Monday May 15, 2000
See today’s LifeSiteNews stories- CARDINAL AMBROZIC REACTS TO FUNDING OF ABORTION SUPPORTING MARCH
- REFLECTIONS ON THE MARCH FOR LIFE
- DR. LAURA SCHLESSINGER VICTIM OF HOMOSEXUALIST CENSORSHIP
- INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT BILL IN COMMITTEE HEARINGS
- IMMIGRATION BILL TO REDEFINE ‘FAMILY’
- US BISHOPS DENOUNCE ‘CATHOLICS’ FOR A FREE CHOICE
- HELMS SLAMS ANTI-MOTHER UN ‘WOMEN’S’ CONVENTION
- LIFESITE NEWSBYTES
- US NEWS ROUNDUP
CARDINAL AMBROZIC REACTS TO FUNDING OF ABORTION SUPPORTING MARCH
TORONTO, May 15 (LSN.ca) – Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic, the Archbishop of Toronto, has taken action in response to the LifeSite News revelation of the funding of the pro-abortion and pro-homosexual March of Women 2000 by the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP). This latest news is carried on the front page of today’s National Post. The paper reveals that the cardinal has instructed ShareLife to cut funding to CCODP by about $15,000 in protest to the Catholic agency’s support for the march.
In a letter to all priests in the Toronto archdiocese, Cardinal Ambrozic wrote, “many of our clergy and laity have queried the involvement of Development and Peace.” The letter continued, “the association of D&P; with this group is indeed unfortunate and we need to make a definite statement to disassociate our archdiocese with this movement through D&P.;”
Of note the Post also reports the funding of the March at $135,000, the highest admitted figure thus far.
See the National Post coverage at:
https://www.nationalpost.com/home.asp?f=000515/289391
For the complete LifeSite News coverage of this story:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/clc/womens_march/
REFLECTIONS ON THE MARCH FOR LIFE
OTTAWA, May 15 (LSN.ca) – Last Wednesday and Thursday, Canadians from across the country gathered in the nation’s capital to sorrowfully commemorate the 31st anniversary of the legalization of abortion in Canada and the resulting death of over 2.3 million pre-born babies. Over 400 gathered Wednesday at a pro-life dinner with Members of Parliament. The attendees were addressed by the pro-life politicians and by Andrew Fournier, the young person who is walking across Canada for Life.
On Thursday some 2,500 pro-lifers gathered on Parliament Hill and were greeted by a host of political leaders, some 20 in all. From there a peaceful and prayerful walk through the city streets ensued. Silence was strictly observed as the marchers passed by Henry Morgentaler’s Ottawa abortion mill, in prayerful respect for the babies who lose their lives there every day. The mainstream media ignored the massive demonstration with little or no coverage but the politicians and those who witnessed the march were impressed with the message given: “Equal Rights (the Right to Life) for ALL Human Beings.”
DR. LAURA SCHLESSINGER VICTIM OF HOMOSEXUALIST CENSORSHIP
OTTAWA, May 15 (LSN.ca) – Last Wednesday the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) ruled against the immensely popular pro-family radio talk-show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger, calling her “abusively discriminatory” and suggesting that her views “fertilize the ground” for “brutality.” In a remarkably extremist statement for an alleged defender of independent broadcasting, the CBSC ruled in favour of complaints about the Dr. Laura show submitted by homosexual activists. One such complaint came from Ian Crowe of Halifax, Nova Scotia, a member of the leading activist group Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere.
The decision of the CBSC pressures stations to promise to censor her comments when they are deemed inappropriate. However, some radio stations are vowing to continue airing the popular show unedited. The CBSC is a voluntary trade association, so its decisions are not binding, however, its rulings are deemed significant enough by the CRTC that stations which refuse to abide by its rulings do run the risk of not having their licences renewed by the federal agency.
The decision is very disturbing to pro-family Canadians as well as others who respect the findings of peer reviewed scientific and medical research. Dr. Laura identifies homosexual acts as “aberrant”, “deviant”, and “disordered” in keeping with her Jewish Orthodox faith, but demonstrates her own brand of hard-nosed concern for the individuals who engage in such practices. Nevertheless, the CBSC would not recognize this separation of behaviour from the person: “Since the sexual practices of gays and lesbians define them as homosexuals and are inseparable from their personas, any attempt by the host to justify her statements on the basis that she is speaking about the practices rather than the individuals must fail.”
The CBSC decision can be found at:
https://www.cbsc.ca/english/decision/000510.htm
To express your concerns with this ruling to the CBSC: Canadian Broadcast Standards Council P.O. Box 3265, Station D Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6H8
Call them at (613) 233-4607 or fax them at (613) 238-1734.
E-mail addresses: Ron Cohen, National Chair: [email protected] Ann Mainville-Neeson, Executive Director: [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT BILL IN COMMITTEE HEARINGS
– Federal Government Will Surrender National Sovereignty –
OTTAWA, May 15 (LSN.ca) – Last week parliament voted to send bill C-19, the bill which would “implement in Canada the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)”, to committee. Presentations in favour of the bill are being heard today by the Foreign Affairs Committee. All parties voted in favour of the bill’s being sent to committee except the Canadian Alliance which opposes the measure.
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy spoke on the bill (called the “Crimes Against Humanity Act”), in the House of Commons noting that the ICC will be established in the Hague once 60 states have ratified the Statute. Canada will be the “first country to have developed comprehensive implementing legislation,” he boasted. So far, eight countries have ratified the treaty.
Sensing the unease of Canadians with this legislation, the Minister tried to persuade his hearers that “the ICC is not a threat to Canadian sovereignty.” However, his suggestion is contradicted by his statement two sentences later where he notes that the court “will have jurisdiction only where national judicial systems are unwilling or unable to investigate these crimes.” When unwilling to prosecute a person for a supposed crime, the country would be forced to “surrender them to the ICC.” Moreover, the absolute supremacy of the ICC over Canadian law is revealed in the explanatory material on the bill released by the government: “It would not be a defence that an offence was committed in obedience to the law in force at the time and in the place of its commission.”
At the ICC negotiations the Canadian delegation has been the most radical in attempting to insert into the documents crimes associated with “sexual orientation” and “forced pregnancy”.
See the bill at:
https://www.parl.gc.ca/36/2/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/gover…
For the background on this story see:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/1999/dec/99121301.html
URGENT ACTION ITEM
Immediately contact your MPs and the following committee members to ask them to oppose bill C-19.
Committee members include: Colleen Beaumier [email protected] Jean Augustine [email protected] Eleni Bakopanos [email protected] Eugène Bellemare [email protected] Aileen Carroll [email protected] Maud Debien [email protected] Keith Martin [email protected] Svend Robinson [email protected] Diane St-Jacques [email protected]
IMMIGRATION BILL TO REDEFINE ‘FAMILY’
OTTAWA, May 15 (LSN.ca) – On April 6, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration introduced Bill C-31, which will re-define the term “family” for the purposes of family-class immigration. The Canada Family Action Coalition (CFAC) notes that the family-class allows legitimate immigrants from other categories (such as entrepreneurs) to sponsor family members as immigrants. The current law restricts family to those individuals related by blood, marriage or adoption. The new Act will now include common-law partners and homosexuals as ‘spouses.’
Bill C-31 was debated at second reading May 1 and May 9. CFAC warns that the Act is a direct assault on the institutions of marriage and family, as legitimately married spouses, their children and aged parents will now have to wait additional months or years to be re-united with their family since the numbers admitted in the family-class are limited. Furthermore, the law would allow adoption of foreign children by same-sex couples.
CFAC encourages supporters to email your MP and send a copy to the Immigration critic and Immigration Minister.
To E-Mail Your MP [email protected]
Please cc. your note to Immigration Minister, Elinor Caplan [email protected]
and Official Opposition Critic, Leon Benoit [email protected]
See a copy of the bill at:
https://www.parl.gc.ca/36/2/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/gover…
US BISHOPS DENOUNCE ‘CATHOLICS’ FOR A FREE CHOICE
WASHINGTON, May 15 (LSN.ca) – The US Catholic Bishops have denounced the pro-abortion group “Catholics for a Free Choice” saying they are guilty of “anti-Catholic bigotry.” The statement read, “As the Catholic Bishops of the United States have stated for many years, the use of the name Catholic as a platform for promoting the taking of innocent human life and ridiculing the Church is offensive not only to Catholics, but to all who expect honesty and forthrightness in public discourse.”
See the full NCCB statement at:
https://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/archives/00-115.htm
Canadian pro-lifers are urged to write their local bishops asking them to similarly denounce Catholics for a Free Choice. Find your local bishop’s contact info at:
https://www.cccb.ca/english/churche.asp
HELMS SLAMS ANTI-MOTHER UN ‘WOMEN’S’ CONVENTION
WASHINGTON, May 15 (LSN.ca) – Last Thursday, in honour of Mother’s Day Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms introduced a resolution opposing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) whose governing body has opposed Mother’s Day.
Helms said, “earlier this year, one such committee solemnly warned the nation Belarus that there was great ‘concern [over] the continuing prevalence of such [stereotypical] symbols as a Mother’s Day.’ The nation Armenia was lectured about the need to ‘combat the traditional stereotype of women in the noble role of mother.
See the Foreign Relations press release at:
https://www.senate.gov/~foreign/2000/pr051100.cfm
LIFESITE NEWSBYTES
Clear your calendars for October 26-28 for the Canadian National Pro-Life Conference in Toronto at the Regal Constellation. Keynote speakers include the dynamic Prof. Charles Rice of Notre Dame, and hugely popular Prof. Peter Kreeft of Boston College.
SPUC reported that last week was been designated National Condom Week in Britain. Schools, surgeries and health clinics will display posters and leaflets promoting contraceptives and millions of teenagers will be told the ‘safe’ sex message.
Abortion, legalized in South Africa by Nelson Mandela is now responsible for 107 abortions per day in state hospitals in the nation. Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang reported that at least 30,094 abortions were committed last year. (Pro-Life E-News) https://www.iol.co.za/news/newsview.php3?art_id=ct20000502200…
Reuters reported last week that Dutch doctors helped more than 2,200 patients to die in 1999. (Pro-Life E-News)
US NEWS ROUNDUP
Last Tuesday the US House “overwhelmingly passed” the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, including Rep. Tom Coburn’s (R- Okla.) amendment that would require condoms to carry labels warning that they do not effectively block HPV (Rosen, Raleigh News & Observer, 5/10).