Friday November 3, 2000
See today’s LifeSiteNews stories
OTTAWA BISHOP SLAMS PRIME MINISTER’S COMMENTS AT CATHOLIC SCHOOL
OTTAWA, Nov 3 (LSN.ca) – Ottawa Bishop Marcel Gervais commented on the appearance by Prime Minister Jean Chretien at a Catholic high school in Barrie last week, where Chretien talked favourably about abortion. In a statement to LifeSite, Bishop Gervais said, “I was very disappointed in the Prime Minister’s statement. He was in a Catholic school. One would hope that he could have provided a better answer.” He continued, “Given everything we know today about the life of the child in the womb and given the prosperity of our country, it is a scandal that we still have about 100,000 abortions a year and that there is no law to protect the unborn.”
As LifeSite reported, speaking at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School on Oct 30, Chretien said, “For me, I’m a Roman Catholic. Personally, I don’t have to, you know, I’m not at the age anymore to have my wife have abortion, but the reality … is that it is the choice of not the husband to decide in my judgment, it is the judgment of the woman according to the values that this person have.”
Bishop Gervais said, “We are called to respect life, that of our own and that of others. We are called to a greater dignity and a greater responsibility and this must be addressed by our politicians if our nation is to be truly great.” The Archbishop conceded that “our political leaders do not have an easy life. It’s hard.” But he added: “They need to make difficult choices if they really want a country which will be worth living in.”
Previously the archbishop has courageously gone on record criticizing the “Catholic” Prime Minister for promoting abortion at the Liberal Party Convention.
See LifeSite’s coverage of the Chretien talk at:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2000/nov/001107a.html
See the archbishop’s earlier criticism of Chretien:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2000/june/00060101.html
MORAL THEOLOGIAN TAKES ISSUE WITH MEDIA SPOKESMAN FOR BISHOPS
TORONTO, Nov 3 (LSN.ca) – Joe Gunn, a spokesman for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops was interviewed on the October 28 CBC radio program, The House, for a segment on religion and politics. During the interview Gunn spoke of “life issues” that people should consider when determining who to vote for. His comments seemed to equate the protection for the unborn with other issues such as gun control and welfare.
Speaking on “life issues” Gunn said: “Is gun control a life issue, is capital punishment a life issue, the way we treat the poor, the kinds of payments for welfare and for people on disability and so on. Are these not also life issues that allow people to participate in the community? So there has to be a consistency right across this whole web of life that is very very important.”
Fr. Thomas Lynch, professor of moral theology at St Augustine’s seminary in Toronto disagrees. He told LifeSite that the top priority in political selection should be abortion, euthanasia, and the new reproductive technologies that kill and experiment with human embryos. He said, “those life issues are a top priority because without them everything else is meaningless.”
UPDATE ON IMPRISONED ONTARIO PRO-LIFERS
TORONTO, Nov 3 (LSN.ca) – LifeSite has received reports from visitors to imprisoned pro-lifers Rosemary Connell and Linda Gibbons. Linda who remains silent in court so as to identify with the unborn, who are without a voice, was sent for psychiatric assessment to the Clarke Institute for her refusal to speak in her defence. Meanwhile, the unnecessarily severe bail conditions for Rosemary Connell were put under a publication ban and thus cannot be revealed. Connell has refused to accept the bail conditions and therefore remains in custody.
The Ontario legal system, likely under the direction of some elements within the provincial Attorney General’s office, seems to be determined to make life more difficult for pro-life protesters at this time. Connell and Gibbons are known for their always quiet, peaceful and prayerful protests against abortion.
A visitor who saw her told LifeSite that Rosemary was doing well. During the Canadian pro-life 2000 Conference last weekend, about 100 conference attendees took time out to visit the West Detention Centre en masse to show support for Rosemary and Linda.
CTV W-5 PROGRAM TO ATTACK CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS
Can’t beat ’em? Smear ’em Part II
OTTAWA, Nov 3 (LSN.ca) – LifeSite has learned that the CTV program W-5 to air this Sunday 10 – 11 p.m will condemn crisis pregnancy centres (CPC’s) across Canada. The program falsely claims that all CPC’s provide misleading information on abortion. LifeSite does not yet know whether or not the W-F program reveals the names of the CPC’s investigated. Interestingly, a Canadian Press article published today does not, indicating that at least some media personnel are sufficiently fearful about the integrity of the material that they want to avoid potential lawsuits for spreading false information.
The program will reveal its “investigation” involving under cover work which amounts to a witch hunt by pro-abortion forces troubled with the great success of the CPC’s in turning mothers away from abortion and thus costing the abortion business substantial lost revenue. The W-5 effort is a carbon copy of a similar smear campaign that has been employed numerous times in the US with the backing of Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Rights Action League.
The “investigations” have led a US organization, which lists CPC’s, to abandon some of its Canadian listings. Today the strongly pro-abortion Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada issued a statement that “strongly condemns” CPC’s. It appears that the program did not interview any of the many mothers who are extremely grateful for the help given to them by the centres and for persuading them to give birth to their now very much loved children.
To comment to CTV on the bias in the show write: [email protected]
See a preview of the W-5 attack on CPC’s at: https://ca.dailynews.yahoo.com/ca/headlines/cpress/ts/story.h…
See coverage of the US CPC smear campaign from WorldNetDaily at:
https://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/01-22-00/cover_5.asp
(free registration required)
US BISHOP CALLS CLINTON’S CHURCH SPEECH “SERIOUS VIOLATION”
ROCHESTER, Nov 3 (LSN.ca) – Rochester Bishop Matthew Clark spoke out against the recent political appearance of Hillary Clinton at a Catholic Church in Rochester last Sunday. Bishop Clark said, “I regret that this event took place and apologize for any confusion that might have resulted.” Catholic News Service reported yesterday that the bishop noted that it was “a clear and serious violation of diocesan policy.”
“While the diocese will continue to address the moral implications of public policy issues based on our rich tradition,” he said, “it remains the clear and consistent policy that the diocese does not endorse or appear to endorse any candidate for public office.”