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Suspect Charged with First-Degree Premeditated Murder of Michigan Pro-Lifer

By Kathleen Gilbert

OWOSSO, Michigan, September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - 33-year-old Harland James Drake has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder of pro-life veteran Jim Pouillon this morning as he carried a pro-life sign in front of a local high school, reports local news station WILX-TV.

Prosecutors said Drake told them he targeted Pouillon because of his pro-life activities. 

“There was some displeasure with how open he was,” said Sara Edwards, Shiawassee County chief assistant prosecutor Sara Edwards, according to a New York Times report.  “He tended to carry big signs with very graphic pictures of fetuses.”

Drake has also been charged with first-degree premeditated murder against Owosso business owner Mike Fuoss, felony firearm, and carrying a weapon with unlawful intent.

Police say Drake told them he was planning to kill a third individual, Owosso realtor James Howe, before he was apprehended.

Local news reports say Drake will return to court for a preliminary hearing on September 25th, and remains in custody without bond.

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Well-Known Local Pro-Life Activist Gunned Down in Michigan

By Kathleen Gilbert and John Jalsevac

OWOSSO, Michigan, September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An elderly pro-life activist was shot multiple times and killed this morning in front of Owosso High School in Michigan while he was peacefully protesting abortion with a sign depicting a baby and the word "Life," according to local police cited in the Flint Journal newspaper. 

Locals say that the victim, James Pouillon of Owosso, was well-known in the area for his pro-life activities.  Columnist Doug Powers wrote on his blog that Pouillon, called “the abortion sign guy" by Owosso locals, was known for standing on street corners holding up signs with pictures of aborted children.

Pastor Matt Trehella of Missionaries to the Preborn said today that Pouillon had joined his organization for a few stops of a pro-life tour less than a month ago. "Jim was a selfless, soft-spoken, kind-hearted man.  All who knew him, knew this," he said. "Please pray for Jim's family."

Trehella said that Pouillon was an elderly man who needed constant use of an oxygen machine.  

Troy Newman, the President of Operation Rescue (OR), said that Pouillon was a friend of OR. "We are stunned by Jim's murder," he said. "We extend our condolences to the family and share in their grief over his loss. His life was characterized by his love and concern of the vulnerable, and he will be greatly missed.

"We denounce this senseless act of violence in the strongest terms, and pray that this murderer will be swiftly brought to justice."

Reports indicate that a second individual was shot and killed in a different area of the city earlier in the day, and the two shootings are believed to be related, according to Shiawassee County sheriff George Braidwood. According to M-live.com, the second victim has now been identified as Mike Fuoss, 61, the owner of a local gravel pit. Fuoss was found dead in his office.

Police have confirmed that a suspect - a 33-year-old Owosso man - was taken into custody at the suspect's home shortly after the 7:30 a.m. shooting. After being taken into custody he confessed to the second killing as well. Fuoss knew the suspected killer, according to police, and it is so far unknown if Pouillon did as well. The motive for either of the killings is not yet known.

However, Police Chief Michael Compeau said that Pouillon appeared to be a target. "I would speculate it was ... intended," Compeau said, according to the Associated Press. "He was out protesting right across the street from the high school ... and there (were) multiple people around there and that person was targeted."

A black car was parked near the scene of the shooting, where a portable oxygen tank lay in a front yard next to a large sign with the word "Life" and an image of a baby.

In the wake of the tragedy, Fr. Pavone of Priests for Life told LifeSiteNews.com that he hoped to see "a strong expression of indignation from the pro-abortion community, just like there was a strong expression of indignation from the pro-life community at the killing of Dr. Tiller."

Secondly, Fr. Pavone called for "a renewal of unity within the pro-life community, coming to one another's assistance supporting one another, and by no means allowing fear or intimidation to have any role in our lives, but rather to move forward in peaceful organized ways to stand against this evil of abortion."

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"Jim the Sign Guy": Slain Pro-Lifer, Father of Two, Remembered by Friends as Cheerful, Peaceful Activist

By Kathleen Gilbert

OWOSSO, Michigan, September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Jim Pouillon, the pro-life activist shot and killed outside a high school in Owosso Friday morning, is being remembered today by friends as a peaceful and dedicated defender of the unborn. Those who knew him say that, in the face of the frequent physical harassment and death threats aimed at him for his pro-life work, the veteran pro-lifer always responded with charity.

According to friends, Pouillon, 63, was a born-again Christian and longtime resident of Owosso. They say he was divorced, with a son and a daughter as well as grandchildren.

LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) spoke with Cal Zastrow, a longtime friend of Pouillon's, who described the pro-life activist as "one of the most loving, compassionate people, peaceful people I've ever met in my life."

Zastrow says Pouillon began his pro-life work with the rescue movement spearheaded by Operation Rescue in Atlanta, Georgia in 1988, and has been active ever since.

"He was 100% non-violent. He never threatened anyone. He never condoned violence ever," said Zastrow. 

While known to travel to pro-life events throughout the country, Pouillon's most frequent method of witnessing was by holding signs on the street corners in his hometown. And that was what he was doing when he was gunned down this morning - holding a sign depicting the beaming face of a newborn baby, with the word "LIFE" superimposed.

In his hometown, residents grew to expect the large bearded man, sitting in a lawn chair and holding pro-life signs with images of babies or aborted children. Suffering from weak lungs compromised by smoking earlier in life, he depended on a portable oxygen tank.

Occasionally, as he was doing this morning, Pouillon was known to stand near Owosso high school to discuss abortion with the students there. 

He became known, after at least fifteen years of steady witnessing in Owosso, as "Jim the sign guy" or "the abortion sign guy," a ubiquitous presence that always drew reactions, whether of praise, anger, or hatred. 

Various sources have described Pouillon as the frequent target of screaming, spitting, and even throwing fruit. Zastrow said that he and Pouillon often received verbal abuse and death threats from passersby.

But, he would just "smile and laugh, and say 'Thank you, Jesus,'" Zastrow said of his friend.  He noted that he and Pouillon had been physically assaulted on separate occasions "for peacefully praying and witnessing." 

"He would say, 'God forgive you, I bless you,'" he added.  

Court records published by local news reports show that Pouillon has been cited on charges connected to his pro-life activities, mostly minor infringements related to property laws, many of which were dismissed.  In 2000, Pouillon was found guilty for stalking - a charge Zastrow says was unjustly brought against the veteran pro-lifer. 

"Once they lied about him and put him in jail for stalking, and they said he threatened somebody, but it wasn't true," said Zastrow.  "He never threatened anybody."

Zastrow expressed concern that media reports would portray Pouillon as violent.  "He never was," said Zastrow.  "He's America's first peaceful pro-life rescuer martyr."

Pastor Matt Trewhella of the Missionaries of the Preborn described his friend of 7 years as "so soft-spoken, but persevering, faithful."  Trewhella said Pouillon began his ministry after he saw images of unborn children killed by abortion.

"He was moved with compassion and decided he had to speak up for them," said the pastor.  "He was a good man."

Operation Rescue president Troy Newman told LSN that Pouillon, who participated in Operation Rescue, was a "dear friend" and "always an encourager."

"He's the sort of guy who always gives you a big bear hug, tells you he loves you," said Newman.  "I know he was always out on the street carrying a sign whether it was the dead of winter, or the middle of summer. 

Newman said Pouillon's faithfulness was evidenced by the way he died.  "He was faithfully out on the street holding a sign in the middle of the week with a beautiful picture of a baby and it said 'life' on it.  'Life,' and a picture of a baby.  And he was shot down for it," said Newman.

"If the purveyors of death think this is going to stop us, they're absolutely dead wrong," said Newman.  "History is replete with martyrs who have stood sacrificially and even given their own lives so that others may live.  And that has always been the premise of the pro-life movement, and we will continue steadfast marching forward in that direction.

"Was he a perfect man?  No, none of us are.  But he stood faithful to the end."

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Pro-Life Leaders Lament the Violent Death of a Friend and Ally - Jim Pouillon

By John Jalsevac

September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - This morning at 7:20am James Pouillon, an elderly Michigan-area pro-life activist, was gunned down in front of Owosso High School while protesting abortion with a large sign depicting a baby and the word "Life." A second man was also killed shortly thereafter - Mike Fuoss, the owner of a local gravel pit. It is so far unknown what the motives for the two killings were.

Pro-life leaders, many of whom personally knew Pouillon, have reacted with horror to the senseless killing of the long-time and dedicated activist for the unborn.

"We are stunned by Jim's murder," said Operation Rescue (OR) President Troy Newman. "We extend our condolences to the family and share in their grief over his loss. His life was characterized by his love and concern of the vulnerable, and he will be greatly missed.

"We denounce this senseless act of violence in the strongest terms, and pray that this murderer will be swiftly brought to justice."

Pastor Matt Trewhella of Missionaries of the Preborn said in a press release that Pouillon had joined his group for a few stops of a pro-life tour less than a month ago. "Jim was a selfless, soft-spoken, kind-hearted man.  All who knew him, knew this," he said.

Trewhella lamented that, "The press in all its hypocrisy is already painting Jim as a controversial figure.  Their hypocrisy is rank.  Remember when Tiller was killed how the press painted him as the most saintly man in America, singing his praises? They paint the man who kills the babies as some saint while the man who exposes the babies' suffering is painted as something bad."

"Jim Pouillon is a hero," said Monica Migliorino Miller of South Lyon, the director of Citizens for a Pro-life Society. “Jim died while giving a peaceful witness to the sacredness of human life. He stood outside of the local high school on many occasions holding a sign of a baby to send a message to the students that abortion is the taking of innocent life.

"Now his life has been taken as he stood in witness against the injustice of abortion. 

"When violence is aimed at those who provide abortion - pro-life leaders are swift to condemn it. We call on the pro-abortion community to condemn this violence against Jim Pouillon. Many have already blamed Jim for his own death because he dared to stand on the street with a pro-life sign. Such a point of view is atrocious and grossly irresponsible.”

Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life told LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) this morning that he hoped to see "a strong expression of indignation from the pro-abortion community, just like there was a strong expression of indignation form the pro-life community at the killing of Dr. Tiller."

Fr. Pavone also called for "a renewal of unity within the pro-life community, coming to one another's assistance supporting one another, and by no means allowing fear or intimidation to have any role in our lives, but rather to move forward in peaceful organized ways to stand against this evil of abortion."

Bradley Mattes, Executive Director of Life Issues Institute, said, "It's hard to imagine the hatred that motivates someone to murder, regardless of which side of the debate they're on. It's all desperately wrong.
 
"The murder of millions of innocent unborn babies is spilling out onto the streets of America. I pray we can stop the killing on all fronts. Our prayers are with Jim's family."

Lila Rose, the President of Live Action Media also sent out a release, saying, "We are greatly saddened and disturbed by the murder of pro-life activist, Jim Pouillon.

"We condemn the violent act which robbed Jim of his life, and we stand with him in his protest against our nation's violence to the unborn.

"Now is the time for the pro-life community to stand with even more courage and unity against abortion. We will work tirelessly until our nation recognizes the right to life of every human being, even the smallest and weakest."

"American Life League is heartbroken over the loss of a true pro-life hero," said Shaun Kenney, executive director of American Life League, "gunned down on the day Americans across the country mourn the violent deaths of 3,017 people. What a terrible irony that his death, on this day of infamy, brings to mind the 50 million innocent lives lost to abortion.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and community in the wake of this tragedy, and we renew our call for peace and prayer as the only remedies for the culture of violence."

"Since a motive has not yet been determined, speculation is useless, if not harmful," cautioned Kenney. "We commend the Shiawassee County sheriff’s department for its swift apprehension of the suspect, and we pray for God’s justice and mercy."

Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America (CWA), stated, "We are shocked at this senseless violence against a peaceful man. Jim Pouillon sincerely lived out his belief that babies have the right to be born. He dedicated his life to convincing others to reject the violence of abortion. It is a tragedy upon tragedy that a peaceful man who tried to end violence was himself violently killed.

"We hope Attorney General Holder will as vigorously denounce the murder of Jim Pouillon, who tried to save babies from violence, as he did the murder of George Tiller, the late-term abortionist." 

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Well-Known Local Pro-Life Activist Gunned Down in Michigan
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09091101.html
 

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Pro-Abortion Groups Silent in Wake of Pro-Life Activist's Slaying

By Kathleen Gilbert

OWOSSO, Michigan, September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In contrast to the swift condemnations issued by every major pro-life group across America in the hours following the slaying of late-term abortionist George Tiller in May, a deafening silence from nearly every U.S. pro-abortion group has accompanied the hours of nationwide media buzz following the shooting death of Michigan pro-life activist Jim Pouillon early Friday morning. The only statements from pro-abortion forces thus far have been issued by the local Michigan chapter of Planned Parenthood, and the pro-abortion website RHrealitycheck.org.

Pouillon, 63, was shot multiple times and killed at 7:20 a.m. as he stood with a pro-life sign outside Owosso High School. Police charged 33-year-old Owosso resident Harland James Drake Friday afternoon with Pouillon's first-degree murder, as well as the first-degree murder of local gravel pit owner Mike Fuoss, 61, killed earlier in the morning.  

Prosecutors said Drake told them he targeted Pouillon because of his pro-life activity. 

Though Pouillon's death has made headlines in major news media, leading national pro-abortion organizations including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, NARAL, the National Organization for Women, and the National Abortion Federation have issued no response to the slaying as of 4:45 p.m. EST. 

One exception is the pro-abortion news and commentary website RHrealitycheck.org, where columnist Jodi Jacobson wrote: "Whatever the motive behind the killing of Mr. Pouillon and whatever his own background in the anti-choice movement, RH Reality Check deplores the use of violence as a tool in the debates over women's rights and health, in any form and against any person.  Our thoughts and wishes for healing go out to Mr. Pouillon's family and friends."

In the comment section of the site's report on the killing, RH Reality Check Managing Editor Amie Newman remarked: "Regardless of Mr. Pouillon's political perspectives, activism or police record there is no excuse for his murder. However, as the previous commenter noted, there is no evidence to support the conclusion that his killing - or the killing of the other man - was politically motivated.  RH Reality Check, as Jodi notes, condemns the use of violence and this is certainly a tragedy."

In addition, Lori Lamerand, the president and CEO of the local chapter of Planned Parenthood in East Central Michigan, told local media today that Planned Parenthood "would never condone any sort of violence against anyone, regardless of their views."

"Certainly we do everything we can to ensure the safety and security of our clients, and if called upon, we would obviously cooperate with any investigation with the police," said Lamerand. "I am aware he's been a protestor at our offices in the past but I have had no personal contact with this man and did not know him personally."

However, within minutes after news broke that Wichita's late-term abortionist George Tiller was shot and killed on a Sunday morning while serving as an usher at his Lutheran church, dozens of nationwide pro-life leaders and organizations immediately poured out condemnations against the violence. 

Operation Rescue, which had spearheaded peaceful protests of Tiller's business for several years, was among the first to denounce the "vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning," adding that they were offering prayers for Tiller's family. 

Pouillon was a friend and active member of Operation Rescue.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

"Jim the Sign Guy": Slain Pro-Lifer, Father of Two, Remembered by Friends as Cheerful, Peaceful Activist
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09091104.html

Well-Known Local Pro-Life Activist Gunned Down in Michigan
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09091101.html

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Commentary: "You lie!" Mr. President: Joe Wilson's War for Democracy in America

Commentary by Peter J. Smith

September 10, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Outside of this summer's town-hall protests and tea-parties, the lonely voice of South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson bravely crying out "You lie!" in protest of President Barack Obama's deliberate distortions before a joint session of Congress was perhaps one of the defining moments of this health care debate. Those two words coming from a Congressman were both necessary and long overdue.

Rep. Wilson's vocal expression of dissent and discontent with the President's plan arguably did far more to protect American democracy than those mute and tame Republicans who silently protested against Obama by holding up sections of their own proposals - hoping that the cameras would notice them. The sound of "You lie!" erupting in the chamber contrasted sharply with the political orchestra of successive standing ovations and resounding applause - at every one or two lines - that gave the impression that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Biden, and most of the Congress were racing to leap to their feet and show who among them was most fervent in loyalty and zeal for the President's largely amorphous health-care plans.

But heckling and other forms of collective expression of dissatisfaction with the government - be it toward public officials of the American Republic or the President himself - are dangerously out of style and intolerable to the current power-brokers in Washington. President Obama would like to have the American people take his good intentions as guarantee for good law: but polling shows that a majority of Americans understand they will experience the practical effects of this "reform" regardless of the quality of the President's intentions - and they do not want it.

For his lone cry of outrage at the President's bald mendacity and deliberate misrepresentation of his plans for health-care reform, Rep. Wilson now faces the pillory of the Washington political establishment and most of the mainstream media. But leave it to Matt Drudge (and not the mainstream media) to point out that Rep. Wilson's heckling of a President by Congress in joint session has precedent: Democrats booed President George W. Bush during a State of the Union address in 2005 and Republicans did the same to President Clinton in 1993. Some even walked out. Wednesday's event was not even a State of the Union Address, only a joint-session of Congress, and Wilson had every right in that chamber to protest the President speaking falsely on health-care reform to the Congress and the American people.

However the Democrats who saw the spectacle of their perfect adulation of President Obama marred by Rep. Wilson's outburst of "You lie!" howled in outrage, and called him dangerous and a threat. Republicans joined the chorus and rebuked Wilson as "embarrassing." But Wilson's action put the proceedings in stark relief: the President's supporters may applaud him ceaselessly to express their approval, but the opposition must remain quiet and dare not raise their voices in dissent.

History shows that passive acquiescence on the part of the opposition in a democratic republic only emboldens authoritarians and invites totalitarian control, especially during times of crisis: one of the many hard-learned lessons of the 20th Century.

Without these raw democratic expressions of collective dissatisfaction in the United States on the part of either the people or elected representatives like Joe Wilson in the public forum, there would never have been a United States, much less a Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre, Paul Revere's Ride, battles at Lexington and Concord greens, the Continental Congress, or a Revolutionary War.

Had the American people meekly decried this aggressive nationalization of the American health-care system in tones of polite protest, and held their media-maligned "tea parties" in a spirit more akin to a ladies society gathering than the collective anger and resistance displayed by firebrand Sam Adams and the "Sons of Liberty" in Boston Harbor, then this health-care bill would have been signed and sealed before August, as originally ordered by the President. Instead the American people gained more time to discover that the "reform" called the "America's Affordable Heath Choices Act" deprives them of many liberties and legal rights, such as the right to demand damages in a court of law from insurance companies that deny patients life-saving treatments.

When Winston Churchill compared the Parliament of Great Britain to the government of National Socialist Germany in 1940 he said, "In our country public men are proud to be the servants of the people. They would be ashamed to be their masters." Patrick Henry, who spoke "Give me liberty or give me death," publicly reviled King George III in the Virginia House of Burgesses for abrogating long-standing rights guaranteed to English subjects since the Magna Charta and for turning the relationship of government and the governed into that of master and servant.

But President Barack Obama instead wants Congress to ends its "bickering;" however this "bickering" is called our "democratic process" and is the only thing that stands in the way of this country's free men and women becoming complete wards of the state. This "bickering" is an expression of that vocal and vigorous criticism which Obama and his allies actively avoid and cannot seem to endure. The President has only appeared at town halls that are nothing more than orchestrated political theater packed with pre-selected audiences. These represent American public opinion no more than a Potemkin village represented the truth about Soviet Russia and the "workers paradise."

Democracy requires the people's representatives to publicly challenge as much as they publicly applaud. Only the rising clamor of outrage from the "Joe Wilsons" in the House of Commons finally brought down Neville Chamberlain's disastrous government in 1940 with calls for a vote of "no confidence." Chamberlain was interrupted in the middle of an address to Parliament, and that vocal democratic dissent in that chamber almost 70 years ago brought in Churchill as Prime Minister and changed the course of history.

Rep. Charles Boustany of Louisiana, a pro-life surgeon and legislator, gave the GOP response to the President, but dull words do not inspire and no one remembers them. Imagine Boustany and not Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams at the Continental Congress and then imagine whether the American Revolution would have happened at all. Despite his subsequent apology, Rep. Wilson gave the only memorable response to a President who promised, "if they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun." Wilson’s opponent says he raised $700,000 from that comment, but Wilson’s supporters have already raised $750,000 in 48 hours and as of Friday afternoon Rep. Wilson's Congressional site was still down "due to exceptionally high traffic."

Call it "Joe Wilson's war" or call it patriot dissent, but when the South Carolina Congressman shouted "You lie!" to the President, he was fulfilling his oath to defend the Constitution. Defending democracy in America deserves more "Joe Wilsons," not fewer. 

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Spanish Doctors Will Choose Jail over Committing Abortion

By Hilary White

September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Dr. Esteban Rodriguez, spokesman for the organization Derecho a Vivir (Right to Life) recently said Spanish doctors are willing to face jail rather than kill unborn children under a new law.

"We are willing to go to jail rather than following a criminal law," Dr. Rodriguez said, "and we are willing to commit the supposed crime of disobedience before the crime of abortion."

Dr. Rodriguez was responding to comments made earlier by Minister of Justice, Francisco Caamano, who said that Spain's abortion law would not allow doctors the right to refuse to commit abortions.
 
"We will not kill our patients, nor will we commit a crime against the public health deliberately harming the health of women, no matter how much the Minister of Justice threatens us and abuses his power," the doctor said.

He said the Zapatero government should think about creating "a new level of officials at the ministries of Justice and Equality: fetal executioners." Decrying the government's "imposed ideology," he recalled that the Spanish constitution guarantees the right of conscientious objection. Rodriguez noted the irony that the new law would shield some doctors from prison for committing illegal abortions while sending others to jail who refused.
 
"We find the totalitarian intentions of the Ministry of Justice, in conjunction with those of Equality, to be highly troubling. If the former Minister of Justice stirred things up with officials in the judiciary, this one is going to accomplish the same thing with medical professionals," he warned.

Last week, Derecho a Vivir said that the law on abortion proposed by the Zapatero government would make Spain the European country with the least protection for the unborn and pregnant women. The new law, they said, denies women information on the nature of abortion and leaves the unborn totally unprotected. The socialist government's reform would be much more permissive than the laws in other EU countries, the group said in a study.

"The government's claim that it is making Spanish law conform to that of other countries in the area of abortion is false. If the Zapatero-Aido bill is passed, Spain would be the exception," the study says.

The reaction to the new abortion laws in strongly Catholic Spain has been remarkable, says Derecho a Vivir. The group is organising a mass demonstration on October 17th. Calling "unprecedented" the number of people signing up for bus transportation to the event, Dr. Gador Joya said they expected it to be "one of the largest in the democratic era," with over a million anticipated participants.

Mothers, the group says, "are entitled to receive all necessary support from society."

"Life always brings joy, hope and prosperity for everyone. By contrast, abortion always generates pain, suffering and trauma difficult to overcome."

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Rape Victim says God Granted a "Rush of Love" for her Unborn Child Moments before Abortion

By Hilary White

September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A British policewoman and born-again Christian says it was a sudden and unexpected "rush of love" that in her mind transformed her unborn child, conceived in a date-rape, from "an alien" to a beloved daughter on the day of her scheduled abortion. Miriam Virgo credits God with stepping in to save her daughter's life.

Now 27, Virgo told her story in an autobiographical piece in Britain's Daily Mail yesterday, saying that, having come from a devout Christian family, she had never expected to find herself a single mother at 19. In 2001, she had attended a party with co-workers at which she believes her single glass of wine was spiked with a date-rape drug. After the attack and with no memory of that night, Virgo was shocked to find herself pregnant and considered obtaining an abortion.

"Coming from such a Christian family," she said, "I've never believed in abortion, but suddenly finding myself pregnant with a rapist's baby, I looked at it differently." She continued, "I just couldn't face the thought of the baby being born and looking like Rob [her alleged rapist] - it would be a constant reminder of what had happened."

After "counselling," Virgo said, she was ready for an abortion; but when the moment came, and she was already dressed in the hospital gown, she changed her mind after what she describes as a moment of help from God.

Ultimately, after she gave birth to Kayleigh, now seven, she found that the child did look like her attacker, and she experienced some difficulty bonding. But ultimately she overcame this, saying, "After all, none of this was her fault." A year after her daughter's birth, Virgo applied to and was accepted by the police force.

She said that when Kayleigh is old enough, she will tell her of the circumstances of her conception, and "I'll also tell her about the moment I decided to keep her, and how I felt all this love for her, love that is even stronger now."

In another interview, Virgo said, "God knew what my life would be without the girl and he knew what it would be with the girl. I prayed to God and asked for his will to be done in my life."

The so-called "rape exception" is commonly accepted, even by many who are inclined to the pro-life position, as a "compassionate" act for a rape victim. But pro-life apologists refute this, saying that it is neither just for the innocent child who is killed, nor beneficial for the mother.

Stephanie Gray, the head and founder of the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Reform, told LifeSiteNews.com that Miriam Virgo's story should be one that inspires others to make the same choice in favor of life.

It illustrates, she said, the basic principle of the entire pro-life cause, that an unborn child has dignity and value, no matter what the circumstances of her conception. "If the unborn are valuable because they're human," Gray said, "then how they come into existence does not change the fact that they are persons with inherent dignity."

Gray illustrated the principle with a hypothetical: had Virgo been married and "had consensual sex with her husband the night prior to her date rape, upon discovering her pregnancy she would not have known the identity of the child's father."

"Imagine if she hoped it was her husband's child and carried on with the pregnancy, and only after birth, with paternity test results, discovered the child's father was a rapist. Would she be permitted to kill the infant then because of the father's crime? Obviously not. Likewise, we may not kill an unborn child because of her father's crime."

Gray said that Virgo's "witness is a powerful example to all people, and that is that we should be other-focused, not self-focused."

"Even amidst her own victimization and deep pain, Miriam chose not to victimize an innocent child."

Brush up on the pro-life answers to pro-abortion slogans here.

Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage: 

Rape Victim: My Child "No Different Than a Child Not Conceived in Rape" 

Rape and Incest Victims Don't Want Abortion, Say It Doesn't Help Women

"Why I Love the Baby of the Man Who Raped Me" 

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Peterborough Bishop Responds to Human Rights Complaint by Dismissed Homosexual Altar Server

Bishop says, "The Tribunal has no authority to place itself as an arbiter of canonical precepts."

By Patrick B. Craine

PETERBOROUGH, Ontario, September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Bishop of Peterborough, Nicola De Angelis, has written a pastoral letter to the faithful of his diocese addressing a recent complaint to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal (OHRT), brought against the bishop and twelve local parishioners.  In the letter, which is to be distributed at Sunday Masses this weekend, the bishop strongly redresses the OHRT's encroachment, asserting his authority as bishop of his diocese and the autonomy of the Church from state control over internal Church matters.

This past April, Bishop de Angelis directed St. Michael's pastor, Fr. Allan Hood, to dismiss Jim Corcoran from altar serving at the parish; this came after a letter was submitted to him by 12 parishioners, who were concerned about public scandal because it was known that Corcoran lives with his same-sex partner.

Corcoran, who had originally been asked to serve by Fr. Hood, filed a complaint against the bishop and the twelve parishioners on June 17th, alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation.  The respondents, including the bishop, were then required to defend themselves to the OHRT through written responses.

In this weekend's letter the bishop writes: "I fail to understand how secular powers and government agencies should think they are in a position to tell the Church that she is wrong in her internal rules and regulations, even though these have directed and shaped the life of the Church during the last 2000 years.  However, this is what we face today."

"If the Human Rights Tribunal should choose to interfere with the Church's governance, this will be most shocking," he writes.  "The Tribunal has no authority to place itself as an arbiter of canonical precepts."

De Angelis insists that the teaching of the Church is that holding a volunteer position in the Church - as an altar server or in any other function - is not a "right."  "Rather, it is an invitation from the pastor or bishop, which can also be terminated at any time, particularly, when the voluntary service gives rise to tension, animosity, discord, or division in the life of a parish."

The bishop points to a 2001 letter on altar servers from the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, then Cardinal Jorge A. Medina Estevez, who "stressed that no one has a 'right' to serve at the altar and strongly reaffirmed that altar boys should be encouraged, in view of fostering vocations to the priesthood."

Through interviews with Corcoran, LSN discovered that it was a member of the human rights system itself that advised Corcoran to proceed with his complaint and who dug up precedent to support his case.

The Ontario system last year divided itself into three distinct agencies - the Commission, the Tribunal, and the Legal Support Centre. That practical result is that this allows the Legal Support Centre to advise people on how to bring forward human rights complaints, without the Commission or the Tribunal having to face responsibility.  Corcoran confirmed with LSN that the member who advised him was from the Legal Support Centre.

In response to LSN's first story on Corcoran's case, the Commission denied its involvement, pointing instead to the new system. The Tribunal, further, denied any responsibility for the case being brought against the Church.  Asked why they had taken on the case, Margaret Leighton, counsel to the Chair of the Tribunal, told LSN, "The Tribunal didn't take on the case.  The applicant filed an application and the Tribunal has no capacity to refuse an application which falls under our jurisdiction.

"There may be an issue as to whether or not the allegations are within our jurisdiction," she continued, "but that's something that we will have to adjudicate and would be for the parties to make their submissions on before we made a determination."

Nevertheless, the Tribunal evidently deemed that it had enough jurisdiction to require the bishop to explain his actions.

In his letter, Bishop De Angelis explains that Corcoran was merely one of a number of volunteers at St. Michael's who he had asked to step down in the interest of "restor[ing] peace, harmony and reconciliation in the parish."

"My friends, I can honestly say that I treated all the volunteers the same, with equal respect and dignity," he wrote.  "I am at a loss to understand how there has been any misinterpretation of a practical decision made with honesty and without any discrimination."

Although the bishop never names Corcoran, he told the Peterborough Examiner that he perceived the bishop as bringing attention to him and painting him as a bad Catholic. The letter, he said, is "firstly bringing the attention to me once again and, secondly, identifying me as an abhorrent, disobedient Catholic."

In LSN's first interview with Corcoran in July, he insisted that his complaint was not about Bishop De Angelis. However, Corcoran is now threatening legal action against the bishop.

"The bishop may be subjecting himself to the possibility of a lawsuit," he told the Examiner.

In July the Catholic Civil Rights League supported Bishop De Angelis, and blasted the OHRC for meddling in church politics.  This issue is "not an OHRC [Ontario Human Rights Commission] matter," they said.  "The relationship between the Church and altar servers, in the League's opinion, has none of the attributes that would make it a subject for a complaint to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal."

"No one serves on the altar as a right," they wrote. "The decision about who can serve on the altar is a matter of Church governance."

Contact Information:

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
655 Bay Street, 14th Floor
Toronto, ON
M7A 2A3
Phone: 416-326-1312
Toll-Free: 1-866-598-0322
Web: http://www.hrto.ca/

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Homosexual Ex-Altar Server Demands Bishop Apologize, Publicly Chastise Parishioners in Human Rights Complaint
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jul/09071309.html

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Catholic School Board Faces Human Rights Complaint for Limiting Teachers to Catholics

"The reason for our existence is to provide a Catholic education to students," explained the board's director

By Patrick B. Craine

GUELPH, Ontario, September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Wellington Catholic District School Board has recently had a human rights complaint filed against it because of their policy of only hiring teachers who are active Catholics.  The complaint was filed with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal by Mr. Jesse Lloyd, 36, an out-of-work non-Catholic teacher whose application to the board was unsuccessful, reports the Guelph Mercury.

Mr. Lloyd, who has lived in Guelph for four years, graduated with a teaching degree in 2006 and since then has worked short-term contract positions with public boards in Hamilton and Guelph.  He applied to the Wellington Catholic board in 2006 but did not hear back.

He contends that their policy is discriminatory.  "I need work," he told the Guelph Mercury.  "But that's not entirely it. It's a higher conviction than that. I don't think it's right to have a publicly-funded institution where everyone is not welcome to work there."

Lloyd is not optimistic about his case, but nevertheless thinks that it has value.  "I definitely think there's some substance to it," he said.  "I'm not convinced it will go through, but there's definitely substance.  I hope somebody will look at this and say: 'You're right, this isn't fair and it needs to be changed.'"

The board's director of education, Donald Drone, insists, however, that the board has a legal right to focus their hiring on active Catholics, and that this is essential to the very purpose of the Catholic school. 

Catholic school districts have a constitutional right to restrict hiring to Catholics, he said, particularly those who work in direct service with children.  "They need to be, should be, Catholic and therefore share the same values of the Church, because we're founded on the teachings of Christ and salvation history.  Therefore from our standpoint, from a board policy standpoint, it's very important that people who are working with us would be Roman Catholic."

"The reason for our existence is to provide a Catholic education to students," he explained, "and by axiom, from my standpoint, those who are delivering that program should be Catholic, and should be knowledgeable in the faith.  And I would say that that's likely the same position that most Catholic boards in this province would have."

Drone indicated that they do have non-Catholics working in the board, "but generally speaking, they're not, for most cases, offering direct service by way of curriculum," he said.  "They certainly make a contribution, and they also, from our perspective, add to the social fabric of our organization."

He says respects the concern that some might have about the hiring policy, but, he said, "I also respect our right...to show preferential treatment for people who are in concert with our teaching and our culture."

The board's lawyer, Eric Roher, has issued a written response to the tribunal.  While he indicates that the complaint should be dismissed due to its lateness and because Lloyd was not qualified for the position despite the difference in religious belief, he focuses on the board's right to be authentically Catholic.

Lloyd is currently preparing his response to the board's submission, says the Guelph Mercury.

Phil Horgan of the Catholic Civil Rights League told LifeSiteNews.com, "Based on the initial reports, this issue flies in the face of the constitutional guarantees afforded Catholics dating back to Confederation and I am not aware of any court or tribunal which has challenged those provisions in respect of Catholic preferential hiring rights."

Horgan pointed to the 1984 Caldwell v. Stuart case as precedent upholding the hiring rights of Catholic schools.  In that case, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the appeal of a teacher who was not rehired at a Catholic school after having contravened Church teaching by 'marrying' a divorced man in a civil ceremony.

According to Horgan, however, despite the legal precedent, "it is somewhat unknown as to what some adjudicator from the human rights commission may decide."

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40 Days for Life Campaign Extends to 7 Canadian Cities This Fall

By Thaddeus M. Baklinski

September 9, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - This Autumn, from September 23 to November 1, seven Canadian cities will join more than 200 cities across North America and around the world, for the largest and longest coordinated pro-life mobilization in history - the 40 Days for Life campaign.

40 Days for Life is an intensive pro-life initiative that focuses on 40 days of prayer and fasting, 40 days of peaceful witness at abortion facilities, and 40 days of grassroots educational outreach. The 40-day time frame is drawn from examples throughout Biblical history where God brought about world-changing transformation in 40-day periods.

The seed of the 40 Days for Life campaign was planted in Canada by Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), the country's national pro-life organization, with the first Canadian forty day vigil being kept in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2007.

There have now been four coordinated 40 Days for Life campaigns: in the fall of 2007, the spring of 2008, the fall of 2008 and the spring of 2009. These efforts have mobilized people of faith and conscience in cities across all 50 of the United States, five Canadian provinces, plus locations in Northern Ireland and Australia.

This autumn will see prayerful vigils being kept around the clock, seven days a week, for 40 days, at 8 abortion mills in 7 Canadian cities, including Halifax, NS, Fredericton, NB, Montreal, PQ, Ottawa, ON, Kitchener, ON, Toronto, ON (2), and Winnipeg, MB.

Kitchener 40 Days for Life campaign organizer Denise Cummins told LifeSiteNews.com that the response in her community has been very enthusiastic, with many area churches committing to covering the full 24 hours of certain days.

"We're very, very excited to have lots of positive feedback," Cummins said. "Just yesterday, another church committed to doing a full twenty-four hour coverage, with one individual committing to doing the 4 a.m. shift every day for the entire campaign."

Cummins said that news of the 40 Days for Life campaign in Kitchener is spreading rapidly, by word-of-mouth and by the presentations she has given, through many different churches and organizations. She says she is inundated with questions and requests for information about both signing up for vigil hours and the fundamentally important element of prayer support.

"Because this is a prayerful event," Cummins noted, "we depend on the prayer support of the prayer warriors at our churches."

Though the calendar is filling rapidly with registered vigil keepers, Cummins said that with the publicity generated by the kick-off rally planned for September 21, and once the campaign begins on the ground on September 23, many more people are expected to make a commitment to peacefully witness to life outside the abortuary.

"After the first few days, when people are actually out there, that generates excitement and people start signing up for more hours and more blocks of time are filled," Cummins said, and added that seeing someone witnessing to life encourages and empowers others to want to join and be part of the culture of life.

"That's what makes it so powerful. For 40 days people are going to be out there, morning noon and night, and that's very powerful, and empowers people to want to be part of something that is making a difference."

Information on this Fall's 40 Days for Life campaign in all Canadian cities, including contacts for signing up for vigil hours and kick-off rally schedules, is available here.

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Florida Pro-Life Group Announces Personhood Amendment Campaign

By Patrick B. Craine

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A group of pro-life advocates in Florida initiated a campaign today to introduce an amendment to the Florida Constitution that would recognize the personhood of the unborn from the earliest stages of life.

Personhood Florida (PF), a Christian non-partisan organization founded to protect the personhood of the unborn, held a press conference today where they announced the submission of the amendment, which they hope to put to voters on the 2010 ballot. 

The group is part of a nationwide effort, launched after a similar campaign in Colorado, to bring in personhood amendments across the United States. The Colorado organizers, whose attempt failed at the ballot in 2008, have launched Personhood USA to support this national effort.

The Florida campaign and the national movement have also been strongly supported by the American Life League (ALL).

The amendment would extend the definition of 'person' to every human being "from the beginning of the biological development of that human being."

This language, as explained on the ALL website by Dr. Dianne Irving, was chosen carefully in order to include every person within the legal definition.  She explains that these words "specifically bypass all the falsehoods of the pro-abortion and pro-human embryo research propaganda, [guaranteeing] the personhood of each and every human being, leaving no one out - legally."

If you were to define 'person' as "beginning at fertilization," she says, for example, then that would exclude "one of every pair of naturally occurring human monozygotic twins reproduced within the body of the woman, as well as those human beings asexually reproduced in IVF [in vitro fertilization], ART [assisted reproductive technology], and other 'fertility' laboratories and clinics."

In order to get onto the Florida ballet in 2010, the campaign will need to collect 676,811 petition signatures by February 1.  If they are not successful this year, they can keep trying - the signatures will remain valid for four years.

In June, Colorado Right to Life, the state's largest pro-life organization, announced that they were teaming up with Personhood USA to launch a new 2010 personhood initiative for Colorado, this time with the same language as is being used in Florida.

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Disagreement over Numbers Who Have Killed Themselves Under State of Washington's "Death with Dignity" Law

By Thaddeus M. Baklinski

SEATTLE, WA, September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Compassion and Choices of Washington, the advocacy group that campaigned for Washington's assisted suicide law, says that of 28 Washington residents who requested drugs to kill themselves, 11 patients have used the medication to end their lives.

However, the first report from the Washington state health department reported that since assisted suicide became legal in March 2009, there have been 28 requests for lethal drugs in Washington state with 16 people having died.

"The Department of Health has posted numbers that differ slightly from those offered by Compassion & Choices. State records show that 16 Washington residents - as opposed to 11 - have died after receiving life-ending medication because the state does not differentiate between patients who receive the drugs and those who actually use them," reports the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

Compassion & Choices of Washington indicates that 11 of the 16 deaths were caused by the lethal dose, but five patients who still died, but without using the drugs, "benefited from the peace of mind" that came from knowing they could kill themselves if they chose.

Alex Schadenberg, the Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, said he is very concerned that the euthanasia lobby group has more information about the assisted suicides in the state than does the government.

"Since the provision of the act states that physicians must report all deaths as caused by the medical condition, therefore the state did not know whether all or some of the 16 people who had died, died by taking the lethal dose," Schadenberg said.

"This indicates that Compassion & Choices of Washington is the gate-keeper of the Death With Dignity Act in Washington state in the same way as Compassion & Choices of Oregon is the gate-keeper of the act in their state."

Schadenberg warned that the lack of government oversight of the lethal legislation is creating an untenable situation where information can be manipulated by a special interest group.

"The State of Washington needs to take control of the application of the Death With Dignity Act before the current gate-keeper becomes the sole purveyor of any and all information related to the Act. The fact is that when the euthanasia lobby is also the same group that controls the law, then the public will be intentionally kept from the real facts and the vulnerable will be left unprotected."

Speaking to the need to resist the acceptance of assisted suicide legislation and the consequential introduction of euthanasia laws, Schadenberg concluded, "The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is concerned that similar to Oregon, Compassion & Choices is exploiting the vulnerable people in their time of need to promote their agenda which is the legalization of assisted suicide everywhere."

See previous LSN coverage:

Washington Becomes 2nd US State with Legal Assisted Suicide
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08110503.html

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New National Poll: Majority of Americans Oppose Government Funding of Abortion in Health Care Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 11, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new poll reveals the vast majority of Americans say they are far less likely to support a government health-care reform that includes public subsidies for abortion.

According to the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, the nationwide poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies reveals the majority of Americans are opposed to any government involvement in either subsidizing abortions or those insurance carriers that cover abortions with taxpayer dollars.

"The bottom line is this: including government funds for abortion on-demand in health care reform is unappealing to American voters nationwide, women and men alike," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List.

The poll reveals that Congress's inclusion of government funded abortions in President Barack Obama's health care reform depresses more support among voters than it gains by five times. Over four out of ten voters (43 percent) say they would be less likely to support the president's proposed health plan, if the government pays for abortions. But a strong one-third (36 percent) of voters said they would be "much less likely" to support the plan.

Forty-six percent say it would make no difference to their support for the president's plan. But only eight percent say including abortion in health-care reform would make them more likely to support the plan.

Other key findings of the poll reveal: 

- 58 percent of Americans disagree with the statement, "If the government is going to make a public health plan available for all Americans it has an obligation to provide abortion services under that plan."

- 55 percent of Americans agree with the statement, "Whatever my opinion on the issue, I think it would be wrong for the government to pay for abortions."

- 52 percent of Americans agree with the statement, "I do not want the government to help fund health care plans that fund abortions."

The data reveals that including abortion in healthcare reform is not popular among independents, and even Democrats are conflicted.

The Susan B. Anthony List says it believes that these numbers are behind President Obama's repeated and false claims that the government will not be involved in subsidizing abortion in health-care reform, even though the Capps Amendment to H.R. 3200 "America's Affordable Health Choices Act" says otherwise. The poll supports this conclusion, saying the inclusion of abortion in the health-care reform plan "could alienate Independent voters and a significant proportion of the Democratic Base."

"If the Congressional leadership and the President fall on the sword of abortion coverage, pleasing their allies and weaving it into the fabric of our daily lives, they do so at the peril of the entire bill and their own political futures," said Dannenfelser. "Today's polling data offers the latest compelling reason for Congress to reject the President's health care proposal without authentic language to exclude abortion funding."

Public Opinion Strategies conducted a national survey of 800 registered voters between August 30 - September 1, 2009 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.

Full poll results and analysis are available on the Susan B. Anthony List website here.

See related coverage by LifeSiteNews.com:

FactCheck.org: Abortion Coverage in ObamaCare is No 'Fabrication'
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/aug/09082412.html

Poll: Majority of Americans Believe Obama Health Care Would Cover Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/aug/09081906.html

NRLC Webpage Exposes Pro-Life Movement's Benedict Arnold in Congress
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/aug/09081302.html

Cat out of the Bag: Dem Congresswoman Admits ObamaCare Covers Elective Abortions
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/aug/09081202.html

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LifeSiteNews NewsBytes - New Commentaries on Implications of Ted Kennedy Funeral

Carl Olson, Frank Walker of Pewsitter.com, A Parish Priest, DavidWarrenOnline, Mark Brumley present their concerns

* Disclaimer: The linked items below or the websites at which they are located do not necessarily represent the views of LifeSiteNews.com. They are presented only for your information.

Compiled by Steve Jalsevac

The Senator, the Cardinal, and the Bishop (among others) by Carl Olson
In 1973, then, abortion activists had no qualms about denouncing Ted Kennedy's pro-life position as "thoroughly revolting." In 2009, however, it's difficult to find bishops and cardinals willing to use language nearly as strong or as obviously moral in describing Kennedy's three decades of supporting, advocating, defending, and funding abortion. It is, to put it mildly, disheartening.

Because, you see, when Sen. Kennedy was doing all of his good deeds, he was motivated by the Gospel and Catholic doctrine, but when he mysteriously failed to advocate for the unborn, it was one of those strange mishaps, like Michael Jordan missing a game-winning shot ("Goodness, I guess he is human!"), or Babe Ruth striking out ("Well, who would thunk it possible?'), as if it was the exception to the rule.

But for Kennedy, being a driven and vigorous supporter of the culture of death was the rule, with few exceptions. So, the funeral was controversial, in fact, because:
1). He publicly opposed and attacked Catholic teaching.
2). He publicly and very ardently supported abortion.
3). And embryonic stem-cell research, contraceptives, and "same-sex" marriage.
4). And he never publicly acknowledged or expressed remorse for these great public wrongs.

The best piece I've read so far about the Senator and the Cardinal is Phil Lawler's September 3, 2009, CatholicCulture.org piece, "The Kennedy Funeral: Boston's Latest Scandal." Read the entire article. Which brings me to the second bit of disheartening writing, a column by Bishop Robert C. Morlino titled, "God's Mercy and Senator Edward Kennedy."

As I've asked and argued elsewhere, why must it be assumed that expanding federal programs, opposing school choice, and growing the welfare system are each an iron-clad, can't-be-debated part of Catholic social teaching? Those matters, which are bound up in policy and prudential judgment, can be disagreed upon and debated among Catholics and others of good will. More importantly, who are the most poor and downtrodden, the most naked, the most vulnerable in our society? Surely it is the unborn, no?

Is the attitude described by Bishop Morlino really the prevalent stance among Catholics who are upset or concerned about the funeral? Having read many articles and numerous comments about the topic, I have a hard time believing so.
http://insightscoop.typepad.com/2004/2009/09/the-senator-the-cardinal-and-the-bishop-among-others.html?cid=6a00d83451b7c369e20120a558e308970b

Liberal Catholics and Catholic Liberals By Frank Walker Pewsitter.com
The Cardinal has become a striking example of one of the most insidious and pervasive problems in the Church today. He is a Catholic liberal.

“Catholic liberals” stand on Catholic principle but they fall down in application and practice as Cardinal O’Malley demonstrated in recent weeks.

Liberalism as it exists today is immoral. This is because it is so generally false. While on the one hand it espouses such ideals as charity, mercy, justice, tolerance and peace; in reality it achieves none of these things.

Senator Kennedy’s life was a perfect example of this. Lauded by other liberals as a champion of the poor and powerless, in fact he was a ruthless political player and a murderer. His idea of charity was to impose huge tax burdens on families then build government agencies on behalf of the poor. This is not charity or justice, as many Catholics will intone, but slavery and theft.

Clearly one of the gentlest, most restrained, engaging and popular American Church leaders, O’Malley finally voiced where his contempt does fall when he rebuked the Catholics dismayed by the Kennedy funeral; an event that undermined every holy and good thing that the Cardinal’s life represents.
http://www.pewsitter.com/view_news_id_23115.php

A Parish Priest’s Feedback About the Funeral of Sen. Kennedy
My problem is that it was not a Catholic Funeral. This was not a Funeral. Ted Kennedy’s Funeral did not even follow even the guidelines of the Archdioceise of Boston. It was poorly planned because whoever directed the planning had no idea of what a Catholic Funeral is about.  Worst of all from a parish priest’s perspective is that now that millions have seen this, this is the type of Funeral they want.
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2009/09/a-parish-priests-feedback-about-the-funeral-of-sen-kennedy/

Edward Kennedy - DavidWarrenOnline
Those who could not guess what I thought of Ted Kennedy, could not have been reading my columns. But to review, quickly, I classed him among the horrible freaks of electoral politics, an embodiment of almost everything I detest in public life, from open advocacy of "the culture of death," and socialist tyranny, to great personal hypocrisy; sometimes nearly a traitor to his country; and certainly a traitor to his religion.

I'd have been scandalized, and ashamed, had my Roman Church given him a Christian burial. In the event, the responsible bishops gave him all the pageantry they could supply, thereby further alienating themselves from the faithful laity.

...but it is not incompatible with something else I really think: that Kennedy was a great and interesting man, and not without some noble qualities...he really did have extraordinary skills as a legislator, to forge political deals. He had a formidable will, and the personal charm to assert it. But these are gifts, not moral accomplishments. Ted Kennedy was, from my understanding, capable of bold generosity.
http://www.davidwarrenonline.com/index.php?id=1041

Signs of Repentance or of the Status Quo?  By Mark Brumley
Do canonical requirements for church funerals clear up misconceptions or foster more confusion about Church teaching on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage?

But if, as in the case outlined in my example, what are taken as “signs of repentance” can’t tell us anything about whether the politician came to see his support of 40 million legal abortions, embryonic experimentation, and same-sex marriage as incompatible with the Catholic faith, how can a church funeral for such a politician avoid giving scandal? How will it be taken by many people—or most—to mean anything but that these things are not, after all, serious evils, and that they are not, in the end, contrary to the Catholic faith?
http://catholicworldreport.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=134:signs-of-repentance-or-

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