News,
The Catholic bishops of the USA discussed abortion during their recent national meeting. Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska, called the procedure a vile, intrinsic evil. Rt Rev Thomas Paprocki, auxiliary in Chicago, said that, if Catholic hospitals were forced to participate in abortion, they would be closed. Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton, Pennsylvania, said the church had to speak very firmly to pro-abortion Catholic politicians and mentioned excommunication. Referring to Senator Joseph Biden, Bishop Martino said: "I cannot have the vice president-elect coming to Scranton saying he learned his values there, when his values, at least in the area of abortion, are utterly against the teachings of the Catholic Church." Bishop Robert Conlon of Steubenville, Ohio, rejected a truce with abortion supporters. There was no common ground. [LifeSiteNews, 12 November] American pro-life campaigners have been considering what to do under a government led by Senator Barack Obama. Ms Judie Brown, president of American Life League, is quoted as describing the fight against abortion as "the civil rights movement's final battle." Mr Paul Strand of Christian Broadcasting Network suggests pro-lifers try to exploit Democrats' campaign promises to make abortion rare. Others want to avoid compromise through co-operating with abortion supporters. The new president's signing the Freedom of Choice Act would be an immense setback. [Wall Street Journal, 11 November]
Catholics are being driven out of healthcare by pressure for abortion as a right, according to the leader of Matercare International. Dr Robert Walley, a Catholic obstetrician, told LifeSiteNews that aspiring medics were being put off his profession because of their dislike of abortion. Doctors might also withdraw because of a reluctance to perform euthanasia. Dr Walley left England for Canada because he was being required to do abortions. Professionals were being told to perform the procedure or resign. He asked: "[W]hat are you going to do when we've gone? When there are no more Catholic physicians in the field?" [LifeSiteNews, 12 November]
The Irish constitution may need an amendment to protect its human rights laws from intervention by European institutions, a law professor has told a parliamentary committee. Dr William Binchy of Trinity College, Dublin, pointed out how concern had been caused in a recent case by the treatment of the provision of information about abortion as a service. Dr Maureen Junker Kenny, a theology professor at the same university, told the Dáil's sub-committee that parliament had not addressed embryo research, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis or end-of-life care. [Irish Times, 13 November] Abortion was an issue at a referendum in June on the Lisbon treaty.
A 56-year-old woman in Ohio acted as a surrogate mother for her triplet granddaughters. Ms Jaci Dalenberg carried the IVF children, delivered by emergency caesarean, for her 36-year-old daughter who had a hysterectomy. [Daily Mail, 13 November]
Excess maternal weight could raise the risk of miscarriage, according to California-based research on more than 200 stillborn children. [Times, 13 November] The lycopene antioxidant in tomatoes could prevent endometriosis say researchers at Wayne State University Detroit, Michigan. [Daily Mail, 13 November]
A bone marrow transplant 20 months ago has reportedly cured HIV and leukaemia in a 42-year-old American patient in Germany. The Charité clinic, Berlin, could not promise a cure to the millions with HIV. [BBC, 13 November]
A former Serb abortionist is now a pro-life campaigner. Dr Stojan Adasevic, who performed 48,000 abortions over 26 years, was reportedly the first doctor under the Yugoslavian communist regime to refuse to continue with the practice. He is said to have changed his view after a prophetic dream and after aborting a child whose heart was still beating. [Catholic News Agency, 12 November]
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