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Catholic Colleges Asked to Withdraw Support from Amnesty International for Abortion Advocacy

By Elizabeth O'Brien

MANASSA, VA, July 5, 2007 (LifeSiteNew.com) - The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS), a national organization for Catholic renewal in Catholic universities and colleges throughout the United States, has recently urged American schools to cut off their affiliations with Amnesty International (AI) on account of its recently announced policy of pro-abortion advocacy.

In a letter to the presidents of U.S. Catholic colleges and universities, CNS Executive Vice President Tom Mead wrote, "If your institution has an AI chapter, CNS urges you to work with your students to reorganize the club and continue its important work promoting human rights without an Amnesty International affiliation."

In a recent press release, CNS stated that more than 50 Catholic colleges and law schools have AI student chapters. Encouraging presidents to use these as a means of influencing AI to rescind its new stance, Mead wrote, "AI is proud of its college chapters and you could help convince the leadership to drop the new position."

CNS founder and president Patrick Riley told LifeSiteNews.com, "We don't think that any Catholic college or university should be sponsoring a club that is formally affiliated with Amnesty International."

Riley emphasized, however, that CNS does not want university and college clubs to stop their activities or shut down, but rather simply to disassociate themselves from AI. "Not only are those clubs officially affiliated, but they are sending dues money," he stated. "We would like to see those clubs continue the type of activity they've been doing as long as it is consistent with Catholic teaching and can continue independent of Amnesty International."

In May AI expressed its support for abortion "in cases of rape, incest or when a woman's life or health is at grave risk." The new position specifically advocates the worldwide decriminalization of abortion, a motion that includes the removal of all penalties for those who obtain or perform abortions.

Catholic bishops of Canada, England, Wales and the United States have condemned the new move. Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, stated, "If in fact Amnesty International persists in this course of action, individuals and Catholic organizations must withdraw their support, because, in deciding to promote abortion rights, AI has betrayed its mission." Even more recently, the USCCB urged AI to change its abortion policy during the meeting of its International Council in Mexico next month.

In light of these statements, CNS urged college presidents to join the Vatican and USCCB in their efforts to encourage AI to change its position of abortion-advocacy.

Read previous LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Pro-Abortion Stand by Amnesty International Leading to Loss of Support
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/may/07052807.html

Bishop: "I, for one, will cease my financial support for Amnesty International"
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/may/06050805.html

UK Branch of Amnesty International OKs Abortion Support
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/mar/07032804.html

Amnesty International Publicly Admits New Policy to Lobby for Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/may/07051103.html

Amnesty International Canada Approves Abortion Advocacy
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/may/06053006.html

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