My latest show on "The Face of Pro-Life"

Is up on Air Maria.

CT: SB 899 Passes with protection for religious liberty

from the Family Institute of CT
SB 899 Passes--But *Only* After Being Amended to Protect Religious Liberty!
The headline on The Courant's website nicely summarizes the end result of the fight over SB 899: "Amendment Gives Religious Organizations Exemption to Same-Sex Ruling." Make no mistake: The amendment is not perfect and SB 899 itself is the result of an illegitimate court ruling, not the will of the people.
That said, the bill passed last night is a significant improvement for religious liberty in the wake of that ruling. After the Kerrigan same-sex "marriage" decision, religious liberty in Connecticut was left wide open to each and every one of the ssm-related attacks on it that have occurred elsewhere. The amendment passed last night goes beyond Kerrigan and gives protections to religious liberty in Connecticut that Kerrigan did not. The amendment also gives religious liberty many of the protections which were explicitly rejected by the Judiciary Committee last month.
In my March 6th testimony before the Committee I cited several examples (Boston Catholic Charities being forced out of adoption services, the New Jersey Methodist organization losing tax-exempt status over a pavilion, the Canadian Knights of Columbus hall that was sued) of ssm-related attacks on religious liberty which made an amendment necessary. The Committee treated our concerns with contempt and on March 30th passed SB 899 with no amendment to prevent those attacks. But almost every one of the ssm attacks I mentioned will now be against the law in Connecticut because of the amendment that was passed last night.
When it comes to protecting religious liberty, the version of SB 899 which was passed last night is miles ahead of the Judiciary Committee's version. Of course, you will not hear that from our opponents. They are claiming that they are satisfied with the amendment passed last night. History suggests otherwise.Going into yesterday's vote, the adamant position of Love Makes a Family and its lobbyists was: "Pass 899 with no amendments." Once it became clear that we had the votes for an amendment, their strategy shifted to having Sen. Andrew McDonald offer a phony amendment. But McDonald's amendment was shot down in behind-the-scenes discussions by senators who were unhappy with him and with Rep. Lawlor for forcing yet another religious liberty controversy upon the legislature.
At that point, the only way for Love Makes a Family to claim victory was to say they were satisfied with our amendment, as they are now doing. The overwhelming vote for our amendment was a product of the 20,000 phone calls the legislature received this past week--and of the continuing backlash against SB 1098, the bishop removal bill. Connecticut legislators are very sensitive--at the moment, at least--to any suggestion that they oppose religious liberty. That dynamic helped shift the ground on SB 899 to the point where even Lawlor and McDonald had to vote for an amendment which they surely would have condemned as anti-gay "bigotry" just six weeks ago.
FIC is very grateful to the 60 or so volunteers who joined us throughout the day to lobby legislators. I especially want to acknowledge the seminarians of Holy Apostles College in Cromwell and the prayer warriors of the Connecticut House of Prayer. "We fight not against flesh and blood" and several victories against unseen adversaries occurred yesterday because of your prayers and your support.
As recently as a week ago SB 899 was expected to sail through the legislature with no amendment. That did not happen because of all of you. But, while yesterday was a significant victory for us, there is still more to be done.
An FIC-supported amendment to require parents be notified before "gay-friendly" curricula are taught in schools and be allowed to "opt out" was defeated in the Senate and the House. Watch for more information on that vote and what you can do about it.
We will also have more information about the amendment that did pass last night, the votes on that amendment, our allies, and our usual breakdown of "the good, the bad and the ugly." We cannot do it without you! Please click here to make your most generous donation to the one group leading the fight for faith and family in our state day in and day out: The Family Institute of Connecticut!

Take action to preserve doctor's freedom of conscience

The Cardinal Newman Society has joined with dozens of other organizations and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to try to save conscience protections for pro-life doctors and nurses.

The Obama Administration is actively working to remove sensible conscience protections that prevent doctors and nurses from being discriminated against when they refuse to perform morally objectionable procedures, such as abortions.

Please, pro-life doctors and nurses need your help today!

There is a public comment period on removing the conscience protections that ends on Holy Thursday, April 9th.

Pro-life organizations are working with a website called Freedom2Care.org where you may learn more about what is at stake and send your public comments to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Don't delay. Visit Freedom2Care.org or the special button on the top of the sidebar today!

Pro-family rally in Hartford to oppose homosexual teaching in schools

from the Family Institute of Connecticut
FIC Action Rally/Lobby Day on April 7th!

The Lawlor-and-McDonald-controlled Judiciary Committee has approved the most extreme bill possible to codify the court's same-sex "marriage" ruling. It makes almost no provision for religious liberty, takes away the conscience rights of justices of the peace and will likely lead to a state mandate to teach homosexuality in our schools!

We need your help to stop this awful bill and the transgendered special rights bill which may soon be voted out of this same Committee! (On transgender bill, see the link at the bottom of this message.)

On Tuesday, April 7th at 10:00 a.m. the Family Institute of Connecticut Action will hold a Pro-Family Rally and Lobby Day on the steps of the state Capitol in Hartford. We need as many pro-family state residents as possible to attend our rally and then meet with their own legislators afterwards to ask them to vote to protect faith and family.

After the Rally, all of those interested will make their way over to room 1C of the Legislative Office Building where we will receive packets of pro-family information. From there we will go to meet with our individual legislators to ask them to vote pro-family. Don't worry if you have never "lobbied" before! We will have materials available to help you.

The most effective approach to lobbying for faith and family is to bring as many people as possible to Hartford on a weekday to meet directly with their state representative and state senator. We know it is a sacrifice to take a day off from work and we appreciate what so many of you are willing to do to help protect society's most precious institutions. But our opposition regularly appears at the state Capitol in large numbers. Having legislators see with their own eyes that the pro-family side enjoys greater public support is the only way to reverse the anti-family stranglehold over our state Capitol.

And FIC Action will be there on April 7th to help guide you. Following our 10 a.m. rally we will march together into the Legislative Office Building where our volunteers will help direct you to where you need to go to meet with your own state representative and state senator. We will also provide brief talking points on why pro-family bills should be supported and anti-family bills should be opposed.

In fact, there is information we can provide to you right now to help you get a jumpstart on making your April 7th lobbying day as effective as possible.

First, call your state representative and state senator and make an appointment to meet with them. House Democrats can be reached at 800-842-8267 and House Republicans can be reached at 800-842-1423. Senate Democrats can be reached at 800-842-1420 and Senate Republicans can be reached at 860-240-8800.

Tell them that you are their constituent and you would like them to be at the state capitol on April 7th to meet with you. Set a time. Do not settle for meeting with a legislative aide-tell the aide that you want just 5 minutes of your legislator's time.

If when you arrive for your appointment your legislator is in session, give a note to a "runner" from his office to inform him or her that you have arrived. Most legislators will take time out of the session to meet with their constituents.

If your legislator(s) are not available on April 7th, pick another day to meet with him or her. We need as many people as possible to attend our April 7th Rally and Lobby Day. But the most important thing is that you have face-to-face time with your legislators to ask them to vote pro-family.

Protecting faith and family in 2009 depends on you. Please forward this message to every pro-family state voter you know and encourage them to join the fight. Tell your churches to come to FIC Action's April 7th Rally and Lobby Day and help us fight for the family!

We hope to see as many of you as possible at the state capitol at 10:00 a.m. on April 7th. Thank you and God bless you for all that you do to fight for faith, family and freedom.

We need your support to hold rallies, lobby days, press conferences and other pro-family public education events! Click here to help FIC Action convince legislators to vote pro-family!

Please get the word out to your churches, friends, and family!

Bishops organizing to enforce Canon 915 in DC

What good would it do if good Bishop Naumann of Kansas City enforces a ban on pro-abortion Governor Sebelius' reception of Communion if, when she is HHS Secretary, she can receive publicly in Washington? Thankfully, Archbishop Wuerl and Bishop Loverde of Virginia have agreed to back up the enforcement of Canon 915 in DC as well. Maybe the bishop of Maryland had better get on board, to be sure.
'This will send the message to other bishops that if they choose to pronounce members of Congress from their dioceses unfit for communion, their authority will be respected in D.C. and across the Potomac in Virginia.
The ramifications are enormous: For example, if Sean Cardinal O'Malley of Boston stated publicly that Sen. John Kerry was in violation of Canon 915, he would not have been able to receive communion at Pope Benedict XVI's Mass in Washington, D.C., a year ago. Rep. Nancy Pelosi would not have been able to celebrate her elevation to speaker of the House with a special Mass at Trinity College,if Archbishop Neiderhauer had found her wanting according to the standard of Canon 915.'
Read the entire story in Inside Catholic

My St Patrick's Day Montage

I created this in honor of St Patrick. For a translation of the haunting Ag Criost an Siol the second song on the montage, click here.

Catholic League has booklet debunking "Angels and Demons"

from the Catholic League
A booklet on the upcoming movie, “Angels & Demons,” written by Catholic League president Bill Donohue, is now available. “Angels & Demons”: More Demonic Than Angelic debunks the myths, lies and smears told about the Catholic Church. The film, which opens May 15, is based on Dan Brown’s book, Angels & Demons. Ron Howard directs the movie.

The booklet offers a detailed account of the lies told not only about the Catholic Church, but about many other issues, events and persons mentioned by Brown-Howard. In particular, it sets the record straight on the relationship between Catholicism and science; it has a separate section on Galileo. It closes with evidence of the anti-Catholic agenda of those associated with the film.

It is available for $5, including shipping and handling.

Click here to order the booklet.

Fr Eueteneuer shines the moral spotlight in Kansas

Brownback - Turncoat

I am not a politician, I am a priest. So I would like to give my priestly perspective about the recent endorsement of Senator Sam Brownback for the candidacy of Kathleen Sebelius for Secretary of Health and Human Services: Senator Brownback's cowardly betrayal of his Catholic faith is even more damaging than his political permission for this renegade to take office.

The situation is atrocious. An extremist abortion hack (called the most pro-abortion governor in the nation by many), who falsely calls herself "Catholic," is given the opportunity to preside over the nation's healthcare system and normalize abortion even further; this radical is then endorsed by a US senator who also calls himself "Catholic" and who, many believe, wants her job back home when she becomes the abortion queen in DC.

With pro-lifers like Senator Sam Brownback, who needs pro-aborts?

Moral theologians can work out what level of cooperation in evil the Senator's endorsement represents - he is, after all, an influential senator whose opposition, if he had given it, may very well have stopped her nomination. Yet, those of us who do not breathe the rarified air of Washington DC and who have dedicated our lives to defending the sanctity of human life understand one thing: any covenant with the abortion industry or its promoters is consent to the killing.
As a convert to the Catholic Faith, Senator Brownback seems not to understand the Church's profoundly wounded heart with regard the slaughter of the innocents. The Church tells us never to participate in that slaughter, no matter what the cost; we do not give aid and comfort to the enemies of human life, we do not stand by while the innocent are being dragged off to a violent murder, and under no circumstances do we endorse the political aspirations of their executioners.
Politicians who sell the lives of babies for political gains are the worst kind of turncoats.Yet, this Catholic Senator's decision constitutes, I think, a watershed moment for all of us who want to see an end to the immoral industry of baby-killing in our country. We will never be served by the compromise of our principles in any form. Catholicism is the solution to this culture of death. If only Catholics ourselves would fully live up to our doctrine and put it into practice, there would be no "Tiller the Killer"s in Kansas, no partial birth abortions, no immoral sex education in the schools or Planned Parenthoods dominating our public life.

Self-described "Catholics" like Brownback (in politics), Doug Kmiec (in academia), Hannity, Matthews and O'Reilly (in media) and others are not the solution to the problem - they are enablers of the problem. Despite their high-sounding lip service to the culture of life, they are compromisers. They will never end abortion because they don't want to end abortion.I have often said that false Catholics, whether they be Cardinals, politicians or janitors, are the ones who have the most to account for on the Day of Judgment when they will have to account for ignoring Christ in His "least brethren," the unborn. Whether through advocacy of the evil (like Sebelius) or negligence in stopping it (like Brownback), they have blood on their hands. They've been given everything the Church has to offer: the teaching, the sacraments, the example of the saints and the grace to stand against Satan and all his works and all his empty promises. In other words, they know better, and the Biblical warning applies to them: "To whom much has been given, much will be required."
Cowards and turncoats beware.

Sincerely,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International

BIshope Lori's statement on anti-Catholic legislation

Normally, I could feel condident that such a power grab would be reveresed in the Supreme Court, but in today's political climate, I am not so sure. This is unbelievable. yet perhaps just the opening salvo in a true persecution of the Catholic Church. Didn't you see it coming when we elected staunch pro-abortionists into power? The Church, however compromised, is still the archenemy of the current administration, and must be subdued. What the powerful fail to realize is that the Church has seen this before. Not only has she survived, but usually emerges the stronger. In Ireland. In Poland. The sleeping giant of the American laity may have just received their wake up call.

Dear Members of the Gospel of Life Society,

Just when you thought it could not get any worse up in Hartford, it has happened.
Yesterday, Connecticut Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut State Legislature introduced bill #1098/2009 that directly attacks the Roman Catholic Church .Should it pass, the bishop and pastors will be deprived of any administrative, financial and legal power over their parishes.
The Bishop is asking for statements to be read at all the Masses this weekend, and to organize a rally in Hartford on Wednesday. Each parish is to send 5 representatives. I will be leading a group from St. Mary Church in Norwalk. Most likely there will be diocesan buses.
We are asked to contact our legislators, and especially the Judiciary Committee list. Now is the time to act! Stay tuned.

In Christ,
Fr. Greg J. Markey
St. Mary Church,
Norwalk, CT



Diocesan Statement on Proposed Legislative Bill # 1098 / 2009
This past Thursday, the Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut State Legislature, which is chaired by Sen. Andrew McDonald of Stamford and Rep. Michael Lawlor of East Haven, introduced a bill that directly attacks the Roman Catholic Church and our Faith.
This bill violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. It forces a radical reorganization of the legal, financial, and administrative structure of our parishes. This is contrary to the Apostolic nature of the Catholic Church because it disconnects parishes from their Pastors and their Bishop. Parishes would be run by boards from which Pastors and the Bishop would be effectively excluded.
This bill, moreover, is a thinly-veiled attempt to silence the Catholic Church on the important issues of the day, such as same-sex marriage.
The State has no right to interfere in the internal affairs and structure of the Catholic Church. This bill is directed only at the Catholic Church but could someday be forced on other denominations. The State has no business controlling religion.
The Pastors of our Diocese are doing an exemplary job of sound stewardship and financial accountability, in full cooperation with their parishioners.
For the State Legislature - which has not reversed a $1 billion deficit in this fiscal year - to try to manage the Catholic Church makes no sense. The Catholic Church not only lives within her means but stretches her resources to provide more social, charitable, and educational services than any other private institution in the State. This bill threatens those services at a time when the State is cutting services. The Catholic Church is needed now more than ever.
We reject this irrational, unlawful, and bigoted bill that jeopardizes the religious liberty of our Church.
I urge you to call and e-mail Sen. McDonald and Rep. Lawlor – contact information is available after Mass. I also ask you to come to Hartford this Wednesday, March 11, to be present at the public hearing. Details on bus transportation will be available on Monday in the parish office.
It is up to us to stop this unbridled abuse of governmental power.
It is time for us to defend our First Amendment rights.
It is time for us to defend our Church!
Most Reverend William E. Lori

NY Times article on the comeback of confession

"You turn on Oprah and you have women crying to her, confessing what they’ve gone through,” Ms. Marchetti said. “Everyone is so quick to tell the world their problems, but they won’t tell a priest.”
In the hope of reversing those engines, the Catholic diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., has mounted what it calls a “Lenten Confession Campaign.” The diocese’s 87 churches, which include St. John’s, will be offering confession for two hours every Tuesday night in addition to the usual Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning periods.
It remains to be seen, of course, whether the multimedia effort can change behavior on a grand scale. Monsignor DiGiovanni has changed it within his parish through a theological version of retail politics: reaching individuals and families through a decade of homilies, conversations and columns in the church bulletin"
Monsignor DiGiovanni's attitude reflects a growing trend; if you offer confessions, they will come. And confess, and live in a state of grace. And bring friends, and family. And suddenly your church will come alive.
It happened in my old parish in Center Moriches, LI; it happened in my new parish in Baltic, CT; and it happened in Stamford. Pass this article to your pastor who may feel that it's impossible, and give him hope.
I can happen in your parish, despite the naysaying of the aging Fr O'Brien of Notre Dame. Confession is a gift from God, and He wants His children to receive it. And to receive His Body and Blood in a state of grace. All we have to do is let the Holy Spirit work unhindered by our doubts.

Read the entire story in the New York Times.

Good news for timid pastors

Good News: Ninth Circuit Upholds Church's Constitutional Rights
You CAN take a stand on a political issue in church, if even the notoriously liberal Ninth Circuit upholds it.
from Focus on the Family
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed a ruling Wednesday that held a Montana church in violation of the law for speaking about the state's marriage amendment.
Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed a lawsuit in 2004 after the Montana commissioner of political practices investigated Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church, following a complaint by a homosexual activist group. The group claimed the church was required to register as a political committee in order to speak about the marriage amendment.
"Churches shouldn't be penalized for expressing their beliefs," said ADF Legal Counsel Dale Schowengerdt. "They should never be forced to forfeit their free speech rights just because the government decides to enact unconstitutional laws requiring them to remain silent on social issues."
The court ruled the law is unconstitutionally vague and its application in this case violated the church's First Amendment rights.
— Devon Williams

Even in our economic crisis Dems find money to force abortions on the Chinese

from the Family Research Council
Yesterday, we praised representatives from both parties who signed a letter to the Democratic leadership sponsored by Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) urging them to protect the pro-life provisions in each appropriations bill--or, at the very least, grant members the chance to vote on amendments to restore them. Although the letter had an impressive number of signatories (181) from both parties, the Democratic leadership pushed forward with a bloated omnibus bill worth $410 billion. The legislation included $50 million for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) even though UNFPA violates the Kemp-Kasten provision by supporting China's forced abortion and sterilization programs.
House leaders blocked amendments in the Rules Committee. While the GOP leadership signed the letter asking for votes on the pro-life riders, it chose not to exercise the one option it has as the minority party--the "motion to recommit" to amend this UNFPA provision. If Republican leaders weren't willing to use their right to offer this amendment and force a vote on this pro-life provision, it's unclear whether they will fight for other pro-life measures on appropriations bills that are scheduled to move through Congress this spring.
Obviously, the massive budget-busting spending bill contained many troubling provisions, but allowing liberals to gut a pro-life rider, one which was designed to prevent our complicity in China's egregious one-child policy, is something Americans do not accept. Congressional leaders should not either.
To see the list of members who voted pro-life, visit the FRC Action blog.

HLI warned the Holy Father about Pelosi

Many faithful Catholics, myself included worried that Nancy Pelosi would use her audience with the Holy Father as a self-affirming photo op. Human Life International among others, made sure that didn't happen. We have many friends in Rome.
Surely we were not the only organization to let the Holy See know that one of the most influential anti-life politicians in the world was about to exploit a state visit for personal political gain.As most of you are certainly aware, earlier this week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had the audacity to present herself as a "faithful Catholic" on an official state visit to the Vatican.

Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro, Executive Director of HLI's Rome office, was able to compile information on her anti-life voting record and her myriad misrepresentations of her Catholic faith in a letter presented directly to the Vatican Secretary of State.

We were very pleased to see that the Holy Father took the opportunity to remind the Speaker about the truth of Catholic teaching on contraception and abortion, and that her desire for a harmless and high profile visit, complete with the usual photo-ops, was thwarted.

As we again approach the holy season of Lent, please join me in praying and fasting to end abortion, and in praying for the conversion of our political leaders who hold such great sway over the lives of the innocent.

Pelosi will not change on abortion

Pelosi’s spokesman, Brendan Daly confirmed with me just minutes ago that she has no plans to change her position on abortion.
“She has said, as it says in the Democratic party platform, she wants to reduce the number of abortions,” said Daly. “But she will remain pro-choice.”
No surprise here, just the usual disappointment. Keep up the prayers, Lent is coming.
Read the entire story on the NC Register blog.

Forming a Bishop Martino fan club

For your outspoken defence of human life from Catholic-in-name-only politicians (Bob Casey Jr. are YOU listening?) for your defence of the Holy Eucharist from being sacreligiously received by said politicians on the illustrious feast day of St Patrick in your cathedral. and for your defence of Catholic Colleges in his home diocese from speakers who defame traditional marriage,

we salute you, Bishop Martino!

You are a true shepherd of souls!
Read Deacon Fournier's column on Catholic Online.

Go and join the Facebook group I just created: Fans of Bishop Martino of Scranton PA.

Killer Tiller's best friend favored as Health and Human Services Head

What could be worse than a tax cheat for Treasury Secretary you ask? Another tax cheat for HHS Head? NO, it gets worse. How about the Kansas Governor who helped Dr George Tiller the baby killer evade justice numerous times? Gov Kathleen Sebelius has to be the most crooked, most pro-abortion pick Obama has made yet.

"As the health secretary, Sebelius could have an impact in crafting a health care plan that could cover abortions with taxpayer funds or require insurance companies to cover abortions in their plans.
Sebelius is most notorious for her close relationship with late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller, who has escaped prosecution and accountability thus far for allegedly repeatedly violating state abortion laws.
He's done so in part because of the lax standards of Sebelius and her political allies, to whom Tiller has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars. (See the photo of the two at a secret party honoring the notorious late term abortionist.)

Governor Sebelius vetoed a bill last April that the legislature approved that would have strengthened the state's limits on late-term abortions.
That followed by a year her veto of a bill requiring explicit medical reasons for a late abortion, which was preceded by vetoing other pro-life legislation in 2006, 2005 and 2003."

Read the entire story at Life News.

Pope Benedict rebukes Nancy Pelosi on abortion

Catholics around the nation were fearing that Nancy Pelosi would use her meeting with the Holy Father as a self-affirming photo-op.
Her office has already tried to spin it that way, saying that she congratulated the Holy Father for the Church's stand on the environment, and helping the poor, issues which the Democrats feel comfortable claiming as Catholic issues. Since no media were present, there won't be a photo forthcoming,and Pelosi's version will be pitted against the official Vatican response to their meeting. I have decided to believe the Vatican's official take on the meeting,
"His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in co-operation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development."
Why did we ever doubt the Holy Father's ablity to deal with politicians? Thank you, Holy Father. Now let's pray for Speaker Pelosi's heart to be open to the teaching she has received.
Read the entire story from Catholic News Service and another from Fox News

More of our tax dollars may go to fund abortions

from Focus on the Family
The Obama Congress is moving quickly to funnel hundreds of millions of your tax dollars to the abortion industry.

Sign the Focus Action petition
In recent years, Congress has attached special annual funding provisions called pro-life “riders” to the spending bills to ensure that taxpayers aren’t forced to fund abortions here and overseas. Well, a move is underway to strip those “riders” from the spending bills and all this could happen in the next few weeks.
New Focus Action Petition to keep your tax dollars from funding abortion
Focus on the Family Action has just launched a citizen petition to oppose this latest phase in the radical, pro-abortion agenda, as well as the effort to force you and me to pay for it. As you know, President Obama has already reversed President Reagan’s pro-life “Mexico City Policy,” which prevented U.S. funds from going to overseas abortion providers. Now, Congress is set to strip pro-life “riders” from the appropriations bills. This move will force you and me to pay for abortions and services from abortion providers through our taxes.
Please take a moment to sign Focus Action’s new petition to keep your tax dollarsfrom funding abortion.
Votes Expected In March
Our Focus Action research team expects the legislative battle over the taxpayer funding of abortions to begin soon. That is why we are launching this petition today. With your help, we can rally tens of thousands of citizens to take a stand.
So, please take a moment to sign the petition. Then, spread the word to your friends.
These are certainly times that demand our vigilance! We must be informed and engaged in these issues every step of the way. Thank you so much for the stand you are taking with Focus Action on behalf of life, faith and family.
Tom Minnery
Senior Vice President,
Government & Public Policy

50th Anniversary of discovery of genetic cause of Down syndrome

Although Dr Jerome Lejeune,to his horror soon discovered that this important discovery, along with the discovery of amnio-centesis was used to abort 90% of babies with DS, it is a victory nonetheless, as it has improved the lives of the thousands who have Down syndrome. This was the topic of discussion at the Ponitifical Academy of Life in Rome this week.

Prof Bruno Dallapiccola recalled how Down syndrome children were previously ostracized, but now, 50 years later, "kids with trisomy have managed to reach an autonomy never seen before […] and can discreetly integrate themselves into society. They earn degrees. Professor Lejeune's discovery permitted this victory.
"Now, despite that in some countries as many as 90% of Down syndrome babies are aborted, the professor noted that every year, he meets 10 to 20 families who welcome a Down baby.
Dallapiccola recalled a visit to Lejeune in Paris in 1963. Since his discovery, he said, "something important changed in history," and "that mustn't be regretted."
To celebrate this important discovery and the fact that the Church has given Dr Lejeune the title of Servant of God, which has put him on the path to sainthood, read my article at the National Catholic Register, and send me an email at marysjoys@yahoo.com with your mailing address and I'll send you a holy card of Dr Lejeune with a prayer for his intercession for a miracle.
Read the entire story on Zenit.

Breaking News: North Dakota Legislature passes Personhood Amendment

This legislation, if passed by the North Dakota Senate, will ensure that the unborn child is accorded the Constitutional right to life of all Americans, regardless of age. Abortion will become illegal forever in North Dakota, the first state of the Union to do so.

a breaking news press release from the American Life League

North Dakota Personhood Bill Passes State House 51-41

by Katie Walker (communications director of the American Life League)

Washington, D.C. (17 February 2009) –

The civil rights movement gained a significant victory today as the North Dakota House of Representatives voted Feb. 17 to recognize the personhood of all human beings.
Led by American Life League Associate group North Dakota Life League, the personhood movement celebrated the passage of The Personhood of Children Act (House Resolution 1572), introduced by State Rep. Dan Ruby, in a 51-41 vote.
"We are very excited about the personhood movement in North Dakota – which has the chance to become the first state to protect the rights of all its citizens from their biological beginning," said Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League.
The Senate vote is expected in the next two to three weeks.
Fifteen other states are currently pursuing personhood legislation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Personhood North Dakota: http://personhoodnorthdakota.com/
North Dakota Life League:http://members.tripod.com/NDLL/
Examiner: ND Pro-Lifers Hang Hopes on Personhood Refrendum (9 February 2009)http://www.examiner.com/x-2359-Evangelical-Examiner~y2009m2d9-North-Dakota-prolifers-hang-hopes-on-Personhood-Referendum