Recent Catholic News

Pro-Life Leader says “Judgment signals the beginning of the end of legal abortion in the UK”. LONDON, March 14, 2002 (LSN.ca) – The UK Court of Appeal ruled today that the decision of UK television broadcasters to ban a pro-life ad during the 1997 general election was “unlawful.” The BBC, which represented all British broadcasters in the case, said they banned the ads because they featured “shocking” images of abortion and considered them “grossly offensive.” The Appeal Court ruling by three senior Justices overturned an earlier High Court ruling. Lord Justice Laws commented on the case saying, “The reader of […]

Document passed with only minor revisions BRUSSELS, March 14, 2002 (LSN.ca) – The European Parliament (EP) voted March 13, to adopt a radical feminist resolution that attacks pro-life religious beliefs and Christianity. The report on “Women and Fundamentalism” was first proposed in October 2001 by María Izquierdo Rojo and was unsuccessfully challenged in the EP by Ireland Independent MEP Mrs Dana Rosemary Scallon among others. The document with minor revisions was adopted narrowly by a vote of 242-240 with 42 abstentions. A copy of the document as adopted was sent to LifeSite by Eva Bacelar, a press secretary for the […]

TORONTO, March 14, 2002 (LSN.ca) – Two studies reported in the journal Nature have attempted to refute promising research on adult stem cells. The studies suggest that adult stem cells are not able to differentiate into various tissues as the great majority of recent studies have shown. The new studies are sure to be used to lobby for the public funding of embryonic stem cell research. Campaign Life Coalition medical advisor Dr. John Shea, commented on the studies saying, “Embryonic stem cell research is causing harm to people right now and has incurably worsened the symptoms in some Parkinson patients.” […]

CANBERRA, March 14, 2002 (LSN.ca) – The Anglican Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, George Browning, has pointed out a logical inconsistency in opposing research on human embryos while at the same time approving of in vitro fertilization. Bishop Browning refused to go along with a condemnation of research on human embryos issued by 10 other New South Wales Anglican bishops. “Using the logic of the statement, surely to produce embryos, knowing that the vast majority of them are not going to be placed back in the womb of the mother, but are to be 'wasted', must be totally unacceptable,” said […]

DUBLIN, March 14, 2002 (LSN.ca) – The secretary of state for Northern Ireland Dr. John Reid has confirmed that the British government has no plans to liberalize abortion law in Northern Ireland. Dr. Reid made the assurance in a letter to Mr. Nigel Dodds, Northern Ireland’s minister for social development and a member of both the Northern Ireland assembly and the UK parliament. Mr. Dodds, warned that a legal challenge to Northern Ireland’s abortion law by the Family Planning Association to begin March 21 was an attempt to change the pro-life law. Mr. Dodds said that an overwhelming majority opposed […]

CANADA TO ADD 7 FEDERAL RIDINGS BASED ON NEW CENSUS DATA The total number of electoral districts in the House of Commons will increase from 301 to 308 ridings after the completion of the readjustment process, scheduled for June 2004. Additional seats will be attributed as follows: 3 for Ontario, 2 for British Columbia, and 2 for Alberta. The other provinces and territories will maintain the same number of electoral districts.  http://canada.gc.ca/wire/2002/03/130302_e.html AUSTRALIAN STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES TO ALLOW EMBRYO RESEARCH IF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS BAN http://www.ananova.com/yournews/story/sm_544113.html UK GOV’T ADVISORY COUNCIL ON DRUGS APPROVES USE OF CANNABIS The Government’s […]

Includes Article to Subject Religious Freedom to United Nations Conventions ***NOTE: New information on March 14 reveals that the resolution on “Women and Fundamentalism” passed by the European Parliament March 13 was amended to strip some of its controversial contents. Thus LifeSite’s March 13 report below is in error regarding some of the statements adopted since the quotes were obtained from the original document. The press release by the EP did not reveal these facts and LifeSite has submitted a request for clarification and will report on the details as soon as they are available. BRUSSELS, March 13, 2002 (LSN.ca) […]

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2002 (LSN.ca) – On Tuesday evening (March 12), the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (H.R. 2175) on a voice vote. The three-paragraph bill codifies the traditional definition of “born alive.” Its aim was to ensure babies who are accidentally born alive after abortion attempts are given the right to life and care guaranteed by law. Specifically, under the bill, the terms “person,”“human being,”“child,” and “individual,” whenever they appear in federal laws or regulations, will be construed to include “every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive.” The term […]

CALGARY, March 13, 2002 (LSN.ca) – Abortionists from two Alberta abortuaries are claiming that Health Minister Gary Mar said his government is not considering de-insuring abortions. However, a letter sent to the abortionists dated Feb. 14 said only that the province was not considering defunding abortion “at present.” Three weeks prior to the letter’s date, the province said it would set up a committee to decide if some medical services, including abortion, should continue to receive government funding. The Calgary Herald reports that the advisory panel, which has yet to be formed, is scheduled to issue its recommendations by Aug. […]

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2002 (LSN.ca) – Yesterday, the nation’s two largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organizations—the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (UOJCA), representing nearly 1,000 congregations, and the Rabbinical Council of America, whose membership consists of more than 1,000 rabbis—issued a joint statement entitled “Cloning Research, Jewish Tradition & Public Policy.” The document explains that while “Our Torah tradition places great value upon human life … our tradition states that an embryo in vitro does not enjoy the full status of person-hood and its attendant protections.” In advocating cloning the document says, “if cloning technology research advances our ability […]