Articles for Month: October 2004

WILMINGTON, October 19, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The bishop of Wilmington Del. has asked Catholics to pray to St. Thomas More for the conversion of pro-abortion “Catholic” politicians. Bishop Michael Saltarelli has composed a litany to St. Thomas More for his intercession to make politicians “courageous and effective in their defense and promotion of the sanctity of human life.” Thomas More, a layman and lawyer, was the Chancellor of England to King Henry VIII. When he refused to ratify the king’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon and the king’s establishment as head of a new religion, More was beheaded. He was […]

WASHINGTON, October 19, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Colorado Springs Bishop Michael J. Sheridan was the homilist at the Mass concluding the International Week of Prayer and Fasting October 11.  The Mass and concluding prayer vigil were held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.  The International Week of Prayer and Fasting’s three goals of the conversion of nations, an end to abortion, and world peace “are all intimately connected and related to the others”, pointed out Bishop Sheridan. There will be “no true and lasting peace in the world unless justice prevails. No injustice is […]

MANCHESTER, October 18, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Manchester mother has given the British health authorities two weeks to review their policy of not allowing parental consent for minors seeking abortion. Sue Axon, 50, from Baguley, Manchester is launching a judicial review in High Court of the Department of Health rules that would allow a twelve-year-old to obtain an abortion through the assistance of a school nurse without her parents’ knowledge or consent. Mrs. Axon had an abortion herself 20 years ago and says she is not trying to make abortion illegal for minors. She said, “Whether you believe in abortion […]

ROME, October 18, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Pope John Paul II warned of ‘threatening shadows’ hanging over humanity in his anniversary address. The Pope thanked the many thousands of well-wishers Sunday in his regular weekly greeting. Without specifically naming abortion, cloning or related biotechnologies, the Pope warned, “scientific research (is) sometimes put to the service of the selfishness of the strongest.” He asked, “What stronger aspiration is there than that of life?”  Catholic criticisms of the direction taken in biotechnological research are founded upon the dangers of utilitarian philosophies in current bioethics. The Pope’s reference to ‘the selfishness of the strongest,’ […]

CHICAGO, October 18, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The US Food and Drug Administration has re-opened the case to approve non-prescription sales of the abortifacient morning-after pill to girls 16 years of age or older, after a new proposal was submitted by the manufacturer, Barr pharmaceuticals.  An earlier proposal to sell the drug without a prescription was rejected by the FDA in May; subsequently, Barr re-applied, because the earlier FDA decision left a loophole saying they might reconsider if Barr could show some way of guaranteeing that the drug will only be sold without prescription to girls and women over 16. Allowing […]

WASHINGTON, October 18, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The US Supreme Court has denied the request of three plaintiffs to hear their case against Planned Parenthood. The women accuse Planned Parenthood of refusing to educate women about the link between abortion and breast cancer. The original lawsuit was launched in August, 2001, by Agnes Bernardo of Chula Vista, Pamela Colip of Loma Linda, and Sandra Duffy-Hawkins of Sacramento. The women simply wanted Planned Parenthood to begin providing women with accurate information about the overwhelming evidence that abortion raises breast cancer risk; they were not suing for monetary damages.  The Supreme Court dismissed […]

WASHINGTON, October 18, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – US President George W. Bush, in a radio address Saturday, renewed his commitment to the pro-life life and traditional marriage cause, in anticipation of the November 2 presidential elections. “In this time of change, some things do not change,” he said. “Those are the values we try to live by—courage and compassion, reverence and integrity. I stand for a culture of life in which every person matters and every being counts. I stand for marriage and family, which are the foundations of our society. I stand for the appointment of federal judges who know […]

WINNIPEG, October 18, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Conservative Justice Critic Vic Toews and Conservative MP Rob Merrifield addressed the National Pro-Life Conference Thursday and Friday respectively.  Toews focused his comments on the abuse of the Charter by the Supreme Court while Merrifield concentrated his remarks on the recently passed Canadian human reproductive legislation. Toews quoted from conservative American legal scholar Robert Bork, noting that in his book “Coercing Virtue” Bork reports how US courts are imposing a set of values upon American people.  Toews also quoted Abraham Lincoln, speaking 150 years ago in his first inaugural address, “the candid citizen must […]

WINNIPEG, October 18, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Lech Kowalewski, the spokesman for the Polish Federation of Pro-life Movements, told LifeSiteNews.com about new legislation proposed in Poland that seeks to legalize abortion on demand, same-sex ‘marriage’, embryonic stem cell research and sex-education from grade one.  Kowalewski, in Canada for the National Pro-Life Conference held October 14-16, said that the legislation was before the constitutional commission to determine if its provisions are constitutional. He suggested that there is little chance of the passage of the bill in its current state.  The pro-life leader was concerned however that the commission may remove some of […]