This week on the Pro-Life World View, we bring you a good news story about a baby born weighing just 240g thriving against all odds, more on the End of Life Choice Act Review, and much more.
Premature Baby Born 17 Weeks Early and Weighing 240g Heads Home
Molly Rossiter – Life News
Premature baby born weighing only 240 grams is going home
Evelyn Eilers was born 17 weeks early and was so tiny that she is one of the smallest prem babies ever to survive! This uplifting story shows how modern neo-natal medicine can safely bring tiny preemies through many health and development challenges. What a strange world we live in where medical technologies and practices are used to kill through abortion, euthanasia and assisted dying while also being rightly used to rescue, recover, heal, and allow babies to thrive.
It’s time for doctors to start thinking about the End of Life Choice Act review
Stories about the upcoming Review of the End of Life Choice Act have been featured here several times already, given the anti-life rhetoric coming from David Seymour and various mainstream media outlets. Medical doctors are one group with a particular interest in how this Act is framed and implemented, and what concerns them concerns us, too. It was with the doctors in mind that Alex Penk from Ethos wrote the article linked below.
His observations will be helpful as we each think about how best to influence the Review.
FLI Comment:
In this article, euthanasia and assisted suicide are referred to as the euphemism “assisted dying.” The authentic way to assist someone to die well is by walking with them in their suffering, alleviating their pain, and providing for their spiritual needs. Euthanasia and assisted suicide do the opposite by seeking to eliminate pain and suffering by ending a person’s life prematurely. We must always oppose and call for repealing this erroneous legislation.
Catholic archbishop urges faithful to shun same-sex marriage
Guardian Nigeria – The Guardian
Catholic Archbishop is urging ‘soldiers of Christ’ to shun same-sex marriage
On Pentecost Sunday, the Archbishop of Lagos (capital of Nigeria) confirmed nearly 2,000 people! In his Homily, he said to the candidates, “Those who receive the Holy Spirit on their day of confirmation in faith become soldiers of Christ and must believe and do all that Christ tells them to do.” He then warned them to shun same-sex marriage because God created them as men and women.
Seeing so many of the faithful being confirmed and hearing such direct teaching from this bishop is a blessing. Click the link to read this short, uplifting article.
Why the Southern Baptists’ vote opposing IVF could change national politics
Megan Messerly – Politico
Southern Baptists are voting to oppose IVF – will this herald change?
USA’s largest Protestant denomination, Southern Baptist, has voted to oppose In Vitro Fertilization. Given the size and influence of the Southern Baptist congregations, this may signal the start of a political pushback against IVF. The catalyst seems to have been a recent decision in the Alabama Supreme Court that ruled frozen embryos should have personhood rights. Given most people presently accept and support IVF – perhaps because they do not fully understand what it involves – the political battle to roll back IVF and make it illegal is likely to be long and arduous.
As we have highlighted before, IVF supplants the natural role of the mother to safeguard the embryo from conception with her body with laboratory technicians who routinely kill excess, unwanted, or imperfect embryos, whether before or after freezing. Globally, millions of human embryos are routinely destroyed in these ways.
The Devil and Communist China: From Mao Down to Xi
Steven Mosher – Population Research Institute
The Devil and Communist China
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said, “[A]t the heart of their psychology, hatred of God is the principal driving force.” His words aptly describe the character of Communist China’s leadership. Bible confiscations and churches becoming Civilization Practice Stations for the New Era are just a couple of examples.
This is a very short article about a new book, The Devil and Communist China, written by Steven Mosher, Founder of the Population Research Institute and an expert on China.
Cardinal Sarah Warns of Dangers of ‘Practical Atheism’ Even Within Church
Shannon Mullen – National Catholic Register
Cardinal Sarah is Warning of ‘Practical Atheism’ Even Within the Church
‘Practical atheism’ is described by Cardinal Robert Sarah as being “not an outright rejection of God, but it pushes God to the side.” It treats God as not being relevant to modern life. In this succinct article, the Cardinal describes the influence of this thinking within the Church, evidenced by a lack of faith and by a willingness to heed too readily heterodox views. “It is a grave danger to consider all voices legitimate,” he said. Given these influences and the state of the Church in Europe, the Cardinal is urging U.S. bishops to speak courageously in defence of the Faith and the centrality of Jesus and to be an example for the rest of the West. Read on to learn more about the problem of practical atheism and the Cardinal’s optimistic encouragement to the American Church.
The fifth commandment: sermon on the fifth Sunday after Pentecost
By a Dominican Friar – Voice of the Family
The fifth commandment: “Thou shalt not kill”
Here is an excellent summary of the fifth commandment, which is central to establishing and building a culture of life! Short and easily digested, this article speaks of euthanasia, abortion, contraception (abortifacient actions), IVF, and other causes of death. It also discusses how we can break this commandment by harming another’s soul or body. The article helps us understand why Jesus tells us that: “our ‘justice’ — that is, our obedience to this commandment and to all the others — must ‘abound more than’ the justice ‘of the scribes and pharisees.’”
The National Catholic Bioethics Center Welcomes New Collaboration with Human Life International
National Catholic Bioethics Centre
National Catholic Bioethics Centre in New Collaboration with Human Life International
The US-based National Catholic Bioethics Centre (NCBC) and Human Life International (HLI) are teaming up to provide a greater level of training for those on the front lines advocating for life. The NCBC’s National Catholic Certification Program in Health Care Ethics has undergone a revamp, allowing people from all over the globe who advocate for life in many different fields easier access to solid Catholic bioethical training.
Human Life International’s president, Father Shenan J. Boquet, a close collaborator with FLI, was also a student of the NCBC, earning his Certification, which contributed credits to his Masters in Science degree in Bioethics. Father Boquet will be in New Zealand from August 24 to September 7, 2024, for a speaking tour with the theme “Proclaiming the Gospel of Life in a post-Christian culture.” Details can be found here.
FLI’s National Director, Michelle Kaufman, recently earned Certification in Health Care Ethics through the NCBC. She highly recommends the course to anyone working in health care or the pro-life movement.
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