COLOGNE, August 9, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The World Youth Days,Âa creation of the late Pope John Paul II, have become, without parallel, the world’s largest assemblies of youth. Such gatherings have been a boost to the Catholic Church but also to Christianity and Christian morality in general especially in the cities and countries where they have taken place.
This stellar success has also infuriated opponents of Christian morality. Homosexual groups have taken to using the occasion to hold protests and pro-abortion organizations have taken out billboards to advertise condoms and the like. These measures areÂmostly ignored by the massive number of youth who come to celebrate their faith in Christ Jesus.
However, more sophisticated pro-abortion groups are pushing their agendas within organizations which can easily meld with events such as World Youth Day (WYD).Â
A case in point is the United Nations and its Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) which ostensibly are about the environment,Âhelping women and children and eliminating world poverty by 2015 – wonderful goals which fit well with Christian morality.Â
Therefore it is no surprise that WYD Germany is partnering with the UN Millenium Campaign in Germany for one of its opening ceremonies which will take place in Bonn. Added incentives for the partnership include a video address to the WYD pilgrims gathered in Bonn for the opening ceremonies on August 15 by none other than UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and a massive fireworks display. Annan strongly supports population control, abortion, same-sex ‘marriage’ and much more completely at odds with important Catholic principles.
Pro-abortion groups and individuals are using the MDGs to push for global access to abortion under the auspices of “gender equity”, “reducing child mortality” and “improving maternal health”.Â
Moreover, the agenda of the UN itself on the matter is troublesome. Secretary General Annan appointed pro-abortion Eveline Herfkins as the Executive Coordinator for the Millennium Campaign in October 2002. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Herfkens served as the Netherlands Minister for Development Cooperation (between 1998 to 2002). During this time, she supported the notorious proposal of an abortionist who wished to circumvent laws prohibiting abortion in various countries by performing abortions on a ship after taking women of the targeted countries off-shore into international waters.
Herfkens, was quoted as calling the ship “a concrete answer to a awful problem”. Moreover, she stated that the Dutch parliament would take a serious look at any proposal to properly fund the project and suggested a figure of 1,000,000 guilders (approximately $600,000).
Herfkens has not dropped her abortion advocacy in her new role. In a joint interview with Herkens, former United Nations Population Fund leader Nafis Sadik complained that the MDGs had dropped the UN euphemisms for abortion.“The indicators and the targets don’t mention reproductive health and rights anywhere. They are just not included,” complained Sadik.Â
Herfkens informed her colleague that in reality, the reproductive health agenda (which includes abortion) is in most cases read into the document.ÂÂ Herfkens responded, “Nafis Sadik is right – these eight goals are the outcome of international negotiations – and indeed the Cairo targets on reproductive health have been dropped. But in the real world many developing countries are incorporating again in their national millennium development goal reports the issues of reproductive health either under the maternal health Goal Four or under Goal Three on gender equity – so in the real world these issues are still very much on the agenda.” (see the interview here – https://www.tve.org/lifeonline/index.cfm?aid=1404 )
Herfkens is to address the WYD pilgrims at the opening ceremony on August 15 in Bonn along with federal and state representatives. Following this there will be a ceremony of the opening of the UN gates, and WYD pilgrims will be encouraged to attend a pavilion where the MDGs are promoted and lauded by Herfkens among other representatives.Â
The pro-abortion UN representative will also participate in the WYD event sponsored by a German Catholic Youth Group called “International Youth Hearing for Justice and Peace” which will take place in Cologne on August 18.
Information on the workings of the Millenium Campaign Germany with WYD is available (in German) on the Millenium Campaign German website here:
https://www.millenniumcampaign.de/aktionen/weltjugendtag/
See some articles on Kofi Annan – for more, search LifeSite News.com for Kofi Annan:
UN Chief Annan Lauds The Leading Lady Of Population Control
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2000/dec/00122102.html
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan Supports Homosexual ‘Marriage’
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/aug/03080501.html
United Nations Chief Kofi Annan Endorses Human Cloning
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/oct/04102101.html
QUOTE OF THE DAY
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/1997/sep/97091501.html
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