Pro-Life World View | June 20, 2025

MPs vote to decriminalise abortion up to birth
SPUC News

Parliament takes steps to decriminalize abortions in England and Wales
Kate Quiñones – CNA

MPs vote to decriminalise abortion up to birth

With just two hours of debate, UK MPs have voted to decriminalise abortion up to birth.  The law reads that “no offence is committed by a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy,” meaning a mother could abort her child at any time, including right before birth, even at her own hands. It will not be a criminal offense.  The decision not only completely abandons pre-born children, but it also leaves vulnerable women at risk of a forced abortion at the hands of an abuser.  Since the introduction of abortion by post, introduced hastily during the Covid pandemic, there has been a rise in abortion-related prosecutions in the UK.  Such unregulated access to lethal drugs leaves the system open to abuse.  According to polling, only 5% of the UK public believe abortion ought to be available up to birth.

The amendment to the Crime bill was passed by a vote of 379 to 137.  Before taking effect, the House of Commons must pass the Crime bill, which will then go to the House of Lords.

Statement on the passing of Crime and Policing Bill amendment on abortion
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

Statement on the passing of Crime and Policing Bill amendment on abortion

Lead Bishop for Life Issues for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Archbishop John Sherrington, has made a powerful statement in the wake of the decimalisation of abortion.

“…[t]he enacting of New Clause 1 will result in women being more alone, vulnerable, and isolated.  However, we cannot lose hope. The Church keeps working tirelessly to protect the dignity of every life. We will not abandon pregnant women and their unborn children in their most vulnerable moment. I thank all those within and outside the Church who share this commitment and continue to serve parents in need and their babies.”

Archbishop Sherrington’s complete statement may be read here.

Maxim Institute report highlights gaps in palliative care and euthanasia safeguards
Cherie Howie – NZHerald

Interrogating Choice:  Euthanasia and the Illusion of Autonomy
Maryanne Spurdle – Maxim Institute

Maxim Institute report highlights gaps in palliative care and euthanasia safeguards

The Maxim Institute has published a report, “Interrogating Choice:  Euthanasia and the Illusion of Autonomy.”  Authored by Maryanne Spurdle, the report highlights the inequity of funding in the public sector: euthanasia and assisted suicide are fully funded by the health system, while palliative care is not.  Although access is available to any eligible person under the “End of Life Choice” pathway, with physicians able to travel, there is unequal access to palliative care, denying “true patient choice.”  Spurdle also laments weak “safeguards.”  Maxim is calling for:

• Fully funded hospices
• Strengthened safeguards
• Good end-of-life information for all patients
• A greater number of physicians trained in palliative care

FLI Comment
Palliative care is indeed an indispensable service that ought to be available to every person coming to the end of life.  Effective pain management is essential for people in the final phases of life so they are kept comfortable and hopefully able to prepare properly for death by attending to their spiritual needs and spending time with family and friends.  We agree that true patient choice requires adequate funding for palliative care and for physicians to be trained in this area of care. 

We also agree that hospices ought to be fully funded so long as they remain true to their mission and do not support in any way the enabling of suicide or killing of patients.  In 2024, fifteen people accessed euthanasia or assisted suicide in a Hospice facility.  Unfortunately, the opinion of Hospice New Zealand has shifted, with CEO Wayne Naylor stating, “We still don’t see assisted dying as part of palliative care or what hospices do, but certainly they shouldn’t be in any way blocking or preventing a person pursuing that if that’s what their wish is.”  

Finally, there can never be any strong “safeguards.”  The law allows medical practitioners to kill their patients or assist them in suicide which is always ethically wrong.  The only real “safeguard” is to outlaw the practice of killing altogether and ensure that people are cared for with genuine compassion and dignity as they naturally near the end of life.

New WHO Guidance Calls for Injectable Contraceptives for Kids
Iulia-Elena Cazan and Rebecca Oas, Ph.D. – C-FAM

New WHO Guidance Calls for Injectable Contraceptives for Kids

The World Health Organisation has published a new guideline on preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries.  WHO claims “the global community has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).”  However, the C-Fam article points out that no such commitment has been made, noting that the term “SRHR” is a “controversial term.”

Contraception and sex education are hailed as the panacea to preventing teenage pregnancies.  “[P]olitical, governmental, religious, traditional and other influential leaders” are asked to “support the access to, uptake of, and continued use of contraceptives.”

C-Fam notes that critics are concerned that such “an exclusive focus on mass contraceptive use among adolescents monopolizes the discourse on how to best prevent adolescent pregnancies and undermines efforts to tackle the problem holistically.”

“A day of tremendous celebration” as Abortion Pill Rescue Network hits new milestone for lives saved
Lisa Bourne – Pregnancy Help News

“A day of tremendous celebration” as Abortion Pill Rescue Network hits new milestone for lives saved

More than 7,000 pre-born children’s lives have been spared from death after their mothers have sought to reverse the effects of chemical abortion.  The protocol requires the mother to begin a course of progesterone no more than 72 hours after ingesting mifepristone (the first pill in a chemical abortion).  It is an updated regimen of what has been used for decades to intervene in a miscarriage.  Abortion promoters are vehemently opposed to the life-saving intervention, with Heartbeat International fighting many legal battles in the United States to ensure women have access to genuine choice.  In New Zealand, the Ministry of Health is actively against the provision of Abortion Pill Reversal and has threatened those who provide it or who advertise it with penalties, including a $10,000 fine.  Chemical abortion (mifepristone and misoprostol) is the leading abortion method in the USA and New Zealand (62% of all abortions).

Los Angeles Children’s Hospital to Shutter Transgender Youth Program
CNA

Los Angeles Children’s Hospital to Shutter Transgender Youth Program

One of the largest youth gender clinics in the United States is closing its doors, claiming “no viable alternative” given proposed policies, federal administrative requirements and funding issues.  The Center for Transyouth Health and Development, including its surgical programme, will be discontinued on July 22.  It is one of many US clinics mutilating children and youth that have closed after President Trump signed an executive order, “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” at the beginning of this presidential term.