Pro-Life Groups And Non-Catholic Leaders Defend Vatican UN Status Ottawa, Apr 19 (LSN) - The Canadian branch of the pro-abortion group “Catholics For a Free Choice” (CFFC) has joined ranks with its international counterpart in a campaign to strip the Vatican of its voting status at the UN. The organization’s agenda, however, is being resisted by faithful Catholics, pro-life groups and non-Catholic Christian leaders. Anglican Bishop John Baycroft of Canada defended the Vatican’s status at the UN saying “The Vatican has as much right to be [in the UN] as any of the other countries.” Baycroft questioned the validity of the CFFC saying: “I think for members of a church to want to weaken it is a very queer thing.” Speaking with the National Post, Baycroft noted that the Vatican’s extensive network of worldwide contacts make it a great asset to the UN. Echoing the sentiments of most pro-life groups, American Life League President Judie Brown commented on the CFFC attempt last month. “The Vatican not only deserves to retain its status at the UN, it should be applauded for bringing attention to facts that save the lives of women and their children at every stage of their biological development,” she said. CFFC is a very low membership front group for a number of powerful anti-Catholic U.S. foundations that vehemently oppose the Catholic Church’s international influence on population-related and moral issues. Through CFFC, the Rockefeller, Ford and Playboy Foundations and International Planned Parenthood, have been attempting to spread confusion about the church’s position on these issues and to undermine the credibility and authority of legitimate, faithful church leaders and institutions. For an expose on CFFC go to: http://www.hli.org/publications/hlir/1997/hr069704.html Bishop Baycroft’s statements to the National Post are here: http://www.nationalpost.com/news.asp?f=990419/2497647&s2=national