Wednesday, 19 February 2014

More evidence for why Fr Timothy Radcliffe should be cancelled by Dublin's Divine Mercy conference

Fr Timothy Radcliffe O.P.
Fr Timothy Radcliffe O.P. has issued a statement in response to calls by concerned Catholics, including myself, for this weekend's Divine Mercy Conference in Dublin to cancel his appearance due to his dissent from Catholic teaching on sexual ethics. Deacon Nick Donnelly of the excellent Protect the Pope blog has already detailed Fr Radcliffe's unorthodox contribution to the Church of England's Pilling review on homosexuality, and Kathy Sinnott and Fr Dominic Allain have taken apart that contribution in an edition of Kathy's Celtic Connections radio programme on EWTN.

In his statement on the Divine Mercy Conference website, Fr Radcliffe admits that:
"I have presided occasionally at Masses which were intended to be especially welcoming to gay people."
The Masses in question are the infamous Soho gay Masses. Fr Radcliffe goes on to claim that:
"There are no grounds at all for regarding these Masses as gatherings of dissenters from the Church’s teaching."
Fr Radcliffe's claim is demonstrably false - there is a mountain of evidence that those Masses were precisely "gatherings of dissenters from the Church’s teaching" - see my blog-posts of 25 Aug. 2010,  9 Sep. 2010, 13 Dec. 2010 and 7 Jan. 2012 ) Fr Radcliffe himself gave words of succour to those dissenters in his sermons to them. On 7 May 2004, The Catholic Herald reported that Fr Radcliffe "has presided over a Mass for London's gay Catholics." The paper also reported that Fr Radcliffe told a recent convert that he "must understand that he has joined with all sorts of people whose opinions on homosexuality may differ widely." The paper quoted Fr Radcliffe saying that:
"You are becoming one with all sorts of people with whom you may profoundly disagree, and who may appear to reject your sexual orientation and much that you may hold dear ... [such as] Cardinal Ratzinger".
And in a sermon on 18 August  2010 at the Soho Mass, Fr Radcliffe complained that:
"Every statement that comes from the Vatican seems to provoke more misunderstanding, more embarrassment, more frustration. My indignation with what the Vatican says is only exceeded by my indignation at its wilful misrepresentation by the press."
In a 10 March 2012 article in The Tablet entitled "Can marriage ever change", Fr Radcliffe wrote:
"This is not to denigrate committed love of people of the same sex. This too should be cherished and supported, which is why church leaders are slowly coming to support samesex civil unions. The God of love can be present in every true love."
In a 26 November 2005 article in The Tablet entitled "Can gays be priests?" Fr Radcliffe interpreted the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's document on "Persons with homosexual tendencies and the priesthood". Criticising Fr Radcliffe's interpretation, Fr Alphonsus de Valk wrote that:
"The article has done a disservice to the Church...by attempting to deconstruct the Vatican warnings ... In unjustly deriding the Vatican warnings, Fr. Radcliffe has given succor to other detractors."
In 2006, Fr Radcliffe joined Britain's leading dissenting Catholics in contributing an essay to "Opening up: Speaking out in the Church", a book of essays produced as a tribute to Martin Pendergast, one of Britain's leading Christian homosexual activists and one of the organisers of the Soho gay Masses. The book was co-edited by Julian Filochowski, Pendergast's civil partner, and Peter Stanford, another notorious dissenter from Catholic sexual ethics.

On 10 July 2009, Fr Radcliffe gave a talk to a Catholic parish in Mashpee, Massachusetts, in which he said:
"It's not that sexual ethics are particularly important. I don't think they are" (video at 8min40sec)
and
"We have to find ways of promoting our vision of the Christian family so as we can have a context within which to raise children, another generation; but we have to do it in a way which doesn't trash the relationships that people actually have" (video at 1min)
This echoes Fr Radcliffe's words in:
"[S]hould the Church accommodate her teaching to the experience of our contemporaries or should we stick by our traditional sexual ethics and risk becoming a fortress Church, a small minority out of step with people’s lives? Neither option seems right ... I confess that I do not know the answer."
  • a  keynote address to a US religious education conference, in which he was reported as saying:
“We accompany people in friendship as they become moral agents. Let’s look at the gays. For some reason--I don’t actually understand why--it’s become a very hot topic in all the churches at the moment. It’s tearing the Church of England apart. It’s the cause of great dissension in our own church. Usually when we think about it, we ask, ‘What is forbidden or permitted?’ But I’m afraid I’m an old-fashioned and traditional Catholic, and I believe that’s the wrong place to start. We begin by standing by gay people as they hear the voice of the Lord that summons them to life and happiness. We accompany them as they wrestle with discovering what this means and how they must walk. And this means letting our imaginations be stretched open to watching Brokeback Mountain, reading gay novels, having gay friends, making that leap of the heart and the mind, delighting in their being, listening with them as they listen to the Lord.”
In March 2012, Stephen Hough, a concert pianist who is openly practising homosexual Catholic, argued in favour of same-sex marriage in a blogpost on The Telegraph website, in which he said:
"I am heartened by Father Timothy Radcliffe's article in The Tablet which tries to place marriage and partnerships from a Catholic viewpoint in a clearer perspective. As the former head of the Dominican Order worldwide, he is the most senior churchman to offer a revisionist view on this issue ... If Fr. Radcliffe's lone voice were a united choir from the bishops worldwide the Church might be in a better position to discuss this issue and make a valuable contribution."
Fr Radcliffe has a problem understanding and accepting the concept of obedience, both to the truth and to the Magisterium which proclaims that truth:
  • During his 2009 Mashpee talk, he said that the Catholic Church "tends to be addicted to the culture of control" (video at 3min40sec).
  • In an article in The Catholic Herald on 2 December 2005, ("A wound to the Body of Christ"), Fr Radcliffe complained that Catholics during the Counter-Reformation "had to toe the party line, to stick to precise formulations of dogmatic positions".
  • In an article in The Catholic Herald on 10 December 2006, writer Raymond Edwards described Fr Radcliffe as the "darling of English progressives" and criticised what he described as Fr Radcliffe's "misunderstanding of the role of the Church's Magisterium" and his "agnosticism" regarding sexual ethics.
Again, during his 2009 Mashpee talk, Fr Radcliffe was asked about relations between the Catholic Church and the newly-elected President Barack Obama. He replied (video at 9mins28secs) that:
"I think that the most important thing is to have a mutually-respectful dialogue with President Obama. He is a very bright man. I have to say that when he was elected, in England you cannot believe the excitement we had. And I believe that he is a man with whom the Church can be in dialogue, on all sorts of issues."
Fr Radcliffe then called to the stage Professor Thomas Groome to speak as an expert on the Church's "dialogue" with Mr Obama. As LifeSiteNews.com has detailed, Professor Groome is a leading dissenter from Catholic teaching within the world of Catholic education. Cardinal George Pell has banned his books within the Archdiocese of Sydney. Professor Groome said (video at 0mins40secs)  that:
  • Obama "on many, many issues, really embraces Catholic social teaching"
  • "many Catholics would not be in favour" of banning all abortions
  • banning all abortions would be "to send abortions back to the back-alleys of our country"
  • Obama is "deeply committed to reducing the numbers of abortions"
  • Catholics "can work with" Obama on the abortion issue.
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Thursday, 13 February 2014

New guidance to warn abortion clinics that gender selection is illegal

Top stories:

New guidance to warn abortion clinics that gender selection is illegal [Telegraph, 12 February]

Pro-life pregnancy counsellors "doing an heroic job", says SPUC 
Pro-life pregnancy counsellors are "doing an heroic job", says SPUC. SPUC was commenting  the light of The Telegraph newspaper's attack, in concert with pro-abortion campaigners, on crisis pregnancy centres manned by pro-life counsellors. Paul Tully, SPUC's general secretary, commented: "In our experience, on the whole, crisis pregnancy centres are doing an heroic job, in the face of concerted and deceitful opposition from representatives of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the avaricious abortion industry which the RCOG represents." [SPUC, 11 February]

John Smeaton, SPUC's chief executive, given major award
John Smeaton, SPUC's chief executive, has been given a major award. Mr Smeaton was given the 2013 Cardinal John J. O'Connor Pro-Life Award by the Pro-Life Commitee of Legatus www.legatus.org Legatus, founded in 1987, helps top-ranking Catholic executives become "ambassadors for Christ". The award was given in a ceremony at the 2014 Legatus Summit, held this past weekend in Orlando, Florida. The Legatus Pro-life Committee said that "John Smeaton’s long history of work with life issues dating back to 1975 provides him with a wealth of knowledge, experience and insight to effectively deal with present-day threats to human life". [SPUC, 11 February]

Other stories:

Abortion
Embryology and stem cell research
  • Grandfather with leukaemia given 18 months to live is saved by two babies'  umbilical cords [Mail, 12 February]
Euthanasia
Sexual ethics
  • Moscow bans adoptions of Russian kids in countries with same-sex marriages [Voice of Russia, 13 February]
  • Have 800 women been killed by the Pill? The alarming dangers of taking so-called third generation contraceptives [Mail, 13 February]
General
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Wednesday, 12 February 2014

My message to US Catholic leaders was well-received

My visit to Russia's UN delegation:
Peter Smith, one of SPUC's chief UN
lobbyists, is on the right
I'm travelling back to the UK today after a three-week working visit to the United States. I met a number of pro-life leaders, either in their offices or at the Legatus Summit, as well as Archbishop Chullikatt and members of the Holy See's delegation to the United Nations. I also met (introduced by Peter Smith, one of SPUC's chief UN lobbyists) the Russian delegation to the UN (pictured) and I congratulated them on recent legislation in Russia to ban advertising abortion services.

I was honoured to receive the Cardinal John J O'Connor Award from Legatus and am pleased to have received some kind and positive comments about the talks I gave: here are a couple of reports from LifeSiteNews.com:
Tom Monaghan (Legatus founder), Josephine Smeaton (John's wife), John Smeaton, Mike Faricy (Legatus board)
Finally, I wish to pause and reflect on the Gospel from this past Sunday Mass, which was from St Matthew, chapter 5:13-16. Here is the same Gospel but starting at verse 10 and ending half-way through verse 13:
"Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you. You are the salt of the earth."
These words of our Lord, persecuted so cruelly Himself, seem to me to apply very aptly to the pro-life counsellors who were attacked this week so hypocritically by the mainstream media and their orchestrators in the pro-abortion lobby. We must let pro-life counsellors know that they are the salt of the earth, blessed now on earth and promised great reward in heaven. I am also very proud of SPUC's team in London which issued a strong statement defending those counsellors and fighting back against the culture-of-death business. The statement is full of factual information, based on SPUC's nearly 50 years of experience.

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Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Pro-life pregnancy counsellors are doing an heroic job

SPUC has commented the light of The Telegraph newspaper's attack, in concert with pro-abortion campaigners, on crisis pregnancy centres manned by pro-life counsellors.

Paul Tully, SPUC's general secretary, told the media today:
"SPUC does not run crisis pregnancy centres, but we encourage such efforts and provide some groups with literature telling accurately about what abortion does to women and babies. Our literature is backed up with medical evidence. In our experience, on the whole, crisis pregnancy centres are doing an heroic job, in the face of concerted and deceitful opposition from representatives of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the avaricious abortion industry which the RCOG represents.

The counselling centres are helping hundreds of women to avoid abortion, and playing a significant part in reducing the abortion rate. Many of them not only provide counselling but practical support - something which none of the abortion agencies do. Also, unlike abortionists, these counselling centres  do not receive NHS funding contingent on the outcome of the services they provide.

Doctors falsify statutory abortion forms on a routine basis, with the connivance of the RCOG and the Department of Health. This enriches abortion merchants such as the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), out of the deaths of over 500 babies every day. Dishonest doctors are raking in huge fees, and are jealous of those groups who are snatching potential victims away from them.

Dr Kate Guthrie of the RCOG told The Telegraph that there is 'absolutely no evidence that abortions lead to an increased risk of breast cancer'. Dr Guthrie's statement is simply not true. Although the evidence is not conclusive, it is voluminous. For example, in November last year a meta-analysis of 36 studies of the possible abortion-breast cancer link among Chinese females found a 44% increased risk of breast cancer after one or more abortions, 76% increased risk after two abortions or more, and 89% increaseed risk after 3 or more abortions.  Although this does not prove that abortion causes breast cancer, for a doctor to deny that such evidence exists is irresponsible, and to try to stop women finding out about suggests a profound commitment to promoting abortion."
References:
  • Dr Yubei Huang et al., A meta-analysis of the association between induced abortion and breast cancer risk among Chinese females, Cancer Causes Control  DOI 10.1007/s10552-013-0325-7, November 2013 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10552-013-0325-7
  • Anthony McCarthy, Open Letter to the British Humanist Association and Education for Choice in response to allegations made about SPUC’s education programme, 25 May 2012 https://www.spuc.org.uk/documents/papers/humanists20120525 (this letter contains further references to evidence linking abortion to breast cancer, as well to infertility and to psychiatric harm).
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Saturday, 8 February 2014

Michael Coren, Fr John Zuhlsdorf and myself at the Legatus Summit, Orlando, Florida

Yesterday I was delighted to meet Michael Coren and Fr John Zuhlsdorf at the 2014 Legatus Summit being held in Orlando, Florida:


Michael is a high-profile Catholic writer, public speaker, radio host and television talk show host, based in Canada and originally from Essex.

Fr John is one of the world's leading Catholic bloggers and well-known to faithful pro-life/pro-family Catholics in the UK and worldwide.

Our number one topic of conversation was the absurd report by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child berating the Catholic Church for not promoting abortion, contraception, etc.

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Friday, 7 February 2014

Dublin's Divine Mercy conference defends invitation to Fr Timothy Radcliffe, dissenter from Catholic teaching on sexual ethics

Fr Timothy Radcliffe O.P.
As readers may recall, I and other concerned pro-life/pro-family Catholics have objected to the invitation to Fr Timothy Radcliffe O.P. to speak at Dublin's Divine Mercy conference on 22/23 February. Fr Radcliffe is well-known as a veteran dissenter from Catholic teaching on sexuality. Deacon Nick Donnelly of the excellent "Protect the Pope" blog has detailed Fr Radcliffe's dissent. The conference's organising committee has issued a statement (see below) defending the invitation to Fr Radcliffe. The statement emphasises the committee's assertion that they
"stand with the Church in all matters of faith and morals"
which begs the question: If that is so, why are they inviting and defending someone who clearly does not "stand with the Church in all matters of faith and morals"?

STATEMENT FROM THE DIVINE MERCY COMMITTEE

What does the Lord require of us?
            “To act justly and to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God”                                                                                                                                                                                      Micah 6:8
The nature of devotion in the history of Catholic spirituality is that it is clearly centred on reverence and respect:  reverence for God and the things of God and respect for our neighbour and the things of our neighbour. These are two qualities which are commended by St. Faustina:
           
“As for you be always merciful to other people and especially towards sinners”   (SFD 1446).
“On the cross the fountain of My mercy was opened wide by the lance for all souls - no one have I excluded.” (SFD 1182).

Following inquiries with appropriate Church authorities we have invited  Fr Timothy Radcliffe O.P. to address the Divine Mercy Conference in Dublin on the theme “OUR FATHER…THY WILL BE DONE” on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd February, 2014. Fr. Radcliffe is a respected and much sought after international speaker on scripture and spirituality. He works closely with Church leaders on an international level and we believe he will have an important message to share with us.

Through this statement, we wish to acknowledge all those who expressed concern or had reservations , and we want to assure all who participate in the Divine Mercy Movement that in line with St Faustina’s teaching,  we stand with the Church in all  matters of faith and morals as faithful disciples of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

In keeping with St. Faustina’s  message the purpose of the Conference is to glorify God’s Mercy and encourage fidelity to the Catholic Church in these difficult times.   

We would like to conclude with these words of St. Faustina’:
            “Love is a mystery that transforms everything it touches into things beautiful and pleasing to God,” (SFD, 890).

Please pray for the Conference and pray for the victory of LOVE in the world.

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Wednesday, 5 February 2014

My meeting in New York with the papal nuncio to the United Nations

This week I am working with Peter Smith, one of SPUC's chief lobbyists at the United Nations in New York. During my visit I had the honour of meeting Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, the papal nuncio, to discuss the growing presence of pro-abortion organisations at the UN:


Today I launched an appeal to pro-life groups worldwide to join our experienced lobbying team to fight against US, British and EU policy of promoting the legalisation of abortion in every country of the world.

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UN committee overstepped mandate in pro-abortion attack on Catholic Church, say pro-life UN lobbyists SPUC

A United Nations (UN) committee on the Rights of the Child overstepped its mandate in its pro-abortion attack on the Catholic Church, said lobbyists for SPUC at the UN.

SPUC is recognised officially by the UN at a non-governmental organisation NGO, and provides most of the pro-life lobbying efforts at the UN institutions in New York and Geneva.

SPUC was responding to a report published today by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child which attacked the Catholic Church's teachings on abortion, contraception and homosexuality, under the guise of a critique of the Church's handling of child sex abuse cases. The report, among similar things, recommends that the Catholic Church:
  • identifies "circumstances under which access to abortion services can be permitted" (section 55)
  • "overcome[s] all the barriers and taboos surrounding adolescent sexuality that hinder their access to sexual and reproductive information, including on family planning and contraceptives" (section 57a)
  • "ensure[s] that sexual and reproductive health education and prevention of HIV/AIDS is part of the mandatory curriculum of Catholic schools" (section 57c)
I am in New York with Peter Smith, one of SPUC's UN lobbyists, and as I told the media earlier today, the committee has overstepped its mandate by making demands well beyond the scope of the actual wording of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. There is nothing in the Convention which requires the Catholic Church or any other body to facilitate abortion, contraception or homosexuality.

There is a great deal of hypocrisy in the committee's report. Under the cover of seeking to protect children against sexual abuse, the report promotes damage to children - the destruction of unborn children through abortion and the destruction of born children's innocence through the promotion of contraception and homosexuality.

The Holy See's representatives made clear to the committee last month, Catholic leaders are facing up to the shocking child abuse scandals within the Church. Pro-life and pro-family groups throughout the world must  - like SPUC - come to the UN to help the Holy See in its vital work of protecting  unborn children and the marriage-based family. This work is under constant attack by the Catholic Church's enemies, as manifested in the committee's report today.

Any pro-life/pro-family groups interested in lobbying at the UN are invited to contact me for help and advice regarding accreditation and related issues, on +44 (0)7785 325808 or at johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk

Notes:

The report references general comment 15 which was condemned by Archbishop Chullikatt of the Holy See in a speech to the UN General Assembly in October:
"In light of the recent output of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, my Delegation would like to address some elements of General Comments 14 and 15. These Comments, my Delegation must point out respectfully, represent only the opinions of the Committee; they do not constitute agreed language and lack all force of judicial precedence. Whatever is contained within them that is not consistent with the normative text of the Convention and other international instruments constitutes a disservice to the best interests of children. Expressions such as “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” (General Comment No. 14 [2013], par. 55, and No. 15 [2013], par. 8)), on which no international juridical consensus exists, are used spuriously and very unfortunately in these Comments. The recommendations, for example, States submit children to education and direction on sexual health, contraception and so-called “safe” abortion (par. 31) without the consent of their parents, caregiver or guardian; abortion be promoted by States as a family planning method (par. 54, 56, 70), and so-called “sexual and reproductive health information or services” be provided by States, irrespective of providers’ conscientious objections (par. 69). Such recommendations are particularly reprehensible. No abortion is ever “safe” because it kills the life of the child and harms the mother.
The Holy See strongly urges the Committee to revise its General Comments in conformity with its guiding international instruments: beginning with the Convention itself, which affirms the right to life of the child, “before as well as after birth” (Preamble, par. 9), the right of conscience [7], and full respect for the rights, responsibilities and duties of parents regarding their children[8]; and including also the explicit affirmation by the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) that abortion should never be promoted as a family planning method (par. 7.24)."
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Monday, 3 February 2014

Places still available at the UK's premier pro-life youth event

The 7th International Pro-Life Youth Conference will start on Friday 7 March and there are still places available, at what is the UK's premier pro-life youth event. The conference runs until Sunday 9 March and will be held this year at University of Wolverhampton, Telford Campus Conference Centre.

Here's what Daniel Blackman of SPUC's youth team told LifeSiteNews.com last week about the conference:
"Inspiring conferences are vital to the life of the pro-life movement. Friendships formed, ideas exchanged, stories shared. For a few days young adults spend time in a community atmosphere, the sort of community they are trying to build amid the culture of death so many of us find ourselves in.

Our youth are indeed the future, but they are also right now the activists, witnesses, leafleters, marchers, writers, speakers, and volunteers.

SPUC, the world's oldest prolife organisation is holding its youth conference for them, and for those who want to join this movement. This conference only happens once a year. Don’t miss out. Attend now, to be equipped to make a pro-life change tomorrow."
The expert speakers include:
  • Dr. William Newton, dean and lecturer, Steubenville University, USA
  • Dr. Igor Beloborodov, Institute for Demographic Research, Russia
  • Fiorella Nash, novelist and SPUC researcher
  • Dr. Helen Watt, senior research fellow, Anscombe Bioethics Centre
  • John-Henry Westen, co-founder and editor-in-chief of LifeSiteNews
  • Patrick Buckley, head, European Life Network
  • Dr. Tom Ward, founder, National Association of Catholic Families (NACF)
  • John Smeaton, SPUC's chief executive
Some reasons why young adults aged 16-35 should attend:
  • a line-up of international experts speaking on up-to-date pro-life topics
  • opportunities for questions, panel discussions/debates so that you can ask and discuss the most important pro-life issues we face today
  • a top quality range of literature for you to take away
  • the chance to spend three days in the company of other young pro-lifers in the UK and abroad. You’ll make new friends and learn about the pro-life and student experiences of others
  • each day you’ll be served meals and refreshment. These are great opportunities to talk with the speakers and relax with other young adults
  • we’ll guarantee you entertainment and a reasonably-priced bar for drinks. Previous conferences have included films, talent shows, ceilidh bands and dancing.
All for the price of only £100.

Do not delay. If you’re booking as part of a group it’s best to start organising early. Booking early also means you’ll be able to book your coach or train tickets at a cheaper price.

To book, contact SPUC via:
The SPUC youth blog has a permanent page dedicated to the conference.

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Friday, 31 January 2014

Bishops everywhere should follow the Nigerian bishops' lead in defence of families

Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama
The Catholic bishops of Nigeria have thanked Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria's president, for signing into law the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill, 2011, which prohibits same-sex marriages, civil partnerships, and the promotion of homosexuality. The media statement from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria describes the new law as:
"as a right step in the right direction for the protection of the dignity of the human person".
Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, president of the bishops' conference, commended President Jonathan for his:
"decision...not to bow to international pressure in the promotion of unethical and immoral practices of same sex union and other related vices"
and spoke of:
"the conspiracy of the developed world to make our country and continent, the dumping ground for the promotion of all immoral practices, that have continued to debase the purpose of God for man in the area of creation and morality, in their own countries."
As a pro-life leader, as a parent and as a Catholic, I am very grateful for the Nigerian Catholic bishops' defence of families. Standing up against the worldwide homosexual agenda is crucial for the protection of children. SPUC has produced a paper about the impact that same-sex marriage will have on schools. Sadly many Catholic schools are also likely to be open to the homosexual agenda. Bishops around the world should follow the Nigerian bishops' lead and speak out for strong policies against the subversion of the truth and meaning of human sexuality.

May I urge readers to email Nigeria's Catholic bishops to thank them for their witness? Please email His Grace Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, President, Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, via the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria csnabuja@cbcn.org

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Russian health ministry plans to set up pregnancy centres to lower abortion rate

Elena Baibarina
Top story:

Russian health ministry plans to set up pregnancy centres to lower abortion rate
Russia's health ministry is planning to set crisis pregnancy centres to help lower the country's high abortion rate. Elena Baibarina, the head of the Health Ministry's Department for Health Care for Children and Obstetric Aid, said: "We think that this is the most promising and humane way of reducing the number of abortions." The Russian government has also put forth a number of other proposals to reverse the legacy of Russia's Communist-era abortion culture. [LifeSiteNews.com, 29 January]

Other stories:

Abortion
Embryology and stem cell research
Euthanasia
Population
Sexual ethics
General
  • 14 babies die on NHS maternity wards every day: Women are failed over care, say MPs [Mail, 30 January]
  • Middle class mothers deserting workplace to care for children, Government study shows [Telegraph, 30 January]
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Monday, 27 January 2014

Lunacek report alert now in several languages

SPUC's alert to lobby MEPs about the dangerous Lunacek report is now available in French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish. Please send these translations to friends, family and colleagues in Europe, asking them to lobby their MEPs to stop the Lunacek report. The European Parliament is due to vote on the report next week. See our alert (in English) of 6 January for more information.

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Amnesty International considers supporting decriminalising prostitution

Top story:

Amnesty International considers supporting decriminalising prostitution
Amnesty International, the human rights organisation, is considering supporting the decriminalisation of prostitution. The proposal is to be put before Amnesty members and voted on at its annual general meeting in April. [Mail, 24 January]  In recent years, Amnesty has moved to campaigning for legal abortion and for homosexual rights.

Other stories:

Abortion
Euthanasia
Embryology
Population
Sexual ethics
  • Number of married couples with children in UK reaches record low, suggests official figures [Mail, 23 January]
  • Urge that Fr Timothy Radcliffe is cancelled by Dublin's Divine Mercy Conference [John Smeaton, 23 January]
General
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Thursday, 23 January 2014

WaterAid's position on population growth

Top story:

WaterAid's position on population growth
WaterAid UK was founded in 1981 in response to the United Nations Decade of Drinking Water and Sanitation. WaterAid says that it "deal[s] solely with water, sanitation and hygiene issues." In July 2012 WaterAid issued a statement congratulating the UK government for organising an London Summit on Family Planning, co-organised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The summit aimed to promote the provision of contraceptives, including hormonal contraceptives that can act abortifaciently. This summit was strongly supported by international pro-abortion organisations such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Marie Stopes International (MSI), and Ipas. In its statement, WaterAid stated: “contraception is indeed a critical factor for family planning.” In an email in December to a SPUC supporter, WaterAid supported the alleged need for a reduction in population growth in the developing world. [SPUC, 22 January]

Other stories:

Abortion
Euthanasia
  • I feel right to die pressure, says motor neurone disease sufferer [BBC, 21 January]
  • Suicide girl Emma Crossman 'copied Coronation Street Hayley Cropper storyline' [Mirror, 18 January]
Sexual ethics
  • Irish Government: Gay couples to get parental rights ‘regardless of equal marriage referendum’ [Pink News, 22 January]
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Urge that Fr Timothy Radcliffe is cancelled by Dublin's Divine Mercy Conference

I have received the disturbing news that Fr Timothy Radcliffe O.P. is to be one of the guest speakers at this year's Divine Mercy Conference in Dublin on 22/23 February. Fr Radcliffe is well-known as a veteran dissenter from Catholic teaching on sexuality. Deacon Nick Donnelly of the excellent "Protect the Pope" blog has detailed Fr Radcliffe's dissent. In May 2011, LifeSiteNews.com reported that Fr Radcliffe's scheduled keynote speaking engagement at the general assembly of Caritas Internationalis had been cancelled by the Vatican.

Please urge - for the sake of the Gospel of Life, the truth & meaning of human sexuality and our children - that the Divine Mercy Conference withdraws its invitation to Fr Radcliffe. Please email:
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Monday, 20 January 2014

Sex-selective abortion is legacy of abortion on demand, argues conservative columnist

Top story:

Sex-selective abortion is legacy of abortion on demand, argues conservative columnist
A conservative columnist has argued that sex-selective abortion is a legacy of abortion on demand. Dominic Lawson, writing for the Mail newspaper, said: "If [an unborn child] has no moral status during the temporary period of total dependency on the mother, why should one reason for termination be any more legal or illegal  than another? ... That’s what pro-choice means, however much those who framed the law might seek to distance themselves from the consequences." [Mail, 20 January]

Other stories:

Abortion
Euthanasia
  • If we don’t care, we will legalise euthanasia, argues conservative columnist [Times, 20 January]
  • Suicide story in soap-opera will make ill feel they are better off dead, says disabled parliamentarian [Mirror, 19 January]
  • Son was put on Liverpool Care Pathway without mother's consent [Luton Today, 19 January]
Population
  • Chinese court jails suspected members of gang accused of illegal sex-selection tests [Guardian, 19 January]
Sexual ethics
General
  • 3D printing firm offers lifesize figurine of baby from ultrasound scans [Mail, 20 January]
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Friday, 17 January 2014

All 'emergency contraception' can cause abortion, suggests study

Top stories:

All 'emergency contraception' can cause abortion, suggests study [LifeSiteNews.com, 16 January]

MP supports family groups in opposing pornography in schools

David Amess, a leading pro-life MP, has backed a petition calling on Michael Gove, the education secretary, to resist calls for pornography to be presented in the classroom as part of sex education lessons. The petition was organised by SPUC's Safe at School campaign, a parent advocacy group. David Amess joined Safe at School supporters (pictured) in presenting a petition of over 22,000 signatures to the Department for Education yesterday evening. [SPUC, 17 January]

Urgent: abortion clinic licencing consultation
A consultation is being conducted (closing date/time: Monday 3 February at noon) by the Department of Health into the Operating Procedures for licenced abortion clinics. You can contribute online. Read the full alert - SPUC, 16 January

Safe at School seriously concerned by 'expert' group writing porn guidelines for schools
SPUC's Safe at School campaign has expressed serious concern about the so-called 'expert' group which the Department for Education has convened to write guidelines for schools on how to teach pupils about pornography. Antonia Tully, national co-ordinator of Safe at School, told the media today: "We are very concerned about the organisations in this 'expert' group. The SEF has already produced suggestions and lesson ideas for teachers on how to teach children about pornography. These lessons are not about warning children and teenagers about the dangers of pornography. The SEF lessons are promoting pornography; encouraging children and teenagers to explore and embrace it." [SPUC, 16 January]

Sex-selective abortion stats mean government policy must change, says SPUC
In the light of the latest evidence about sex-selection abortion, SPUC has called for immediate reform of the Department of Health's abortion policy which promotes abortion for any reason. Commenting on the investigation by The Independent newspaper into sex-selection abortions, Paul Tully, SPUC's general secretary, said: "Discrimination against women is being perpetuated by abortion. The pro-life movement condemns abortion as an anti-woman policy as well anti-child. However it is important to recognise that most baby girls (and boys) who are aborted are killed by doctors who pretend that the mother's mental health is at risk – and sign forms saying so. The Department of Health funds and defends these abortions, encouraging abuse of the law." [SPUC, 15 January]

Coronation St assisted suicide episode risks misleading public
A forthcoming episode of a popular British soap-opera risks misleading the public on the issue of assisted suicide. Anthony Ozimic, SPUC Pro-Life's communications manager, commented: "Soap operas are successful vehicles for creating emotion, fear and loyalty among the viewing public, but very poor vehicles for fostering the rational, ethics-based and evidence-rich debate needed on assisted suicide." [SPUC, 14 January]

Other stories:

Abortion
Euthanasia
Sexual ethics
General
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MP supports family groups in opposing pornography in schools

David Amess, a leading pro-life MP, has backed a petition calling on Michael Gove, the education secretary, to resist calls for pornography to be presented in the classroom as part of sex education lessons.

The petition was organised by SPUC's Safe at School campaign, a parent advocacy group. It came in opposition to calls by Sex Education Forum, an influential lobby group, which represents many anti-family and anti-life groups. The Department for Education has invited the Sex Education Forum (SEF) to help write guidelines for schools on how to teach pupils about pornography.

David Amess joined Safe at School supporters in presenting a petition of over 22,000 signatures to the Department for Education yesterday evening:
Pictured left to right: Antonia Tully (Safe at School); Dr Lisa Nolland (Lords and Commons Family and Child Protection Group); David Amess MP; Yusuf Patel (SREIslamic); Edmund Adamus (Director for Marriage & Family Life, Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster)

Mr Amess said:
"The  petition calls for children to be protected from pornography - not exposed to it in the classroom, as the Sex Education Forum has suggested. Children don't need to see pornography in the classroom to realise that there is something wrong about indecent images. Young people have an innate sense of modesty about their bodies which, unless it is eroded by adults, provides a natural protection against corruption. The sexualisation of young people whether for commercial reasons or ideological ones is something that our educational institutions should strongly resist."
Antonia Tully, national co-ordinator of Safe at School, said:
"The Sex Education Forum has already produced suggestions and lesson ideas for teachers on how to teach children about pornography. These lessons are not about warning children and teenagers about the dangers of pornography. The SEF lessons are promoting pornography; encouraging children and teenagers to explore and embrace it."

The Department for Education has not announced any change in the statutory guidelines for teaching sex education, which schools are obliged to follow. The expert group is only writing advice for schools. There is a danger that schools will be confused and think that they have to follow this advice."
Safe at School, along with 20 pro-family groups and individuals, including David Amess and eight other MPs, sent Michael Gove an open letter calling on him to recognise that parents are the primary educators of their children on sexual matters - see https://www.spuc.org.uk/news/releases/2014/january08 The letter stated any group writing sex education guidelines for schools must include organisations which recognise the primacy of parents.

Antonia said:
"Most parents would be horrified to see the approach that the SEF is taking. The SEF message is: 'As long as you can tell the difference between reality and pornography, there's no problem'. Rather, parents are the right people to teach their own children about sexual matters."
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Thursday, 16 January 2014

Urgent: abortion clinic licensing consultation

A consultation is being conducted (closing date/time: Monday 3 February at noon) by the Department of Health into the Operating Procedures for licensed abortion clinics.

You can contribute online via this link:
http://consultations.dh.gov.uk/abortion-clinics/approval-of-independent-sector-places-for-the-term/consult_view
(click on the words "ONLINE SURVEY").

You can contribute by post, by downloading the document "Consultation Response Form.docx", also from the web-page above.

The consultation documents are also available from links on the same web-page (Note: one of the consultation documents gives the closing date as "17 January" - this has been extended to noon on 3 February.)

We would encourage you to send a copy of your contribution to your MP. You might wish to do this by composing your responses in a letter, and then copying them into the website response form.

The questions:

Consultation question: "Do the updated RSOPs [Required Standard Operating Procedures] include the necessary requirements to ensure women receive a safe, high quality, service from independent sector abortion providers which meets the requirements of the Abortion Act?"
SPUC's advice: Write "no" - or leave blank on the grounds that such "requirements" are not ethically possible. [Note: The online version of the submission only allows a "yes" or "no" answer to this question: on the paper/downloadable version, you can expand your answer. If you are responding online however, you can add further comments in response to the final question.]

SPUC's background information: No abortion providers meet the requirements of the Act stipulating that two doctors must form an opinion in good faith that the abortion is necessary for the health of the pregnant woman or other statutory grounds. Abortion clinics routinely practise abortion on request. The RSOPs require abortion clinic proprietors to undertake to comply with the Abortion Act. None of them complies with the Act, and some of them openly defy the Act. Most abortions are said to be on grounds of the mental health of the woman. Doctors state this, falsely, on abortion notification forms. The willingness of doctors to lie on statutory forms which they sign "in good faith" indicates that they hold the law in contempt and are not fit to practise medicine, and clinics which employ such doctors should not be licensed.

Consultation question: "Are there any other RSOPs or requirements that you think should be included? If so, what are they, and why are they needed?"
SPUC's advice: We would caution against suggesting any so-called 'safeguards' that would implicitly accept the principle of legalised killing of the unborn. You might rather suggest here that groups which try to stop women from accessing pregnancy support organisations which offer alternatives to abortion should not be regarded as fit to run a clinic. Organisations which promote abortion by calling for 'abortion on demand' or by seeking to advertise their services in the mass media are demonstrating a commercial approach which is at odds with Parliament's approach to the abortion law, and should not be granted licences.

Consultation question: "Do you have any other comments you would like to make in relation to this consultation?
SPUC's advice: You may add any comments you wish here.

Please don't forget to send a copy to your MP, and ask him/her to raise these issues with the Minister.

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Safe at School seriously concerned by 'expert' group writing porn guidelines for schools

SPUC's Safe at School campaign has expressed serious concern about the so-called 'expert' group which the Department for Education has convened to write guidelines for schools on how to teach pupils about pornography.

Antonia Tully, national co-ordinator of Safe at School told the media today:
"We are very concerned about the organisations in this 'expert' group. The SEF has already produced suggestions and lesson ideas for teachers on how to teach children about pornography. These lessons are not about warning children and teenagers about the dangers of pornography. The SEF lessons are promoting pornography; encouraging children and teenagers to explore and embrace it."
Safe at School is presenting a petition of over 22,000 signatures to the Department for Education calling on the Secretary of State for Education to prohibit all promotion of pornography in schools.

Antonia continued:
"We need to be clear that the Department for Education is not changing the statutory guidelines for teaching sex education, which schools are obliged to follow. The expert group is only writing advice for schools. There is a danger that schools will be confused and think that they have to follow this advice."
Safe at School, along with 20 pro-family groups and individuals, including nine MPs, sent Michael Gove MP an open letter calling on him to recognise that parents are the primary educators of their children on sexual matters. The letter stated any group writing sex education guidelines for schools must include organisations which recognise the primacy of parents.

Antonia concluded:
"Most parents would be horrified to see the approach that the SEF is taking. The SEF message is: 'As long as you can tell the difference between reality and pornography, there's no problem'. Rather, parents are the right people to teach their own children about sexual matters."
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Wednesday, 15 January 2014

Sex-selective abortion stats mean government policy must change

In the light of the latest evidence about sex-selection abortion, SPUC has called for immediate reform of the Department of Health's abortion policy which promotes abortion for any reason.

Commenting on the investigation by The Independent newspaper into sex-selection abortions, Paul Tully, SPUC's general secretary, told the media today:
"Discrimination against women is being perpetuated by abortion. The pro-life movement condemns abortion as an anti-woman policy as well anti-child. However it is important to recognise that most baby girls (and boys) who are aborted are killed by doctors who pretend that the mother's mental health is at risk – and sign forms saying so. The Department of Health funds and defends these abortions, encouraging abuse of the law.

"The serious cultural prejudice against girls among a small percentage of UK citizens should not be used as a smokescreen for the ongoing slaughter of many hundreds of thousands of babies in the womb. The injustice done to all these babies is the same – death -  whatever the reason.

"It is also notable that legal officials have defended the practice of sex-selection abortion in Britain by arguing that it is only illegal if there is no other 'valid' reason for the abortion. 

"Last year the NHS and NHS Scotland funded the abortion of an estimated 100,000 girl babies in Britain.

"But the controversy highlights other aspects of British abortion policy too.

"The UK Department of Health has no compunction about 'lying with statistics' to defend its pro-abortion policy. For example, the department denies the evidence that there may be a link between abortion and breast cancer. There is no mention of breast cancer on the NHS "Risks of abortion" webpage http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/abortion/Pages/risks.aspx despite decades of evidence. It is therefore no surprise that the Department denied the evidence of sex-selection abortion. Since the Department of Health took over the publication of the abortion statistics from the Office for National Statistics, an independent body, all the abortion figures since then must be treated with caution.

"Whether the abortions are taking place in Britain, Asia or elsewhere, the UK government is promoting and funding them through organisations like Marie Stopes International and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service which provide industrial scale abortion services at home and abroad - and kill a few women in the process. 'Reproductive health' is one of the largest areas of spending for the UK overseas aid budget for health and it funds organisations which provide abortion.

"At home, the Department of Health does nothing to ensure that doctors observe even the lax conditions for approving abortion in the 1967 Act, and the NHS contracts out a huge number of abortions to private clinics which boast that they perform abortion on demand.

"The department is adopting a contradictory position by saying that a doctor who agrees to abort a girl-fetus because her mother doesn't want a daughter is a criminal, when in other cases a doctor who refuses to abort a woman because there are no medical grounds, is regarded by the department as guilty of unprofessional conduct. The Department of Health repeatedly insists that doctors who refuse to arrange an abortion must refer the woman to a colleague who is known to have no objection. This is an immoral and legally unfounded demand."
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