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Canadian Catholic Hospital to Grant Award to Anti-Catholic Abortion Promoter

By John-Henry Westen

WINNIPEG, November 10, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Winnipeg's Catholic St. Boniface Hospital is set to present an award to anti-Catholic Stephen Lewis, one of the most notorious abortion pushers in Canadian history.  Lewis was, in this month's issue of the Canadian national pro-life newspaper "The Interim", listed in the top ten persons "who have most helped lead the moral assault on Canada."  Furthermore, Lewis has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Catholic Church, particularly in its promotion of abstinence in the fight against AIDS.

Nevertheless, St. Boniface Hospital & Research Foundation has announced that Lewis, along with two others, will be the recipient of its 2005 International Award.  The prestigious award which has in the past been awarded to Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II and Sir Edmund Hillary, is being awarded to Lewis due to his "work in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa", according to a hospital press release.  (see the release here: (http://www.sbgh.mb.ca/campus_sbgh/NewsItems/News_Current.html#June272005 )

The International Award will be presented to Lewis at the International Award Gala Dinner on November 30, 2005 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre.  The pro-life group Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) will be on hand to picket the event.

Maria Slykerman, President of Campaign Life Coalition Manitoba told LifeSiteNews.com that she has tried since September to have the hospital reconsider its decision but they have not even responded to her concerns. 

In a letter to the hospital dated September 29, Slykerman said that CLC was "deeply concerned" about the choice of Lewis and explained the inappropriateness of the selection.  Slykerman concluded her letter, "It is our prayer that the Holy Spirit will guide you to redress this most unthinkable decision."

Lewis' stance in support of abortion is well documented.  In 1965, as an Ontario MPP, Lewis became the first politician in Canada to introduce a bill to legalize abortion. In 1971, as the Ontario NDP leader, he promised to promote abortion access "as requested" and said he would challenge the federal government to remove abortion from the Criminal Code - a move the Toronto Star described as "the closest any party leader has come to agreeing to 'abortion on demand'."

At the same time, Lewis worked to ensure that abortion on demand would be an indispensable element in the NDP party platform. He wrote that, "a woman's right to control her own body is an integral part of her fight to control her own life. Therefore, she must be able to choose whether or not she wants to bear a child."

In July of 2000, while working at the United Nations, Lewis alleged that the Catholic Church was complicit in the Rwandan genocide. (see the LifeSiteNews.com coverage: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2000/jul/000710a.html )

Slykerman also voiced her concerns to local Archbishop Emilius Goulet.  Archbishop Goulet responded to Slykerman last month in a letter, noting that although he was a member of the board of the hospital, "I was not aware that Mr. Lewis had been chosen as a co-recipient."  The bishop noted further that "I was not personally consulted on this matter."  He said the objections were "very valid" and encouraged CLC to make known its arguments to those responsible for the award.

To respectfully express your concerns:
St. Boniface General Hospital
409 Taché Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2H 2A6
(204) 233-8563
email:

St. Boniface Hospital & Research Foundation
409 Taché Avenue, Room D1003
Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6
Phone: 204-237-2067
Fax: 204-231-0041
Email:

Catholic Health Association of Manitoba

To respectfully contact Bishop Goulet
Mgr Émilius Goulet, p.s.s.
Archdiocese of St Boniface
151 de la Cathédrale Avenue
Saint Boniface, Manitoba
R2H 0H6

(204) 237-9851

E-mail:

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