" in Peru. "It is cowardice on the part of contemporary...

Late-Term Abortionist's Patient Drops Bombshell Testimony Of Illegal, Coerced Abortion TOPEKA, Kansas, September 10, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A former patient of abortionist George R. Tiller gave jaw-dropping testimony before a joint interim legislative committee Friday, telling the detailed story of her late-term abortion experience that, as described, violated the Kansas ban on such abortions at nearly every turn. "This is perhaps the most explosive testimony that has every been heard at the Capitol. Based on this testimony alone, Tiller's medical license should not survive to the end of the day," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "We demand that the...

Cardinal Denounces Proposal to Legalize Abortion in the Dominican Republic Says Supporters of the Measure Are Either "Sick", "Hypocritical", or "Comedians" By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, September 10, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com)--The Cardinal Archbishop of Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, lashed out last week at politicians and groups agitating to legalize abortion in the country. When asked  about a recent proposal to legalize abortion for "therapeutic" purposes, he shot back: "No, no abortion, there is nothing more to say." "No one has the right to kill anyone and some of us are sick, some are hypocrites, some comedians who are...