News

With the court proceedings on the legality of euthanasia in Canada currently under way in British Columbia, I found the following three news stories insightful, in addition to the one appearing on our own site (see November 14), to contextualize the issues of euthanasia and assisted-suicide.

The first two are commentaries, appearing in yesterday's Journal de Montréal. First, Richard Martineau is critical of the recent study released by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) advocating for the decriminalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide. According to Martineau, the RSC study lacks "encadrage" - i.e., properly defining the circumstances permitting end-of-life decisions. Abuses are inevitable, he writes, drawing examples from the United States and Switzerland.

Yet what worries Mr. Martineau the most is euthanising persons for economic rather than humanitarian reasons.

Second, Jean-Luc Mongrain, in "La vie à quel prix?", raises both philosophical and theological questions concerning end-of-life issues. So, unlike his peer who favours euthanasia, Mr. Mongrain is indeterminate.

The third article covers the release on Wednesday of a bi-partisan Parlimentary ad hoc committee report advocating for an improved emphasis on palliative care. In addition to delving into the report, Peter Baklinski at LifeSiteNews weaves together the events in British Columbia, the study of the RSC, and a couple of interviews, including quotes from Jean Vanier, in his article.

I hope these three stories prove helpful to better understand current events and the issues involved.

In a previous blog - October 5, 2011, I treated the pro-abortion argument that abortion is preferable to growing up in an abusive environment. I countered with one does not know the future and therefore to extrapolate the fate of the pre-born is unfounded. A very bad move.

Today, owning in part to Liberal member of Parliament Justin Trudeau, I wish to address another flawed pro-abortion stance, namely, "I'm opposed to abortion personally but respect the woman's right to choose."

This logic is ascribed to the federal MP for Papineau (Montreal) who recently spoke at a Catholic high school in Pembrooke, ON. The local MP criticised the high school for presenting a pro-abortion politician to the impressionable teenagers. A summary of this story may be found here.

I think that there are two ways to address this stance - a weak way and a stronger way.

THE WEAK WAY

The Wisconsin Right to LIfe argues by presenting comparisons as the following shows:

• I am personally opposed to child abuse, but I can't interfere with a parent's choice to beat their child.
• I am personally opposed to killing, but it's a person's right to kill another.
• I am personally opposed to stealing, but I can't force someone else not to steal.
• I am personally opposed to rape, but I can't walk in the rapist's shoes.

These arguments reduce to approximately the following form:

• I am personally opposed to (a given action), but I can't force another to be likewise.

So, a lot hinges on what the particular action is.

For example, if I substitute the blank with "supporting the Toronto Maple Leafs," one sees a weakness with the argument.  So, what the given action is bears on the value of the argument form.

Rather, I like Mr. Robert Byers's comments to the Trudeau article.

Why is Trudeau opposed , personally, to abortion.??? The Catholic stance is that abortion kills a human being and thus they are opposed. He should say whether he believes abortion kills a human being or not! If he does and still supports then why is he not supporting murder.! Pro-lifers should hold these people to a intellectual standard in articulation. Words matter.

THE STRONG WAY

To say that "I'm opposed to abortion personally but respect the woman's right to choose" does not show the full picture. This stance fails to account for the presence of another human being - the tiny human being growing in the mother's womb.

In the calculus on whether to abort, the value assigned to the woman's choice goes unmitigated by any other factor, including the inestimable value of the life of the unborn. The unborn child simply does not count for anything.

So, the argument fails because it presents an incomplete picture.

- Oremus pro invicem

Stephen Mosher, President of the Population Research Institute, pens a positive message regarding the arrival of the seventh billion member of the human family, this past October 31, 2011.

It is a moment to rejoice, signaling the prosperity that has accompanied human development on our planet over the past millenia, prosperity in terms of declining infant mortality rates and increased life spans.

Yet, his message contains a grim warning. Underpopulation threatens some 80 countries worldwide, particularly developed nations.

Read his newsletter here and view an interview here.

This past Tuesday evening - October 25, television host Michael Coran interviewed breast surgical oncologist Dr. Angela Lanfranchi on his show The Arena. Listen to the interview here to learn about "the biological and epidemiological evidence for the link between abortion and breast cancer."

Two things the Georgetown medical grad said were quite swaying. First, of 64 scientific studies, 53 show a positive link between abortion and breast cancer and of these, 25 are statisticaly significant. 

Second, medical facts - i.e., undisputed data in the medical field, note that for each year that a woman delays a full-term pregnancy after either an induced or spontaneous abortion, her risk of getting breast cancer increases - 5% for pre-menopausal cancer and 3% for post-menopausal cancer.

Lastly, an european actuarial study concluded that the greatest predictor of breast cancer in a country is its abortion registry.

Again, view the interview here.

Dear Pro-Lifers,

We at the Quebec Life Coalition continue to be your watchmen for life and family here in Quebec and wherever fate calls us. Through different initiatives, we are informing or representing you, our benefactors, where these affronts occur. Thank you for generously supporting us.

The most pressing issue concerns the defense of the unborn. To this end, we have joined 300 other groups worldwide to confront in a peaceful and prayerful manner the wiles of the abortion mentality, wiles that consist in silencing our societies, our dialogues concerning this travesty.

This participation that I write to you about is the bi-annual prayer vigil called “40 Days for Life,” begun this past Tuesday, September 27. For the sake of newcomers to this prayer, a brief introduction is in order.

40 Days for Life is a continuous peaceful and prayerful vigil done outside an abortion facility. As a movement, we have come to recognize that we are unable to change attitudes in our own land for the abortion and contraception mentality is widely accepted as “health care” and a woman’s right. So, we humble ourselves and turn to God for help for in his beneficence and mercy he can work wonders.

Jesus, in speaking to his apostles, encouraged them that only through prayer and fasting can certain evil spirits be exorcised – Mark 9:26-29. And so we do likewise. For the next forty days, from September 28 though November 6, we are encouraging all to pray and fast to exorcise the evil that has wormed its way into the hearts of so many of our dear brothers and sisters.

• Pray at home or in the public transit, alone or with a prayer group, for an hour or a minute.
• Pray for the changing of heart of those who promote this unnatural butchery so they can recognize the preciousness of every life;
• Pray for those contemplating aborting their child, that they become aware that support is readily available through both governmental and private agencies, both during their pregnancy and afterwards; and
• Pray for those who have experienced one or more abortions so that they know that healing is readily available to them, whether through caring persons who will walk the walk with them for as long as it takes or through the healing balm that God readily has available to them.

In addition to prayer, we are aiding in a new manner – by providing a toll-free Help-line for all women interested in learning about alternatives health care options. Your generous help has permitted us to carry through with this initiative and confront this colossus of “health care” that abortion is often called.

Your contributions, either on-going or occasional basis, have permitted us to act in a couple of other ways:

This past Sunday, November 2, we at the Quebec Life Coalition participated in the Life Chain, an event involving over 1500 communities across North America;

We travelled to Cornwall to attend the annual conference of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in order to present a petition requesting that the CCCB examine the funding choices of the aid agency Development & Peace.

I was introduced to Mr. Thom O'Connor while volunteering in New York City. At the time, I mentioned to a colleague that I was out of rosaries for the sidewalk counselling ministry I was involved in and she suggested that I call Thom. Since that initial contact, I have learned that Mr. O'Connor's involvement in the pro-life movement is quite extensive as the following letter that he mailed me reveals.

As a television journalist of over forty years. I have heard every conceivable argument in regard to the pro-life / pro-choice debate. But, until now, I have never seen an abortion in living color. Even women who have had an abortion do not realize what is happening. So, I have presented on my website, an actual abortion. "The Silent Scream" was produced in 1958 by Dr. Bernard Nathanson with an introduction by Charlton Heston. It shows sonogram images of a child in the womb shrinking back from an abortionist's instruments. This documentary, "An Eclipse of Reason", displays and explains various procedures in graphic detail. Dr. Bernard Nathanson was co-founder of the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws. Nathanson, who just did in 2011, oversaw the performance of about 75,000 abortions before becoming a leading pro-life activitst and a convert to the Catholic faith.

Before his baptism to the Catholic faith by Cardinal John O'Connor and his advocacy of the pro-life movement, Nathanson decribed himself as a Jewish atheist.

Dr. Nathanson wrote "Abortion is now a monster so unimaginably gargantuan that even to think of stuffing it back into its cage is ludicrous beyond words." "I am one of those who helped usher in this barbaric age."

Please watch "Eclipse of Reason" on my website, and join those who pledge to protect the young and innocent.

We condemn the murder of the unborn in abortion.

- Thom O'Connor

p.s. To view the video, after linking to Mr. O'Connor's site, the video may be seen by scrolling for the term "Eclipse"

Campagne Québec-Vie (also known as Quebec Life Coalition), the Quebec division of national pro-life group Campaign Life Coalition, will be presenting a 400-signature petition demanding a « top to bottom » reform of the catholic organisation Development and Peace (D&P)to the bishops assembled for their annual meeting beginning on October 17 in Cornwall, ON.

Development and Peace, an organisation established by the bishops of Canada in 1967 to help the poor of the Third World, has been accused by pro-life and pro-family groups of funding pro-abortion, pro-contraception and homosexualist organisations. The bishops of Canada have of late created a standing committee to oversee D&P’s work.

The petition demands a « reform » of Development and Peace, asserting that « Development and Peace funds agencies in the developing world – in Mexico, Latin America, and Africa— that promote abortion, contraception, and ideologies that run counter to the teachings of the Catholic Church » and expresses a fear that « only the tip of the iceberg has been exposed ». The petition concludes with a demand that the bishops of Canada « review from top to bottom the mandate and the organisation of D&P, so that D&P may accomplish its task of mercy and justice on behalf of the poor in light of ALL the teachings of the Church, particularly those concerned with the sacred character of human life and procreation. »

An online version of the petition may be found here.

Campagne Québec-Vie president Georges Buscemi, who will be delivering the petition in Cornwall this Monday, remains optimistic about finding a solution to the problems plaguing Development and Peace. « The answer » he believes « is found in pope Benedict XVI’s latest encyclical Caritas in Veritate, which states that ‘openness to life is at the centre of true development’ (section 28)» Buscemi believes that « this is a perfect statement to guide the reform of Development and Peace » and that « if Development and Peace wants to truly help the Third World develop, they should be promoting respect for life and openness to life in the Third World, especially when we consider how secular NGOs are showering the Third World with pro-abortion propaganda and condoms, to the detriment of Third World nations and cultures. »

Campagne Québec-Vie’s French language page dedicated to the Development and Peace affair can be found here.

The current "40 Days for Life" campaign is the largest in the movement's history. Over 300 grass-root groups have stepped forward to host a site where praying for the end of abortion is occurring and this in seven different countries. Information regarding the history of the movement may be found here.

Here in Canada, we are also seeing the greatest numbers of vigil locations occurring in any one campaign since these began back in 2007. From Victoria, B.C., through the prairies, into central Canada, and out east in the Maritime provinces, fifteen organizations have committed themselves to the cause of the unborn through 40 days of praying and fasting and constant vigil.

In Edmonton, Alberta, the prayer vigil caught the attention of the Western Catholic Reporter. In an October 10 story, and found here, the article notes the ecumenical tone to the vigil as both protestant and Catholic groups are participating.

Further, the reporter notes that what had been a once a year vigil - in the spring time, has for the first time become a twice a year event. Karen Richert, office director for Edmonton Pro-Life, says in regard to this change: "...we had a lot of people say to us that the weather is so much more favourable in the fall, so that's why we're doing both now.

Finally, we read how the vigilers are disproving the myth that we are there to judge and condemn the women who wish to procure an abortion. “People just want somebody to talk to, and they want to know that they are not hated for what they’ve done, so that sign of hope and witness is always so important,” said Richert.

Two good stories.

First, today's news contains an article that Canadian bishops are speaking up against abortion. Lifesitenews reports that the head of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops committee on family life has come out against the Tories' grant to the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

In a Friday letter, Bishop Gerald Wiesner, O.M.I., chairman of the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), said IPPF is “the world’s largest abortion provider and promoter,” and so the government’s recently announced $6 million grant is in clear violation of its pledge not to fund abortion abroad. The full story is available here, whereas the bishop's letter can be found here.

In a separate story of pastoral leadership, in Halifax, Most Reverent Anthony Mancini is supporting the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil. In an email from the site's coordinator, I learned of his participation at the vigil's kick-off this past September 27. There blog may be read right here.

Blessings

p.s. Lifesitenews also has a powerful story of a young mom choosing life. At 18 she became pregnant. She found support, and a friend, in her decision-making at a local crisis pregnancy centre. I found that she describes quite well the emotional roller-coaster associated with an unplanned pregnancy. The story may be read here.

In today's Journal de Montreal, you will find a story, on pages 14-15, entitled "Le bilan de sante du Grand Montreal" - An Inventory of Montreal's Health. The two-page spread outlines various statistics regarding well-being in Montreal, both pros and cons.

I wish to add a statistic that has escaped the editors of the daily. According to Stats Can, for every hundred births in the Quebec hub, there are 60 abortions.  That's right, out of 160 pregnancies, 60 of our defenseless brothers and sisters do not get to see the light of day.