Obama Picks Abortion Advocate for Director of Domestic Policy Counsel

Article from CNA

President Bush may have New Pro-Life Ruling in Works

Here's the story

Americans United for Life has Petition Against FOCA

Americans United for Life is a large Pro-Life organization that has been gathering signatures for a petition against the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). According to the AUL website:

FOCA will do away with state laws on parental involvement, on partial birth abortion, and on all other protections.
FOCA will compel taxpayer funding of abortions.
FOCA will force faith-based hospitals and healthcare facilities to perform abortions

Right now the Petition is nearing 150,000 signatures.

In addition to the above listed abortion related issues, FOCA would set a new precedent for federal usurpation of legislative ability from individual states.

Sign the PETITION here
Americans United for Life (AUL) website

Surgeon Charged with Killing Patient for Organs

Ruben Navarro, a 25 year old terminally ill patient and potential organ donor who had been unconscious, stopped breathing on his own on January 29, 2006. He was put on a respirator, but February 3, Dr. Roozrokh's staff removed the respirator - claiming that this was hospital policy after a patient receives 5 days of life support without signs of recovery. When Ruben continued to live, Dr. Roozrokh is charged with attempting to induce "cardiac death". After reportedly telling his nurses, "Let's just give him some more candy," Dr. Roozrokh had high doses of morphine and Ativan administered to Ruben. Ruben's heart continued to beat, yet his organs were deemed unusable and he died several hours later.

Full story from LifeSite News

Colorado to Vote on Personhood Amendment

A 21 year old law student in Colorado, Kristi Burton, has helped orchestrate a ballot initiative in Colorado to define personhood as starting at conception. If passed, this bill could help legally justify the rights of the unborn and present a challenge to Roe v. Wade.

story from NPR

Emotional Slideshow Concerning Born Alive Victims of Abortion

At Da Mihi Animas Blog

This video describes some accounts of infants who do not die in abortion and relates some of the reactions of abortion clinic staff. Presidential candidate Barack Obama opposed the Born Alive Infants Protection Act in 2002.

Pro-Life Lawsuit Won in Detroit

Dr. Monica Miller, a Pro-Life activist, filed a lawsuit against the Detroit Police Department for disruption of their counter-protest to Pro-Choice protests of a Pro-Life pregnancy center in the Detroit area. According to Catholic Online, the police told her "to march in a circle in the same area as pro-abortion demonstrators and that her pro-life poster violated Detroit’s sign ordinance." The Thomas More Law Center handled the legal proceedings for Dr. Miller, and in addition to the city having to pay the legal fees for the Thomas More Law Center, the Detroit police admitted that citizens have a right to protest peacefully on sidewalks.

Get the full story at Catholic Online

www.thomasmore.org

Campaign of Prayer for Conversion of Abortionists

Seeing the campaign against abortion as primarily a spiritual battle, Human Life International has launched an initiative to convert abortionists away from their cooperation with evil. The plan involves exhorting all faithful Christians to say the St. Michael the Archangel prayer daily and after every Mass.

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into Hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits, who wander throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Human Life International http://www.hli.org/st_michael_prayer.html/

story found at http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13931

prayer found at fisheaters (it can be found at a miriad of other places online as well)

Anti-Christian violence continues in India

Update: New Article

Please pray for the end to violence in India.

Catholic Culture headline

Debate On Whether Brain Death is Suitable for Organ Donation Continues

The philosophical debate on what determines the point at at which a person is declared dead is ongoing, and impacts the matter of organ donation significantly. As Catholic Culture reports: "If 'brain death' is not to be considered real death, virtually all transplants of vital organs would be morally illicit, since these organs are invariably taken from 'brain dead' donors. (When death is judged by traditional standards, the organs have already deteriorated enough to be unsuitable for transplantation.) The Church has clearly and repeatedly endorsed organ donation-- several reporters noted that Pope Benedict himself carries an organ-donor card-- and transplants are done at countless Catholic hospitals. So the stakes in this debate are very high."

The recent challenge to the use of the brain death definition as the acceptable parameter for collecting organs from a patient has been raised by Lucetta Scaraffia in the magazine, L'Osservatore Romano.
Catholic Culture Article 1

Catholic Culture Article 2

UN Secretary General Invites Cardinal Maradiaga to Discuss Global Poverty

The UN has set goals to reduce poverty throughout the world to certain percentages by 2015. However, the projections for many countries are far below the planned pace to assist those suffering from destitution. Cardinal Maradiaga, the president of Caritatis Internationalis, submitted that these goals to reduce poverty are important, but revealed that faith-based organizations like Caritatis are not supported in their efforts to assist those in want.

Zenit Source Article

Caritatis in India , in Georgia, Caritatis Sounds off on Aid to Africa

Stem Cells from Wisdom Teeth Now Possible

This should be another good and ethical alternative to embryonic stem cells.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080822090616.cje0kojr&show_article=1

New Pres. Bush Proprosal May Stop Catholic Employers from Paying for Employees' Contraception

California passed a law in 2000 to require health insurance plans to cover oral contraceptives for women, as many were already covering viagra for male employees and denying payment for the contraceptives. This legislation forced Catholic Charities and all Catholic hospitals in the state to cover these expenses. Language in the new conscience clause proposed by the Bush administration may curtail this misguided step towards equality.

More from San Fransisco Chronicle

Dept of Health and Human Services Considers Conscience Clause on Abortion

Catholic Exchange reports,
"Abortion advocates are predictably outraged by this development, calling it a “restriction of reproductive rights,” an “act of complicity with the religious right,” among other things. A few of the more astute among them, however, have noticed the deeper threat to their cause, for the new regulations call hormonal contraceptives “abortifacients” — which they are — and talk about pregnancy beginning at conception — which it does. Both positions are anathema to Planned Parenthood and its minions."

get the rest at http://www.catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113472/

Obama Has Received Endorsement from Planned Parenthood with 100% Pro-Abortion Rating

Catholic World News Reports

Navanethem “Navi” Pillay: Likely UN Commissioner for Human Rights

Pillay of South Africa is the reported to be the probable pick of Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon for this top tier position within the world body. Pillay is one of the founders of Equality Now, an organization that led efforts to ensure abortion access in Poland and Nepal.

CWNews writes, "According to UNHCR definition, the High Commissioner is charged with the task of leading the international human rights movement by acting as a “moral authority” and coordinating and streamlining human rights within the UN system."

White House Tenders "Conscience Clause" on Abortion, Some Abortifacients

The plan being submitted is designed to protect doctors and nurses who refuse to administer abortions or prescribe abortifacient pills. All recipient health care providers would be required to certify that they will not fire or refuse to hire personnel who morally oppose abortion.

More at Catholic World News

Myanmar to Receive Around 250,000 Condoms from U.N. Population Fund

The UN News Centre reports:

"The World Health Organization (WHO) today issued a warning that monsoon rains in Myanmar were increasing the risks of an outbreak of disease. WHO says it is working with the Government to set up a surveillance system to monitor possible outbreaks.

Meanwhile, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that hundreds of thousands of people in the remote areas of the Irrawaddy delta still do not have sufficient food to eat."

The report also states that, "more than 100,000 people may have been killed since the storm struck on 2 May."

Enter the UNFPA. In addition to sending kits with provisions for pregnant women to be assisted in delivering - medical equipment for needed blood transfusions, rubber gloves for midwives, the organization is making sure to pack "supplies" to prevent unwanted pregnancies. In other words, this starving and devastated people that has lost thousands of members of its population will receive thousands and thousands of condoms from the UN Population Fund.

UNFPA Myanmar Update
CWNews Article

European Courts to Decide Whether or Not Matthew the Chimp is a Person

"36-year-old Miss Stibbe and the Vienna-based Association Against Animal Factories have filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg."

The animal sanctuary in Vienna where Matthew is taken care of for 4,000 pounds a month is bankrupt and may be forced to close. Some have offered to help share the expenses if the facility is closed, but only a human may be the recipient of personal gifts in Austria. However, the activists are concerned that if he leaves Austria, he will not be protected legally against animal cruelty.

"Miss Stibbe, who is from Brighton but has lived in Vienna for several years, says she is not trying to get the chimp declared a human, just a person."

The legal team of Matthew and Stibbe press the question of whether chimps are also the "bearer of human rights."

"A spokesman for the court in Strasbourg said: 'Any application regarding this chimpanzee will be considered at a primary level by a magistrate and a lawyer before we decide whether it deserves a full-blown hearing.'"

Unborn children up to 24 weeks are not the "bearers of human rights" under Austrian law. They are not protected legally and may be terminated without parental consent by a mother as young as 14.


ThisisLondon Article

US Supreme Court Upholds Debated Part of Law Against Child Pornography

The Supreme Court determined that theatrical reproductions of sex involving minors in movies like "Traffic" or "Titanic", classic literature, and emails with text describing grandchildren do not involve a credible threat of being mistakenly prosecuted under the term, "simulated sexual intercourse," currently prohibited in U.S.C.§2252A(a)(3)(B).

Story from AP

Official Supreme Court Document for Decision of U.S. vs. Williams, 06-694

"It is necessary to bear concrete witness to the fact that respect for life is the first form of justice that must be applied," says Pope.

Pope Benedict XVI met with thousands from the Italian Movement for Life in the Hall of Blessing yesterday. He stated that abortion, rather than actually solving any problems, has instead "opened another wound in our societies."

The Movement for Life is proposing several pieces of legislation on the 30th anniversary of the legalization of abortion in Italy. The group, led by Carlo Casini, stands for the right to life at conception, the institution of marriage as being between a man and a woman, and the right of all conceived children to be born and raised in a family with parents.

The pope also reiterated that this year is the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. During his visit to the UN, the pope drew attention to this fact and urged the world body to recognize that their document is based on natural law.

Harvard Researcher: Money Spent to Fight HIV in Africa is Poorly Managed

Harvard Researchers reported in the university's Science Magazine this week on the matter of HIV prevention in Africa. Malcom Potts, a family planning researcher at University of California, Berkeley, described how most of the money that goes into fighting the HIV epidemic in African countries goes towards condoms and voluntary testing and counseling, and very little towards the more proven methods of male circumcision and education about reducing sexual activity with multiple partners. Male circumcision education programs are effective, because apparently inside the foreskin is contained a large number of "Langerhans cells" that can pick up HIV, whereas circumcised males do not have the same level vulnerability and are about 50% less likely to acquire the disease in the act of sexual intercourse.

As of yet, maybe only 2 or 3% of the overall funding is used to promote male circumcision.

Potts also reports that contrary to the notion that the poverty in Africa is what creates the situation for the disease to spread, he says, "In all the countries where we have demographic and health surveys, it tends to be the upper economic quintiles, both men and interestingly of women, who have the highest prevalence of the disease - it's more urban than rural. So, undoubtedly, you know, poverty makes everything more difficult, but it's not the driving factor. The driving factor is that men use wealth and power to have sex - and it's a pretty universal behavior."

This information was taken from the transcript of a radio interview. More information gleaned from the actual subscription only magazine report is at CWNews. They mention the high success rates of abstinence education in Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Ivory Coast.

Cardinal Cipriani: Avoid Getting Concerned About Fabricated Human Rights

The Cardinal from Peru warned against "human rights" that are founded by international organizations such as the United Nations. True rights and freedom have their origin in the natural law he stated.

CWNews reports, " The cardinal went on to put his listeners on guard against political organizations that push for recognition of new forms of "human rights," including alleged rights to abortion or to define one's own gender preference."

full article

Art Student with Serious Problems Reports Inducing Abortions

Whether this is a bold lie or an actual case of planning and inducing abortions, the Yale student in the article below needs prayers.

Warning - graphic content

CWNews article

Small Mongolian Town Delayed, but Optimistic about Getting a Church

The article below relates the work of a fledgling Catholic community in Zuun Mod to legally gain access to have a local Catholic Church. The Catholic Church was officially welcomed into Mongolia in 1991.

Full article

Parliament of European Union Affirms Legal Abortion and Calls All Nations to Legalize

April 18, 2008 - The Council or Parliament of the EU passed a non-binding resolution that a woman should have the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion. The bill passed 102-69. Proponents of the bill cited the threat of underground abortions, as has been claimed by pro-abortion groups in the U.S. (apparently without evidence). Further, Gisela Wurm claimed that laws restricting abortion are actually in themselves a form of violence against women. The countries stated by CWNews to have strongly dissented are Ireland and Malta. However, there must have been more - for if the Wikipedia article below is accurate in its description of the council - they only have a combined voting power of 10 votes. Poland is another likely country to have voted nay.

article from CWNews

article on EU council from Wikipedia

Rats Get Skin Stem Cell Assistance with Brain Disease

Reprogrammed skin stem cells helped treat rats with brains conditioned by researchers to simulate Parkinson's Disease. This is a big step towards finding similar treatments for humans, as the cells were able to successfully integrate into the neural system. The use of viruses to carry the new genes into the stem cellsis one danger due to the possibility that this approach could cause cancer. The researchers state that their gene transfer approach is equivalent to the therapeutic cloning research that was carried out last month on mice with Parkinson's at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York (only without the same ethical dilemma). http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSN0719560620080407

Catholic Moral Theologian Takes CRS to Task Over Condoms

Below is an exerpt from a Catholic World News article on Catholic Relief Services.

"In his cover story, "The Church Betrayed?" Grisez discloses that CRS take pains to separate itself from the overt promotion of condoms. CRS policy requires that "written educational material that contains information about condoms must not carry the CRS name or logo." Nevertheles CRS is involved in the distribution of these materials, he notes. Since CRS is affiliated with the US bishops, Grisez calls upon the bishops' conference to investigate the agency's approach. A truly Catholic campaign against AIDS, he argues, should fully embrace the wisdom of the Church teaching in opposing condum use."

The rest of the article is here.

Large Abortion Group Urges UN to Provide Pressure to End Abortion Restrictions

CRR (the Center for Reproductive Rights) has written a new document asking for support to end restrictions throughout the world and implying that there is a legal obligation based on all the non-binding recommendations that have been signed in the UN. They stress that nations must affirm reproductive rights and legalize abortion. CRR claims they have widespread support among UN bodies that these rights are established in international human rights treaties. CRR's reports is entitled Bringing Rights to Bear.

Samantha Singson from the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-Fam) reports:
"For years, CRR has been at the forefront of a what some have called a "stealth strategy" to redefine longstanding human rights like the right to life, the right to privacy, and the right to be free from discrimination, and insert abortion rights into those broad provisions. An integral component of the CRR strategy is to persuade the UN committees that oversee nations’ compliance with their treaty obligations to reinterpret the treaties to include abortion. UN compliance committees contain a large percentage of personnel from pro-abortion groups and have become increasingly active in reinterpreting UN documents and pressuring governments to follow their interpretations. "

CWNews story
For C-Fam report, check the Friday Fax for March 27 (vol 11, #15)

Mark Pritchard of British Parliament Speaks Out Against Repeat Abortions in England

CWN Article here.

"Resurrexi, et adhuc tecum sum. Alleluia!" & "Happy Easter!"

Happy Easter from Kenrick Social Justice...

and the Pope in 63 languages ...

and here's his Easter message.

Iraqi Chaldean Catholic Archbisop Rahho's Body is Found

Archbishop Rahho of Mosul, Iraq was kidnapped at gunpoint on February 29 and they recovered his body today. His corpse was half buried in Mosul's Al-Entisa district and it appears that he died a week ago. al Qaeda is believed to have been behind the act of terror.

More from Reuters

China Keeping One-Child Policy For At Least 10 More Years

The policy began in the 1979 has killed some 400,000,000 children - according to this CNN article. Forced sterilizations have also been reported, and as CNN notes there is a gender imbalance in how more boys are allowed to live then girls. Regardless of an aging populace (according to the article - within 7 years, 200 million adults will be over 60 years old), this law will remain in effect for years to come.

According to an older article from the BBC, the fertility rate (the number of children a woman is expected to have in life) in China which was once around 5 is now down to between 1.7 and 1.8 - well below 2.1 - the level necessary for keeping the population stable.

BBC article from Sept 07

Chaldean Bishop in Iraq is Kidnapped

Get the story from CWNews here.

Qatar Catholic Church will be Dedicated to Mary

Cardinal Ivan Dias, the prefect for the Congregation of the Evangelization of the Peoples, will preside at the dedication of the first Catholic Church in a country ruled by an Islamic Emir. The land for the church was provided..."by Emir Amir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who in recent years has become a supporter of inter-religious dialogue, despite keeping Islamic law in place which forbids Muslims to convert to other religions," states the article in the Catholic News Agency website.
The CNA reports further:"Qatar, which has 800,000 inhabitants, established diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 2003. The pastor of the new parish will be a priest from the Philippines, Father Tomasito Veneracion."

Wikipedia article about Qatar

British Millionaire Faces Life in Jail for Trying to Kill 11-Week Old Unborn Baby With Abortion Pills

A British millionaire with a pathological fear of becoming a father tried to kill his unborn baby by secretly feeding his wife abortion pills he bought online, The Daily Mail reported.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,333894,00.html

Pope Reiterates Church Stance Against Euthanasia

Get the story here.

Artist Tragically Kills Herself After Aborting Her Twins

Story here: http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2008/02/tragedy-all-around.html

Vietnamese ex-Nuncio Building Debate Widens as Buddhists Make Claim

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11877

Rough Draft of Kosovo Constitution Leaves Out Protection for Unborn, Marriage, etc.

Get the story - http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=56792

Missouri Ballot Measure Language Passes Court Challenge

Language that clearly and concisely states an intention to ban human cloning from its earlies stages has been fought for and upheld in court. The language should appear on an upcoming ballot, provided the measure gathers enough signatures to make it to that stage.
http://mocureswithoutcloning.blogspot.com/2008/02/new-ballot-summary.html

Check out this side-by-side comparison of the language as written by MoCureswithoutcloning and what Sec. Carnahan put together.

Vietnam Govt Forces Viet Catholics to Wait Longer

The old offices of the apostolic nuncio have yet to be returned

In 1959, the Papal envoy left Vietnam and the communist government took control of the evacuated nuncio building. On February 1 of this year, in exchange for the removal of a cross and tents from some adjacent property (where a month long prayer vigil and protest was being held), Achbishop Ngo revealed that they were promised the building would be given back. However, the transfer of the offices has yet to happen and Hanoi Catholics are nervous that the government will seek more concessions.

The communists had unsuccessfully attempted to implement a state run church, but the Catholic heirarchy and the will of the faithful have denied it from taking hold.

Their is only one authentically catholic magazine in the country (according to CWN) - Communion - and this is tightly regulated and limited to 100 copies.

More from Catholic World News

First Catholic Church in Qatar

March 14, 2008 may see the inauguration of St. Mary's, the first Catholic church in Qatar. An Anglican church, a Coptic church, and a Greek Orthodox church are in the planning stages for the same area. There is some contention from the Arabic populace about the construction, but the former chair of the University of Qatar's Islamic law department welcomes the turn of events. Abdul Hamid al-Ansari states that "places of worship for various religions is a fundamental human right guaranteed by Islam".

http://new.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=11549

Global Poverty Act?

The U.S. Senate is attempting to pass the Global Poverty Act, while seemingly charitable and big-hearted, it sounds nicer than it really is. Under a guise of Good Samaritanism, the bill would require our government to spend $845 billion above and beyond what America already spends on global aid! In addition to surrendering more dollars, the U.S. would also be required to surrender some of its own sovereignty over foreign aid by putting it under UN control. The bill would force the U.S. to sign onto the U.N.'s Millennium Declaration, which would commit us to ratifying a series of objectionable treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) (SPREADS ABORTION, Prostitution, etc., seems to promote discrimination actually), the International Criminal Court Treaty, the Kyoto Protocol (global warming), the Convention on Biological Diversity, and so on. Considering the magnitude of the legislation, one would think that the Senate would proceed with caution. Not so! In an effort to fast-track the bill, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has yet to hold a single hearing. Instead, S. 2433 is scheduled for a vote in the Committee as early as today. Currently, the bill has just seven sponsors, who include Senators Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Richard Durbin, (D-Ill.), Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.). Contact your senators and tell them to oppose S. 2433!

Spreading abortion, prostitution, global warming and such does not help!! My two illustrious senators are backing it I see. Email from FRC.

More Information:

S. 2433: Global Poverty Act of 2007

Call your Senators Today!

Clonehuskers?

Nebraskans,

The Nebraska legislature could soon consider a bill that would make Nebraska the new cloning capital. LB 606 was supposedly crafted by state Sen. Steve Lathrop (D) as a "compromise" with an outright cloning ban that recently died in the state's Judiciary Committee. As part of the push to pass the bill, Nebraskans will be told that the legislation "bans human cloning" and prevents state dollars from paying for the inhuman practice. Although it is true that residents would not have to foot the bill for cloning or embryo destruction, there is no sugar-coating the fact that the state would ultimately pay by making the Nebraska policy like that of California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey--one that approves of privately financed cloning-to-kill. Under Lathrop's bill, scientists can make all the human clones they want for experimentation, so long as they don't let them live! Unfortunately, leaders rejected a real ban on human cloning, LB 700, authored by state Sen. Mark Christensen (R), which would have completely prohibited the production of cloned human embryos in Nebraska. Instead, residents will be presented with a deceptive "compromise" and asked to accept human cloning in their state. If Sen. Lathrop wants a true compromise, he'll remove Section 3, which approves privately funded human cloning, from the bill. The citizens of Nebraska should loudly oppose the fake cloning ban and demand that their Senators remove Section 3--or reject the bill entirely and reintroduce LB 700, a bona fide ban on human cloning. They don't need CLONEhuskers in the Cornhusker state! If you live in Nebraska, contact Speaker Mike Flood at 402-471-2929 or through e-mail at mflood@leg.ne.gov and urge him to stop LB 606. - From Family Research Council email.

Additional Information:
LifeNews

Nebraska Right to Life

Missourians Against Human Cloning Report Stances of Governor Candidates

Read the Article below
Article on Missourians Against Human Cloning Blog

Candidate(s) Who Oppose Human Cloning
Sarah Steelman
Kenny Hulsof

Candidate(s) in Support of Human Cloning
Jay Nixon

Another Take on the Canterbury Sharia Story

This article from Philocalia Republic was linked off of NewAdvent.org. Austin Ivereigh writes that legislation that does not allow religions to opt out at certain points creates problems like some of the anti-discrimination measures in the UK. These policies have made it illegal for an adoption agency (like Catholic Charities) to refuse people suffering some same sex attraction as prospective parents. These agencies then may have to close or continue solely as privately funded organizations.

English Church Leader Suggests That Parts of Islamic Shari'a Law Should be Implemented for the Muslims in England

Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, says allowing the Muslims to go by religious law rather than civil law on matters of marriage and divorce is "unavoidable". He believes this will help allow for a peaceful coexistence of Britain's diverse society. The Muslims should then be able to appeal decisions from Shari'a law in British courts.
CWNews Article here
Telegraph Article here

Some items that Wikipedia mentions on Shari'a law

- The man who is not currently a fornicator can only marry a woman who is not currently a fornicatress or a chaste woman from the people of the Book.
-The woman can only marry a Muslim man.
-The woman who is not currently a fornicatress can only marry a man who is not currently a fornicator.
-The fornicator can only marry a fornicatress -- and vice versa.
-The guardian may choose a suitable partner for a virgin girl, but the girl is free to contest and has the right to say 'no'.
-The guardian cannot marry the divorced woman or the widow if she didn't ask to be married.

English Scientists Determined to Take the Father Out of Procreation Entirely

This article was spotted off Jimmy Akin's blog. If they receive permission, Newcastle scientists are about to begin manipulating bone marrow stem cells from women with chemicals and vitamins till they mutate into sperm cells with the donating female's DNA. Thus, two women suffering from same sex attraction would be able to have children sharing both of their characteristics.

"Early-stage sperm cells have already been produced from male bone marrow."

The article underlines that the ethical concerns associated with embryonic stem cells are avoided because they are interested in adult stem cells.

English Scientists Make A 3-Parent Embryo

Researchers in Newcastle, England implanted genetic material from a human mother and father into a second human female's egg-cell that had been left over from in vitro fertilization treatments. Apparently, if a mother is a carrier for certain genetic defects using another mother's egg-cell exterior might keep the baby from inheriting the defect of the mother.

The researchers let their experiment (the embryo) develop for a few days and then destroyed it.

More on CWNews

A Group of Clinics in Italy Will Strive to Save Babies that Survive Abortions

Italy is thinking of liberalizing their abortion policy and meanwhile some doctors our fighting for the legal rights of any babies that survive an attempted abortion and "directors of obstetrics and gynecology clinics at four universities in Rome have signed a declaration expressing their commitment to use all means to save babies who survive an abortion."

Article from CNA

State of Union Address: Bush Calls Congress to Ban Unethical Buying, Selling, Patenting, or Cloning of Human Life

"On matters of science and life, we must trust in the innovative spirit of medical researchers and empower them to discover new treatments while respecting moral boundaries. In November, we witnessed a landmark achievement when scientists discovered a way to reprogram adult skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells. This breakthrough has the potential to move us beyond the divisive debates of the past by extending the frontiers of medicine without the destruction of human life. So we are expanding funding for this type of ethical medical research. And as we explore promising avenues of research, we must also ensure that all life is treated with the dignity it deserves. So I call on the Congress to pass legislation that bans unethical practices such as the buying, selling, patenting, or cloning of human life."

full text of President's speech

CWN: Watch Out for New Embryonic Breakthrough Spin

CWN has just reported on a biotech firm making a claim that it can extract stem cells from an embryo without damaging the embryo. But apparently, the reality of the story does not match up right with the headline.

CWN source article

Huge Rally for Family in Spain Gets Stern Words from Deputy Prime Minister

In the wake of a rally in Madrid (earlier KSJ article) with almost 2 million participants, Maria Fernandez de la Vega, the deputy prime minister of Spain claims the Catholic hierarchy in her country is "falsifying the truth" concerning the socialist government's policies on the family. She also states that the Church has an disproportionate conception of their authority with the secular state.

More from the CWN source article

Kirkuk Churches are Bombed, as Intimidation Campaign Continues Against Iraq's Catholics

Three churches were struck this afternoon in Kirkuk, Iraq. These are the first reported attacks on Christian churches in the area. The bombings come just one day after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had stated that Christian churches would be given adequate protection .

Read more from my CWN Source Article.

Pro-Life Groups May Put New Pre-Abortion Patient Screening on Missouri's Nov Ballot

According to the article linked below, the measure would require that any abortion provider thoroughly check each patient's background and lifestyle to ensure they are not coerced into the
procedure.

The article claims further that the abortionist would not be able to perform a nonemergency abortion unless "the imminent death or serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman" would follow. In other words, a nonemergency abortion would have to be/or be near an emergency - and this is where the pro-choice groups are calling this a ban for all practical purposes.

90,000 signatures are needed to get the initiative on the ballot, and this should be attainable.

The measure could help people in the future like Paula Talley. The article disclosed that she was forced into having an abortion ten years ago because of economic hardship and fears of her family's reaction.
Baltimore Sun Source Article

Christians Kidnapped by Taliban in Pakistan

The same Taliban group under Baitullah Mehsud that is thought to be behind the Bhutto assasination less than two weeks ago has taken five Christians captive. They demand the release of six terrorist commanders in custody of law enforcement in exchange for the Christians.

Chinese Communist Party Members Lose Jobs for Having More than One Child

More here from Breitbart.com

Iraqi Catholic Churches Bombed

Chaldean Catholic Churches and other institutions including an orphanage and two convents were bombed in Baghdad and Mosul yesterday (Epiphany Sunday). Thankfully, no one was killed. Terrorists have threatened Iraq with a series of bombing attacks in an effort to drive the Christians out of the country.

CWN source article

Italian Cardinal and Several Parliament Leaders Push for Moratorium on Abortion

Get the CWN article here:
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=55753

UN Population Fund Report Stresses Need for Contraception; Bemoans Religious Uptick in Cities

UNFPA's annual report has been released which explains the growing need to add to their budget for contraception. The group pressures countries to spend money on reproductive health services, but adds that millions of pregnancies are still unwanted. The report expresses their interest in expanding their influence with adolescents.
Catholic World News (CWN) reports that only some 51 of the 389 million dollar budget the UNFPA receives actually goes to population and development programs. The majority goes to reproductive health programs. CWN goes on to mention that the UNFPA has been charged by US and British with assisting China's mandatory abortion program. The NY Times has asserted UNFPA involvement in a Peru program involving coerced sterilization.

CWN reports that the US withdrew it's annual contribution to the UNFPA several years ago and it has not been granted again.

CWN source article on UNFPA and their latest report

CWNews Writes of 21 Men and Women who Died for the Faith in 2007

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=55689

We do wish everyone a happy new year, but here's to those who gave up their lives in the last.