News,

A new survey on Australian attitudes to abortion has reported that the majority of Australians are dissatisfied with the polarisation of the abortion debate. Dr John Fleming co-authored the report entitled Give Women Choice: Australia Speaks on Abortion, which involved 1200 people and asked questions on a range of issues related to abortion. The majority believe that the abortion rate is too high, though the majority also accept legal abortion as a 'necessary evil.' [Cathnews, 3 May]

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has rejected a draft resolution on 'assistance to patients at the end of life' after a long debate. Parliamentarians voted on 71 amendments to the resolution which was then overwhelmingly rejected 138 votes to 26, with five abstentions. [LifeSiteNews.com, 1 May]

A woman is pregnant after undergoing fertility treatment using frozen eggs. One of the woman's eggs was frozen, thawed and fertilised before being inserted into her womb. She is said to have chosen the method because she objected to the creation and destruction of human embryos. However, concerns have been raised about using a new technique when the long-term risks have yet to be fully investigated. [The Daily Mail, 2 May]

The US Health and Human Services Secretary has said that the government could save money if Medicare patients wrote living wills. Mike Leavitt said that he has been approached by a congressman who had the idea of incorporating living wills into Medicare consultations. The American Hospital Association has established a website that provides information on living wills and a downloadable card to alert medics to the patient's advance directive. [The Guardian, 3 May]

The Catholic Archdiocese of New York has disaffiliated from Marymount Manhattan College over its decision to give pro-abortion Hilary Clinton an honorary degree. Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society who first raised the problem with Cardinal Egan, praised the decision, stating: "The decision to honour one of Congress' most outspoken and strident advocates of abortion rights was just the latest episode in a long history of secularisation at Marymount Manhattan College." [Lifenews.com, 29 April]

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