Recently in respect life Category

In response to Nancy Pelosi's comments on Meet the Press, here is a statement from His Eminence, Edward Cardinal Egan.

Like many other citizens of this nation, I was shocked to learn that the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States of America would make the kind of statements that were made to Mr. Tom Brokaw of NBC-TV on Sunday, August 24, 2008. What the Speaker had to say about theologians and their positions regarding abortion was not only misinformed; it was also, and especially, utterly incredible in this day and age.

We are blessed in the 21st century with crystal-clear photographs and action films of the living realities within their pregnant mothers. No one with the slightest measure of integrity or honor could fail to know what these marvelous beings manifestly, clearly, and obviously are, as they smile and wave into the world outside the womb. In simplest terms, they are human beings with an inalienable right to live, a right that the Speaker of the House of Representatives is bound to defend at all costs for the most basic of ethical reasons. They are not parts of their mothers, and what they are depends not at all upon the opinions of theologians of any faith. Anyone who dares to defend that they may be legitimately killed because another human being "chooses" to do so or for any other equally ridiculous reason should not be providing leadership in a civilized democracy worthy of the name.

Edward Cardinal Egan
Archbishop of New York
August 26, 2008

You have probably already heard all about Nancy Pelosi's comments on Meet the Press regarding the beginning of life, abortion and the Catholic Church. If you haven't, here's a sample.

BROKAW: Senator Obama saying the question of when life begins is above his pay grade, whether you're looking at it scientifically or theologically. If he were to come to you and say, "Help me out here, Madame Speaker. When does life begin?" what would you tell him?

PELOSI: I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time. And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition. And Senator-St. Augustine said at three months. We don't know. The point is, is that it shouldn't have an impact on the woman's right to choose. Roe v. Wade talks about very clear definitions of when the child-first trimester, certain considerations; second trimester; not so third trimester. There's very clear distinctions. This isn't about abortion on demand, it's about a careful, careful consideration of all factors and-to-that a woman has to make with her doctor and her god. And so I don't think anybody can tell you when life begins, human life begins. As I say, the Catholic Church for centuries has been discussing this, and there are those who've decided...

BROKAW: The Catholic Church at the moment feels very strongly that it...

PELOSI: I understand that.

BROKAW: ...begins at the point of conception.

PELOSI: I understand. And this is like maybe 50 years or something like that. So again, over the history of the church, this is an issue of controversy. But it is, it is also true that God has given us, each of us, a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions. And we want abortions to be safe, rare, and reduce the number of abortions. That's why we have this fight in Congress over contraception. My Republican colleagues do not support contraception. If you want to reduce the number of abortions, and we all do, we must-it would behoove you to support family planning and, and contraception, you would think. But that is not the case. So we have to take-you know, we have to handle this as respectfully-this is sacred ground. We have to handle it very respectfully and not politicize it, as it has been-and I'm not saying Rick Warren did, because I don't think he did, but others will try to.

Read the full transcript here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26377338/page/3

Hello? Did she say, "As an ardent, practicing Catholic..."
Yeah.
And as a militant vegan, my steak lunch needs a bit more A1 sauce.

Okay, I was supposed to sign off after the last post but I quickly checked out Trisha's blog and I had to comment on her post The Gift of a Child about parents choosing to keep or abort their unborn babies with medical problems. As I mentioned to her, when I was pregnant with Bella, Brian and I were sitting in the doc office (not our regular obgyn)waiting for the same check-the baby-for-deformities ultrasound. There was a little TV playing and on it other couples were talking about when they took the test. One mom talked about how she found out her baby had medical problems so she chose "termination." Brian and I were shocked to see it "advertised" in the waiting room.

This time, when I was pregnant with Andrew, I told my obgyn Dr. V that I wanted to skip all that testing. Being a Christian pro-life doc, he understood that we'd never abort if there was something wrong but he encouraged me to take the non invasive tests so if there was a problem he'd be able to prepare for it before delivery. (I thought about babies that went through surgery before they were even delivered!) So we went for the ultrasound and minimal genetic testing.

When we arrived at the ultrasound office we explained to them that we were only doing this so if there is something wrong, we could prepare to do whatever was medically necessary to help our baby. Termination was a word never to be uttered before us. The genetics testing lady clucked her tongue a bit but she complied. It's crazy that we had to be so adamant and fight for our baby's life before he was even born!

Ugh, that fired me up! Hand me the vacuum. I've got some serious cleaning to do...

Friends of ours are involved the local chapter of 40 Days for Life and they are doing great work. There will be a documentary on 40 Days on EWTN this Fri (7/24) at 3:30 PM Pacific Time. Here's an article with more info: New documentary to highlight 40 Days for Life pro-life campaign.

Since time is short in the morning, I usually only skim through articles, but this one was worth reading all the way through.

Planned Parenthood Celebration Jolted by Abortion Survivor
by Ted Harvey, assistant minority leader, Colorado House

I want to share with you an awesome experience I had in the Colorado House of Representatives on May 8. It is a humbling experience to look back and realize that God used me to play a role in His divine orchestration.

I was leaving the House chambers for the weekend when our Democrat speaker of the House announced that the coming Monday would be the final day of this year's General Assembly. He went on to state that there were still numerous resolutions on the calendar which we would need to be addressed prior to the summer adjournment. Interestingly, he specifically mentioned that one of the resolutions we would be hearing was being carried by the House Majority Leader Alice Madden, honoring the 90th anniversary of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.

As a strong pro-life legislator I was disgusted by the idea that we would pass a resolution honoring this 90-year legacy of genocide. I drove home that night wondering what I could say that might pierce the darkness during the debate on this heinous resolution.

I had heard about the case of the young brain dead mom being kept alive to save her baby but I hadn�t gotten a chance to sit down and learn more until this morning. I didn�t realize that Susan and Jason Torres are a Catholic couple from the University of Dallas (we know of some great Catholics learning and teaching there.)

It was interesting that Jason�s mom � who�s �way Catholic,� as he puts it � told him, "When the innocent suffer, great good is let loose in the world, and souls who wouldn't otherwise have gotten in reach heaven." Understandably, it is a heck of a lot easier to believe that intellectually than to live it practically.

Pray for Susan, Jason and their unborn child, especially that God will give them the strength to endure the enormous cross they are carrying.

You can learn more about their story at the Susan Torres Fund.org.

Dutch Euthanasia Doctor Admits to Killing 4 Newborns With Lethal Injections

GRONINGEN, April 27, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The UK news magazine, the Evening Standard, reports an extraordinary confession today by a Dutch doctor who admits to having euthanized disabled newborns. Dutch paediatrician Eduard Verhagen is in the forefront of a push to have the euthanasia of infants made legal in order to protect doctors who are already doing it. He admitted that he had given lethal injections to four babies born with spina bifida, a condition that is sometimes correctable by pre-natal surgery.... (Read the whole story.)

Terri Schiavo Dies at 41.

Our heart and prayers goes out to Baby Susan's families.
Baby Torres, Baby of Brain-dead Susan Torre, Dies.

Susan Torres' Husband and Parents Reveal Strange Happening on Night of Susan's Tragic Collapse

Jason’s soft-spoken father, Sonny, has given express permission to LifeSiteNews to print the details of what both he and his son have increasingly come to believe was a shared mystical experience, foretelling the great influence of the miraculous story of Susan and her unborn daughter, and ordering it to be spread. Sonny told LifeSiteNews that until now he has not provided any other news media with the following information because he was afraid that the mainstream media would fail to understand and would distort the story. “I want it to be done the way pro-life people would want it to be done,� he said...

You may have been keeping up with the story of Susan Torres, the young, pregnant Catholic mother who was brain dead but kept alive so her baby could have a chance to live. Jason and Susan’s daughter was born Monday and Susan passed away yesterday. Jason’s brother read a press release yesterday and it was a beautiful testimony to the value of human life. It reminds me a bit of St. Gianna Molla. Please continue to keep them in your prayers. May God bless them for their witness. It is easy to speak the truth when things are going well but to actually live it during such tragedy is miraculous.

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is a statement from the Torres and Rollin families, read by Justin Torres at the news conference held today:

As you know, at 8:18 a.m. on Tuesday, Susan Anne Catherine Torres was delivered by caesarean section at Virginia Hospital Center. This morning, she continues to do well in the NICU unit here at the hospital.

Earlier this morning, after a brief goodbye with her husband, parents, and other family members, and after receiving the last sacraments of the Catholic Church, Susan Michelle Rollin Torres passed away after the machines, which sustained her life for the past 12 weeks, were turned off at my brother's request. She was 26 years old.

This is obviously a bittersweet time for our family. We are overjoyed at the birth of Baby Susan and deeply grieved at the loss of her mother. From the beginning, we knew that two things would get us through to the baby's birth: God's providence and Susan's determination. Susan was always the toughest person in that ICU room. Her passing is a testament to the truth that human life is a gift from God and that children are always to be fought for, even if life requires-as it did of Susan-the last full measure of devotion.

We have many people to thank, starting with the doctors, staff, and most especially the nurses at Virginia Hospital Center. You have been innovative, flexible, and determined on our behalf, and walked every step of this journey with us. We are deeply grateful.

We also must thank the many friends and family members who gave us their time, energy, and shoulders to lean on over the past 12 weeks. Our debt to you is lifelong.

Finally, on behalf of my brother I wish to thank the many thousands of people who have taken this story to heart, donated to the Susan M. Torres Fund, and most especially, sent us their prayers and best wishes. This family has literally been lifted up in prayer, and I can never express adequately our gratitude for the prayers and support we have received from people all over the globe. We could not have made it through this ordeal without you, and on behalf of my brother, my family, and the Rollin family, I wish to thank you and ask your continued prayers for the newest member of our family.

Triplets born 13 years apart.
"The birth of Laina Beasley raises difficult questions about the ethics of keeping embryos frozen for decades."

Bella and I have been sick with a cold and as she napped yesterday I rested on the couch. I flipped on the news just in time to watch the Scott Peterson verdict. I haven't been obsessed with the situation like other people have but it is hard to get away from it, particularly if you live in California. I must admit that from the beginning I thought he was guilty. I told Brian that this story is straight out one of the those real-life forensic shows where the husband lands out being the guilty one. But I prayed it was someone else � some sick stranger that didn�t know Laci. I hoped I would be wrong and that Scott would not be capable of such an unspeakable evil.

I never reached a point of feeling sorry for Scott or trying to see his point of view. I couldn�t get passed his smug attitude that seemed to have no touch with reality. During the penalty phase I was tired of hearing all the endless witnesses with the same line..."He was such a good boy..." Perhaps that just shows you how evil and deceptive he was - he fooled all of them. Those are the scariest guys - the ones who seem so "normal".

However, when the death verdict was read, I couldn't help but shed a tear. Not because I�m against the death penalty and not because I feel sorry for Scott � I have no feelings for him and he'll probably be safer in solitary confinement than he would have been with the other guys in jail. But I did feel sorrow for his soul. I wanted to shake him and say snap out of it! I wondered if he grasped what he had done. I wondered if he�d beg for God�s mercy when no one was looking and mean it. Killing Scott isn�t going to bring Laci or Connor back but I pray that this sentence will help Scott realize and repent for what he has done.

Every once in awhile you hear a story that just touches your heart and moves you to tears. This is one of then. A young couple was blessed with the birth of a new baby girl but they were also given a heavy cross to bear since their daughter was born without a face. Their love for their daughter and their faith is God is an incredible witness to the beauty of life, regardless of outward appearances. For the full story watch the video here.

There's a great article at Catholic Exchange.com called Virtue of Innocence. Here is the first paragraph:

"How many of you are 'pro-choice'?" she asked her grade school pupils. Immediately, all hands shot up, except one. "Why are you not 'pro-choice'?" the teacher queried her lone dissenter. "Because I am 'pro-life'," she said, with a confidence that seemed to belie her tender age of seven years. "And why are you 'pro-life'?" the teacher continued. "Because my Mommy and Daddy are 'pro-life'," was the youngster's firm reply. But her stern examiner had not yet completed her line of inquiry. "Suppose your parents were morons?" "Then," said the little girl, and quite emphatically, "I'd be 'pro-choice.' "/blockquote>
Read the rest here.

When I first heard that they found Laci Peterson's body and the body of her child Conner, I was literally sick to my stomach. Later I remarked to Brian that it's ironic that everyone sees the horror of Scott Peterson killing his 8 month old (in the womb) son but had Laci chosen to have an abortion at 8 months there'd be plenty of people willing to escort her to the clinic. So does that mean Baby Conner's life is only worth saving if his mother wants him? The logic is so screwed up I can only pray that people start to get it. Perhaps since NOW is upset, more people will catch on. Daily Record News - Laci Peterson case tied to Roe debate