News

PITTSBURGH, Feb 13 (LSN)—In a press release issued yesterday, Priests for Life called attention to the unjust imprisonment of Joan Andrews Bell, a recent mother of two adopted children. Christopher Bell, Joan's husband, her 5-year-old daughter, and 9-year-old son lamented that this Saturday, St. Valentines Day, will be the first time they will be permitted to visit Joan since her incarceration one month ago.  Joan was sentenced to jail on 30 December l997 in Pittsburgh for a l985 pro-life demonstration in which she stepped onto the property of an abortuary. Judge Raymond Novak threatened to keep her in prison until she agreed not to take part in any more rescues, a promise she would not make.  Mr. Bell says the governor of Pennsylvania has received hundreds and will receive thousands of letters asking for Joan’s early release. More importantly, Joan is a home-schooler, and her son has special needs. Fr. Frank Pavone, International Director of Priests for Life, said from Rome,  “Joan is enduring a prison sentence which is unjust precisely because she has done nothing wrong…  The abortion industry, with the help of unjust laws, tells us to keep our feet off their property.  It is time that they keep their hands off God’s property, the precious children being killed by abortion.’’  In a similar case in Canada, pro-life political prisoner Linda Gibbons, a Toronto grandmother,  has been in jail for most of the last three-and-a-half years. Interestingly, she too is silent and helpless in court and in jail thus spiritually identifying with the silent and helpless victims of abortion.