We all have an obligation to be at the service of life, St John Paul II tells us in his encyclical letter Evangelium Vitae. Sometimes it can be hard to know where to begin, the task can seem so huge…
Restoring the culture in 2015
While the summer sun keeps shining and the children are playing and enjoying their break from school, the seemingly endless days of summer with limited commitments and a generally slow start to each day, is coming to a…
Remembering our little ones who have died not yet born
People gathered throughout New Zealand on Friday night for Masses of Remembrance and a Vigil for Life. Held in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin, the Masses were poignant reminders of the tragic loss of life and pain people experience because of…
“My Decision” but only if you’re pro-choice
On Sunday, ALRANZ launched a new website "My Decision" which aims to intimidate and bully pro-life doctors through naming them and publishing women's stories about their experiences with "hostile or unhelpful health professionals". Through the website ALRANZ wants to take…
The Wrong of rights
Teenagers are often accused of thinking that the world revolves around them. This phase usually passes especially after heading out into the ‘real world’ and discovering that they are but a ‘cog’ in the enormous kaleidoscope of life. We observe…
Living and dying with faith, hope and love
Yesterday I attended the Requiem Mass for a man whose life profoundly affected mine - Dr Peter Scanlon. It was a beautiful Requiem - solemn, a little bit joyful at times and a reminder that our eyes must always be…
Life affirming ultrasound
I recently had the experience of sitting in on a 19 week pregnancy scan. For my wife and I it was the first chance to see our new child and as such, we were both looking forward to it. For…
Abortion and pre abortion visits
When the topic of liberalising abortion comes up, as it has recently, invariably there is talk about “increasing access” and reducing the number of visits required before a woman can have an abortion. New Zealand law stipulates that the woman…
Decriminalisation of what?
Decriminalising’ abortion is in the media again. It’s not the first time it’s been in the news and it certainly will not be the last time. This time it looks like it’s going to be an election issue, or at…
The Edges of Life
The edges of life are controversial. On one side there are the debates about contraception, abortion and in vitro fertilisation. At the end of life the debates are about euthanasia, organ transplantation, and its cousin, brain death. Trauma surgeon Peter…