Ireland must reject European court’s abortion judgment, says intervener SPUC
SPUC is urging the people of Ireland to resist pressure from the European Court of Human Rights to overturn the country’s constitutional protection for children before birth. SPUC was commenting on the court's judgment (full text, press release) in the A, B, and C case of three Irish residents who challenged Ireland’s constitutional ban on abortion. SPUC was an intervening party in the case (read SPUC's joint submission with other pro-life groups). The court rejected the legal arguments of the first two women, but said that the third woman's right to a private life under article 8 of the European Convention had been violated by a failure of the Irish state to make her rights regarding abortion accessible to her. The court claimed that the Irish Constitution gives women a right to abortion under the Constitution's protection of the equal right to life of the mother of an unborn child. The third woman was in remission from cancer at the time of the pregnancy and feared that the pregnancy would cause a relapse of her cancer. [SPUC, 16 December] http://bit.ly/gK6G4E
Costa Rica under pressure to lift ban on IVF
Costa Rica is under both domestic and international pressure to legalise in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The pressure follows a request from the Washington-based Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, an entity of the Organization of American States, for Costa Rica to allow IVF. It is reported that Costa Rican politicians feel the request poses a dilemma for the Catholic nation. [Catholic News Service, 17 December] http://bit.ly/gjZs24
Belgian proposal for euthanasia of dementia sufferers and minors
Three Belgian parliamentarians are proposing euthanasia of dementia sufferers and minors. They propose draft legislation to allow people to make a pro-euthanasia advance directive before the onset of dementia. They have also proposed provisions for the euthanasia of newborns and of adolescents. [Pat Buckley, 22 December] http://bit.ly/hF1xsQ
Other stories:
Chief Rabbis in Israel oppose abortion epidemic [LifeNews.com, 28 December] http://bit.ly/gbjofV
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem says annual abortion total is heartbreaking [Zenit, 25 December] http://bit.ly/i7hUVG
British royal says abortion is mortal wound in Europe's heart [Pat Buckley, 24 December] http://bit.ly/eM9BLf
American bishop removes Catholic status from hospital over abortion dissent [Zenit, 22 December] http://bit.ly/hjVJPY
Majority of Australians against sex-selective abortion and IVF [Center for Genetics and Society, 22 December] http://bit.ly/ic78WA
Disabled child had a right to be aborted, says Belgian Court of Appeal [John Smeaton, 22 December] http://bit.ly/eArxKw
Parliamentary Select Committee confirms failure of international pro-abortion lobby [John Smeaton, 21 December] http://bit.ly/h9fyc1
"Passion of the Christ" film star speaks out against abortion [LifeSiteNews.com, 20 December] http://bit.ly/hMWGVY
US Congress drops military abortions amendment following mid-elections [Jill Stanek, 17 December] http://bit.ly/gJ6jLp
Final report from axed teen pregnancy quango is disgraceful [SPUC, 14 December] http://bit.ly/f1zgaZ
Canadian supreme court embryo ruling will lead to more deaths say pro-life groups [LifeSiteNews.com, 22 December] http://bit.ly/gUSeYc
Taiwan man says killing wife was euthanasia [Irish Sun, 28 December] http://bit.ly/e2IEMk
Finnish nurse murders elderly patients [Wesley Smith, 22 December] http://bit.ly/gdO9fm
China converts entire village into prison to contain pro-life activist [LifeSiteNews.com, 22 December] http://bit.ly/h4FrHK
Woman strangles newborn child before boarding flight [Daily Mail, 28 December] http://bit.ly/fMMR65