European court rules- No human right to abortion, but asks Irish government for clearer regulations

European (Council of Europe Court) makes activist decision on Ireland: Click play to play, in the alternative right click link and select view in new window/tab to download


Article by Marc Aupiais


Despite misleading arguments in media, the Council of Europe (not the EU) European Court of Human Rights, in Strasbourg, in France- has not ruled that Abortion is a human right. The court found that a Lithuanian woman living in Ireland was due Euro 15 000 as she had not been given information as to how her pregnancy related to the success of her Chemotherapy or on what risks it could pose to her health. The other two applicants who wanted ordinary therapeutic abortions were turned down by the court. Ireland was fined for having vague laws on the matter of abortion.

The Irish constitution bans abortion outright, while allowing for the right of life of a woman to be on equal footing: with wording suggesting that procedures not aimed primarily at abortion of a child, but which none the less result in it's collateral unintended/undesired death are acceptable. Procuring an abortion which is not "medically necessary" is considered a crime in Ireland, and both doctor and woman involved could be arrested.

In Attorney General v. X, in 1992,

"In this case in which a 14-year-old girl said she had become pregnant after being raped by her friend's father, the Attorney General of Ireland had enjoined the girl and her parents from traveling to England for an abortion. A psychologist had testified that in her present state of mind, the girl was suicidal. The Supreme Court of Ireland held that the right to life supersedes all other rights, including the right to travel. However, if there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother which can only be avoided by termination of the pregnancy, then an abortion is permissible. The Court determined that the girl's risk of suicide satisfied this condition, and therefore the girl was allowed to terminate her pregnancy."

U.S. National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health (US Government)

Ir Law Rep Mon. 1992 Mar 5;12(47):401-80.

A 1992 decision by the Irish Supreme Court, said that if a woman's life was endangered even by her own suicide threats then she should be allowed an abortion, however the Irish government never legislated on the decision, with many Irish claiming that it was based on false medical science and not real statistics and science. Furthermore, the girl was a 14 year old in the case, with very different anatomy, and unlike an adult immigrant from Lithuania was more of a suicide risk. Also the X case also involved not an abortion denied in Ireland but the right to travel to another jurisdiction to procure it. The girl's age of 14, just past puberty, makes her case very similar to the Recife incident, where the Catholic church none the less stated that the young girl's abortion was unacceptable and murder of her twin children. It also involved rape and a child.

The Irish Times reports that no woman has ever died in an Irish hospital due to lack of an abortion. American murder statistics show that pregnant women are the most vulnerable to murder as compared women at any other stage of life. Abortion is legal in America. Ireland is known for having some of the best maternal health statistics in the world. C-Fam has in the past shown correlation between legal abortion and poor medical practice in many countries such as India etc. In South Africa over half of pregnancies are aborted, with doctors claiming that life threatening situations are not addressed due to an essentially cosmetic surgery.

KPMG, has warned that if the South African population does not grow significantly, an aging longer living older population, without skilled youths to replace it may result in a collapse of the state: in South Africa and in other developing and developed countries with declining population growth rates. One of the reasons given by sources as to why black/Ethnically African South African women used to have such large families according to academically studied work, lies in ANC pressure on women to have more children under threat.

Fertility awareness which is between 95% and 98% effective year on year at preventing unwanted conceptions is permitted by the Catholic church when used "unselfishly" and is generally accepted in African culture which sees western devices such as condoms as an insult to a man's integrity and authority.

According to C-Fam and the Irish lawyers in the case, it was highly irregular for the case to appear in a European court before being judged by Irish courts which could have given clarity on the matter. While the European Court rejected this, it does seem contrary to its purpose.

The court explicitly said the European right to privacy does in no means create a right to abortion, thus rejecting the argument of Rode v Wade.

The Associated Press quotes Ireland's pro-abortion health minister, who notes that Irish anger about submission to the European Union, means that they will not legislate on the matter:

"The judges lambasted Ireland's defense claiming that the woman should have petitioned the Irish High Court for the right to have an abortion in Ireland. They said Irish doctors must be given clear legal guidance on the eligibility rules for abortions.

Health Minister Mary Harney said she was confident that Ireland would draft legislation to bring the country's laws into line with its own Supreme Court — but said the step would have to wait for the next government. Ireland faces an unscheduled national election in the spring.

"Clearly we have to legislate, there's no doubt about that," Harney said. "But I don't think we have the capacity to bring forward proposals in a matter of weeks."

Harney noted that the government twice tried to resolve the issue with referendums in 1992 and 2001, but voters on both sides of the abortion argument rejected that constitutional amendment. In both cases, the government sought to limit the right to legal abortion only to cases where the woman was at risk of death — but excluding suicide threats.

She said lawmakers would face a "highly sensitive and complex" debate over what specific definitions should apply for life-threatening conditions. She said pregnant women suffering from cervical cancer, exceptionally high blood pressure or ectopic pregnancies already were receiving abortions in Irish hospitals.

The vast majority of nations in the 47-member Council of Europe permit broad access to abortion, most recently Spain, which legalized first-trimester abortions in July. Only Malta and Vatican City ban the practice outright, while several others seek to limit it to exceptional cases including rape and fetal abnormalities.

European Court of Human Rights judgments are legally binding but difficult to enforce. Council of Europe nations often take years to enact the legal reforms ordered. An offending nation that refuses to observe a court order could be expelled from the Council of Europe, but this has never happened."

Associated Press (American based; Secular special interests; non-governmental; story hosted by Yahoo)

December 16 / 2010

Whether the Council of Europe decisions are in any way binding is a matter of much debate. The court after all is not a representative of the Irish people.

Homosexuality was legalized following a similar decision by the court in Ireland. The same court banned crucifixes in Italian schools. The judgement is de facto unenforceable and according to C-Fam based on false facts:

"It thus seems that the third applicant (and, following her, the Court) completely distorted and confused the facts of the case. Had the applicant been in need of another cycle of chemotherapy, she would (also under current Irish law) have been entitled to receive it. Indeed, withholding such treatment from her would certainly have raised an issue under Article 2 of the Convention (i.e., the third applicant’s Right to Life). But this does not seem to have been the case. (Yet again, we notice how regrettable it is that the Court made this judgment without ascertaining the facts…) No chemotherapy was withheld from the applicant, nor was the loss of the unborn child caused by any chemotherapy or other treatment. Instead, the woman’s decision to have abortion was based on the irrational and unfounded assumption that the pregnancy might cause her cancer to recommence. This irrational thought would never have sufficed as a ground for “legal” abortion – especially not in a system where, as the ECtHR requests, the eligibility of a woman for having recourse to abortion on grounds of a risk for her life must be ascertained on the basis of objective criteria. One does not see, therefore, how the existence of such a system would ever have resulted in the applicant having access to a “lawful” abortion in Ireland…."

C-Fam (American based; Independent of the State; UN, EU and European and American legal coverage; Catholic, family, human rights and other special interests coverage)

December 16 / 2010

The anti-traditional family values camp gains 2 victories: Kenyan Constitution, Gay marriage ban overturned in California

(Scripturelink Voter's Guide)

Article by Marc Aupiais

The left, or The Destruction: (the camp of those opposing the status quo and in this case traditional values) as they were known in post-revolutionary France, has gained another 2 victories:

"In the United States, a federal judge overturned California's gay marriage ban yesterday in a case which might end up in the country’s Supreme Court."

Vatican Radio (Catholic; Independent; Vatican Based)

05 / 08 | August / 2010

"As we expected, Judge Vaugh Walker has decided to overturn Proposition 8 (which re-established traditional marriage in California) and has ruled that efforts to retain the traditional definition of marriage between one man and one woman are “unconstitutional.” [CVA AMP provide the full judgement, click on the link at the date to see their article].

It will be appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (which I expect to agree with Judge Walker), and then onto the Supreme Court, where the question of the legality of same-sex marriage could be decided in a more definitive fashion. [...]

[...]

Cardinal Francis George, the President of the USCCB has issued an immediate statement:

“Marriage between a man and a woman is the bedrock of any society. The misuse of law to change the nature of marriage undermines the common good,” Cardinal George said. “It is tragic that a federal judge would overturn the clear and expressed will of the people in their support for the institution of marriage. No court of civil law has the authority to reach into areas of human experience that nature itself has defined.”

Joining Cardinal George in his criticism of the court decision was Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage. Archbishop Kurtz noted that “Citizens of this nation have uniformly voted to uphold the understanding of marriage as a union of one man and one woman in every jurisdiction where the issue has been on the ballot. This understanding is neither irrational nor unlawful,” he said. “Marriage is more fundamental and essential to the well being of society than perhaps any other institution. It is simply unimaginable that the court could now claim a conflict between marriage and the Constitution.”

I have had a chance to briefly scan Judge Walker’s decision. Here are some interesting quotes [my {Thomas Peters', not ours} comments in brackets]:

“Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals.” (Page 113) [What we see here is a complete deconstruction of gender.]

“Indeed, the evidence shows beyond any doubt that parents’ genders are irrelevant to children’s developmental outcomes.” (Page 127) [This view is simple absurd. The Ruth Institute (and other organizations) have demonstrated in study after study that parents' gender matters enormously to child development.]

“Because of Proposition 8, same-sex couples are not permitted to engage in sexual activity within marriage.” (Page 128) [More absurdity. After all - also not allowed to have sex within marriage? Siblings. The Judge has already decided, after all, that marriage is a union of equals. And who can be more equal than two people born of the same parents? Again, this is horrible logic.]

A friend [of Thomas Peters] pointed out this passage – which gets to the heart of the Judge’s argument:

“The evidence shows that the movement of marriage away from a gendered institution and toward an institution free from state-mandated gender roles reflects an evolution in the understanding of gender rather than a change in marriage. The evidence did not show any historical purpose for excluding same-sex couples from marriage, as states have never required spouses to have an ability or willingness to procreate in order to marry. Rather, the exclusion exists as an artifact of a time when the genders were seen as having distinct roles in society and in marriage. That time has passed.” (Page 113)"

Catholic Vote Action American Papist (Catholic; Independent; American; Pro Traditional Values)

04 / 08 | August / 2010

"Kenyans overwhelmingly backed a new constitution, according to preliminary results announced Thursday.

The Catholic bishops and other Christian leaders had opposed the constitution, because of its abortion language and the special status it gave some Islamic courts."

Vatican Radio / Radio Vaticana (Catholic; Independent; Vatican Based)

05 / 08 | August / 2010

The Kenyan Constitution was backed by both sides, for whom election violence was committed at Kenya's last election: it supports Muslim courts, a possible expansion of special interests and homosexual agendas, has land clauses which could further create hostilities or further hostilities on tribal and ethnic grounds, and takes the start of life in Kenyan law from conception, to birth.

"The Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya, Peter Karanja said: "The Constitution has many good things, but the good is mixed with the evil that may influence the moral life and rights of this country in its foundations." This position was reiterated by Cardinal John Njue, Archbishop of Nairobi, who in opening the ecumenical prayer service said: "There have been improvements in the draft constitution, but the good has been mixed with some bad points that affect the moral life and rights. There are people who think that only a small percentage of the draft constitution is bad. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Evil, no matter how small it is, is like a bad yeast that transforms and corrupts the entire dough from within." Over 63,000 security agents across the country were mobilized to ensure safety, particularly in the Rift Valley, where the greatest number of deaths occurred in 2008 as a result of post-election violence. The UN has sent 50 observers to monitor the conduct of the vote in the “hot-spot” areas of the country. Observers will also be particularly attentive that there are not people who will incite hatred. It has also created a center to verify that messages sent via SMS do not contain incitement to violence. In the crisis of 2008, several text messages were sent inciting violence. "

Agenzia Fides (Catholic; Independent; Vatican Based; Subject to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples)

03 / 08 | August / 2010

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Kenyan government tries to pass dangerous, foreign constitution

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais


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'No' side claims dirty tricks in Kenya referendum campaign | RFI

"Popular support for the new constitutition was supposed to be a fait accompli. That was until the mainstream churches threw a spanner in the works. They mobilised for a rejection of the draft, claiming that it is liberal on abortion and same-sex relationship and that it introduces Muslim Khadi courts.
Former President Daniel Arap Moi and influential politicians from the populous Rift Valley province are opposing the draft over the same issues and over the question of land.

President Mwai Kibaki, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and nearly 90 per cent of the cabinet and MPs addressed a huge rally in Nariobi’s Uhuru Park, urging a massive turn-out in favour of the draft.



[...]

The no campaign held a similar rally in the city’s Jamhuri Park. They accuse the government of using underhand methods and intimidation to get support for the draft because it senses defeat.

Tom Namwamba, who heads the no campaign secretariat, claims that the president’s side of using underhand tactics. They have used thugs to attack his office and steal material, he says, ordered civil servants to campaign for a yes vote and booked all choice venues in Nairobi to deny his side a convenient venue to hold their rallies.

“If you see anybody engaged in such petty, barbaric practices, then you know that that person has read the signs of losing,” he comments."

Radio France Internationale [RFI] (Secular; French)

01 / 08 | Aug / 2010

A no side rally was tragically bombed some time ago, as I reported then, noting that the government said not to jump to conclusions as to who bombed it. The yes side, has the backing of US president Barack Obama, who seems to have been flexing muscle to insure the constitution, which encourages homosexuality and abortion passes, Kenya may find additional aid coming their way if they acquiesce in the matter of values, and culture. Other controversial elements include "land reform" clauses which the opposition claims may cause tensions between black and white Kenyans. Kenya suffers from endemic violence and also racism, White (Caucasian) and Indian (Asian) Kenyans have both faced persecution in the past. The current government has been accused of allowing the creation of death squadrons (Agenzia Fides: The Vatican's Missionary News Service 24 / 09 | Sept / 2008), which allegedly killed and tortured rivals, and those allegedly involved in crime. The government claims that the Constitution will pass, despite Catholic and evangelical opposition to what is essentially a foreign constitution, misrepresenting the culture and values of Kenya.

In 2009 our service noted:

"Kenya: more general Overview:

Kenya, was once one of Africa's so-called: shining stars, however, electoral violence, and purported human rights abuses, along with drought, and famine: have harshly affected, what once was a nation, seen, perhaps falsely as a hope for many.

In previous articles, we have covered, the political situation in Kenya, having stabilized somewhat at this stage. Recent events, however: show a government, made up largely of people, seemingly more interested in their own political success, than in the success of their country. The global economic downturn, will likely also affect such nations: but with such a makeshift government, the chances are, that problems in Kenya, won't be ultimately solved overnight. Efforts, at helping populations make it through such trying times: however, can make differences in lives, just as efforts in Zimbabwe, and the DRC (Congo), have paid off somewhat.

Corruption, and accountability in Africa

What Kenya, and much of Africa: truly need at this point, is accountability for actions, politically, and in business. That a situation, such as the one: over, or perhaps caused by alleged vote rigging, and alleged political human rights abuses: has occurred: has made Kenya less able to deal with life threatening situations."

Archives

13 / 01 | Jan / 2009

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Pope solidifies conservatives at the Vatican | "New Evangelization" Appointment isn't an endorsement of a softer view on abortion

Related: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010

Will lax, incompetent, dissident bishop head Pope's new body designed to re-Christianise the West?

http://southafricancatholic.blogspot.com/2010/06/will-lax-incompetent-dissident-bishop.html

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2009

Brazil: Archbishop José Cardoso Sobrinho joins accusations against Vatican based paper: of anti-life "bias"

http://southafricancatholic.blogspot.com/2009/06/brazil-archbishop-jose-cardoso-sobrinho.html


(Tridentine South Africa; article includes files from VA-Browser)

Quick Note Article by Marc Aupiais

|Download Audio Version of this Article|


With the replacement of Cardinal Re, who supported the excommunication in the Recife incident, and the appointment of Fisichella to the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation, it may be suggested that Benedict XVI sided with Fisichella in their spat, where Fisichella was accused of seeming to support therapeutic abortion.

After all, Fisichella's statements prompted a clarification by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: saying that abortion in the case of rape was still immoral, when the former head of the Pontical Academy for life, Fisichella criticised a bishop for applying canon law against those practitioning therapeutic abortion in the case of rape.

However, Re's replacement is Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., Archbishop of Québec and Primate of Canada, an even more outspoken opponent of abortion, even in radically leftest French Quebec. In fact, he directly opposes abortion in the case of rape, the place where Re's nemesis, Fisichella was accused of dissidence. Ouellet is a staunch loyalist to Pope Benedict XVI's more conservative views. He said that the church will not baptise the adopted children of same-sex couples (gays), and holds many loyalist views which will insure that the pope's future bishops will be more compliant to his reformation of the church after the John Paul II papacy. Ouellet has also been appointed to the Pontifical Commission for Latin America: a post retiring Re held before him, in which Re was competent to speak of the Recife affair.

And, Fisichella was long expected to be quietly moved elsewhere, due to the loss of public confidence in his capacity to head the Pontifical Academy For Life. The Pontifical Council for New Evangelization, focusses on evanglising Europe, but is likely to be a small body, and any errors it makes could well be substituted by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the Church's general evangelization body.

It seems that the church is acting much like the South African government, in appointing Fisichella to Europe where he fits in better with the groups the church wants to fight, and Ouellet to ensure loyal bishops, and to Latin America where his views will be welcome in fighting the socialist governments there on abortion and gay marriage: while his views will be of great benefit to Benedict XVI.

Fisichella's replacement, in the Church's pro-life body is Mgr. Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, a Spanish born member of loyalist group Opus Dei, who is a physician and moral theologian. Opus Dei is a loyalist organization, with a strong fidelity to the dogma of the church on all issues including abortion.



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Will lax, incompetent, dissident bishop head Pope's new body designed to re-Christianise the West?

______________________________
Article summary: Pope shows interest in defeating secularism; May appoint bishop who is out of favour with the (pro-life, orthodox Catholic church-going) public to head new diacastery for this; Bishop's fiasco in his last job may be seen as not incapacitating him for evangelisation, a different job where a perceived lack of loyalty to Canon Law is oft tolerated by the Church. Some see the possible appointment as a shelving of this bishop, without necessarily a shaming of him.
______________________________

Related:



WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010

Pope solidifies conservatives at the Vatican | "New Evangelization" Appointment isn't an endorsement of a softer view on abortion

http://southafricancatholic.blogspot.com/2010/06/pope-solidifies-conservatives-at.html


(Tridentine South Africa)

|Download the Audio Version of this Article|

Article by Marc Aupiais

"Pope launches mission to re-evangelise the West" - Europe, World - The Independent:

"At one of the last vespers' service [sic: services] before the Vatican shuts down for the summer break, the Pope announced the creation of a Pontifical Council for the promotion of New Evangelisation which would be dedicated to what he described as 'a grave crisis in the sense of the Christian faith'.

The creation of the council is a stark reminder of just how far secularisation has progressed in an area that was once called Christendom and is a tacit admission that the Church's recent attempts to reinvigorate Christianity in Europe have not succeeded.

The 83-year-old pontiff admitted that while there were many areas of the world that were still ripe for missionaries, Europe and North America have suffered from an 'eclipse of a sense of God' and needed to be re-evangelised."

UK Independent (Secular and secularist; British; Independent) 30 / 06 | June / 2010

One unfortunate possibility for head of this body involves a bishop who criticized another bishop for upholding Canon Law, and the teaching of the Church:

"From French blog Osservatore Vaticano:
In the past year, the Pontifical Academy for Life has been under the spotlight - including the ambiguous support of its chairman, Archbishop "Rino" Fisichella, for "therapeutic" abortion, in the sordid and painful Recife affair (Brazil).

Increasingly persistent rumors tell us that Bishop Fisichella will soon leave his post. [Rorate adds: but perhaps moved upwards?... Hopefully not!]"

Rorate Caeli (Catholic; Independent; Traditional leaning) 23 / 06 | June / 2010

Archibishop Fisischella, is thought to be the bishop to get the nod, either today or on Thursday (What Does The Prayer Really Say? [Catholic; Independent; American; Conservative leaning] 28 / 06 | June / 2010 ). Our own service has noted how the Archbishop has been accused of blatant fiasco as regards his attacking of a bishop who upheld Canon law to the letter, by declaring the already active automatic excommunications of doctors and one adult who caused the elective abortion / artificial termination of pregnancy of a nine year old girl, who the adult's life-partner allegedly raped.

John L. Allen JR. a noted observer of the Vatican and writer for the very liberal USA National Catholic Reporter says of the appointment:

"Benedict did not give a formal name for the new office, but reports indicate it will be called "Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization." Its job, according to the pope, will be to resist an "eclipse of the sense of God" in secular cultures.

Though Benedict did not reveal his choice to lead the enterprise, it’s widely expected that the new Vatican department, known as a “dicastery,” will be entrusted to Italian Archbishop Rino Fisichella, currently President of the Pontifical Academy for Life and a former chaplain to the Italian parliament.

If so, the move would amount to a papal vote of confidence for the embattled Fisichella, who has come under fire in his current post by pro-life groups for allegedly taking too soft a line on the question of excommunication for those involved in abortions [sic: Evangelisation and Abortion are two separate issues, the church often places liberals in positions involving evangelisation, and conservatives in place on social issues].

When Ratzinger was elected to the papacy five years ago, many cardinals at the time said they had turned to him because they regarded him as the figure best equipped to respond to the crisis of secularization in the West, especially in Europe. His choice of name, “Benedict,” was in part a reference to St. Benedict, the founder of European monasticism.

In the intervening five years, a series of controversies and scandals during Benedict’s pontificate – most recently, the global sexual abuse crisis swirling around the Catholic church – has often obscured that aim, and arguably made it far more difficult to realize, at least in the short term. Nevertheless, the creation of a new council suggests that Benedict has not thrown in the towel.

[...]

Aside from the overt logic of the new department, the creation of the new Council and Fisichella’s appointment to head it are striking for two other reasons.

First, the decision to create the new Pontifical Council is another indication of Benedict XVI’s fondness for the Communion and Liberation movement. The idea for a “Council for the New Evangelization” was first floated by Fr. Luigi Giussani, founder of the Communion and Liberation movement, in the early 1980s, but was not taken up by Pope John Paul II. More recently, Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice, himself close to the Communion and Liberation movement, represented the idea to Benedict XVI.

Benedict’s affinity for the movement is well known. Then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger delivered the homily at Giussani’s funeral Mass in 2005, and a group of consecrated women who are part of the Memores Domini group within Communion and Liberation run Benedict’s papal household.

Second, if Fisichella indeed becomes the first president of the new council, it would be a show of papal support for compassion in pressing the church’s pro-life argument [sic: the appointment is to a role involving evangelisation after many rumours that the pope was soon to remove the bishop from his role heading the Pontifical Academy for Life]

[...]

Fisichella is also an ambivalent figure, however, for some of the church’s most staunchly pro-life forces, as a result of his role in a 2009 controversy from Brazil involving an abortion for a nine-year-old girl. The girl had become pregnant after reportedly being raped by her stepfather, and her mother arranged for an abortion. Archbishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho of Olinda and Recife, upon learning of the case, announced that the mother, the doctor, and others involved in the abortion were excommunicated.

Sobrinho’s position aroused widespread protest in Brazil and around the world, but drew swift backing from Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops. Fisichella, however, then penned a front-page essay in L’Osservatore Romano that appeared to criticize Sobrinho.

“Before giving thought to excommunication, it was necessary and urgent to safeguard the innocent life of this girl [sic: SACNS: noted at the time of the fiasco that the church had played an active role in attempting to aid the girl, and her parish priest went to great effort to attempt to assist her, and to give her dignity], and return her to a level of humanity of which we, men of the church, should be expert heralds and teachers,” Fisichella wrote.

What is needed now, he added, “is the sign of a testimony of closeness with the one suffering, an act of mercy that, even while firmly maintaining the principle, is able to look beyond the juridical sphere.”

That article brought protests both from bishops in Brazil and from pro-life activists all over the world, resulting in a July 10 “clarification” from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith indicating that church teaching on abortion has not changed and will not change.

Within the Pontifical Academy for Life, a group of members led by Belgian Monsignor Michel Schooyans wrote a lengthy letter calling for Fisichella’s removal, arguing that he had falsely invoked the concept of “compassion” to justify actions contrary to Christian morality.

Nonetheless, Fisichella has remained on the job … and now appears headed for a new one, obviously close to the pope’s heart."

28 / 06 | June / 2010

As I have noted on Va-Browser before: “referendarius” (formal expert advisor) to the Apostolic Signatura, which Thomas Peters of American Papist calls the highest court in the Catholic Church, Edward N. Peters JD JCD, states that the canonical plea of necessity, can only be mitigating at best when the oppressor has committed a delict which by its nature is intrinsically evil, such as the delict of abortion. He did this in referring to a case where doctors claimed a mother's life was in danger, although it is possibly uncertain whether her condition was related to her pregnancy. (Va-Browser Editorial 02 / 06 | June / 2010)

As the excommunication was automatic (i.e. had happened even without the statement of the Brazilian Bishop) in the case of those (other than the 9 year old) aiding in the abortion of the 9 year old, and as excommunication is designed to be pastoral: to call the person excommunicated to repentance and to prevent others from following their course:

The possible new head of a body designed to evangelize nations which increasingly endorse what the Church Dogma considers the mortal sin of masturbation (homosexual acts) and elective abortion (considered the worst form of murder by the church), is one who is not a touch enforcer of church rules, and caused a spread of pro-abortion sentiments during his position in a body which was set up to ensure the protection of human life from conception until natural death.

Vatican observers have noted that without a tough ally in the Congregation for Bishops, Benedict XVI may continue to find he must choose from different relative dissidents, or those he does not know well within the bishops of the church for many of his more important positions. While the Liberal American National Catholic Reporter suggests that the new body would be an endorsement of the bishop's de facto failure at combating abortion while heading the Pontifical Academy for Life, Benedict XVI is a pragmatist, and it is highly likely that any appointment would be because of any past experience the bishop in question has with Evangelization, a field where the church often puts its more liberal bishops and priests.




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House of Representatives passes taxpayer funded abortion in America- media sources

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

With no Republican votes for the massive, controversial, and more recently unpopular healthcare reform pushed through the lower house of the American Congress, the Democrats, given their massive majority since the election of Barak Hussein Obama, were easily able to pass the legislation, with the support of anti-abortion Catholic Democrats, such as Bart Stupak, who had previously claimed that the bill would send federal taxpayer dollars to abortion funding. Bart Stupak, folded in his opposition, following a promise that Barak Hussein Obama, would issue a reversable Executive Order, preventing taxpayer funding of abortion. The Executive Order is likely to be overturned by US courts.

According to the Associated Press, Stupak's attempt to justify his move, was shouted down on the Republican side, with the phrase "Baby Killer". Stupak, has vastly benefited in the past from the influence of the US Catholic bishops, who have often backed his legislative efforts, even during the previous Republican administration. A YouTube video is beginning to appear on conservative websites, of Bart Stupak allegedly claiming at a Town Hall meeting that he would vote for a healthcare bill, supporting wider abortion coverage, as social conservatives begin to respond to the Stupak turnaround. We cannot confirm the veracity of the video.

In 2007, Independent Newspapers (IOL) reported on taxpayer funded abortion in South Africa, then long since passed, whereby 50% of all pregnancies end in abortion in the Republic of South Africa, where abortion laws, while themselves quite liberal, are vastly more restrictive than in the USA as regards time, and where the group reported on long lines at abortion departments of public hospitals, and the fact that many were unable to access the controversial procedure, statistically seen as wrong among the majority of South Africans. The 9th March 2007 article by Sheena Adams was titled "'Half of SA pregnancies end in abortion'", appearing on page 3 of the Johannesburg Star, according to the grouping's (IOL) website.

Multi-billion-dollar abortion firm, Planned Parenthood, while furious at the Executive Order, which due to precident: is unlikely to withstand America's courts, has welcomed the American: Stupak compromise, noting that they are pleased that the Executive Order does not, in their belief, include what they saw as the previous Stupak abortion funding ban. The Stupak amendment, which has been portrayed wrongly as an abortion funding ban, did not in fact ban taxpayer funding of abortion, only did it limit it to the current principle relating of taxpayer funding of abortion in the United States, known as the Hyde Amendment. Under the amendment funding for abortion federally would have still have been increased, but to a lesser extent, covering abortions for rape victims, incest etc.

The pro-life coalition which had allied behind Stupak, have now largely disowned him, notably the influential Susan B. Anthony List. The SBA president: President Marjorie Dannenfelser, who along with other sources has claimed that legal precident would likely see the Executive Order done away with, spoke to media of their disappointment, and planned reaction. The SBA has cancelled plans to honour Stupak. The pro-life SBA, is known for its effectiveness in campaigning for candidates it endorses, and for its campaigns against them if they break their promises on abortion. (Catholic News Agency (Catholic; independent; American- but their parent company is Spanish: ACI Prensa) 21 / 03 | March / 2010)

Bart Stupak, in accepting the compromise, has seemingly parted with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which claimed that the Senate version would fund abortions, and urged Catholics to vote against the bill. In a move linked to the White House, the Catholic Health Association (CHA) and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), via their platform Network, endorsed the Senate version of the healthcare overhaul. CHA had spent a fortune campaigning for the passage of the bill. On the 30th of July, 2009, our own service reported on the then already functioning alliance between the US president, and the CHA, who were already campaigning for this healthcare reform: USA: Catholic Charities USA (Caritas Internationalis), Society of Saint Vincent De Paul, Catholic Health Association: support Universal Abortion plan in America?

We had reported on the odd correlation, that a board member of the Catholic Health Association, following their organizational support of Barak Obama, was then nominated to the position of Surgeon General of The United States of America, by Barak Obama, a position the CHA board member continues to hold:

"Dr. Benjamin is a member of the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. She was a Kellogg National Fellow and a Rockefeller Next Generation Leader. Some of her numerous board memberships include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Catholic Health Association, and Morehouse School of Medicine."

(US Department of Health and Human Services | Office of the Surgeon General, undated, quoted on 22nd March by our service )

Catholic Health Association, does not answer to the Vatican or independently to any one of the US bishops, but rather to its own board.

The Leadership Conference, recently was investigated by the Vatican, because of concerns that it was no longer loyal to the papacy and dogmas of the church. The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious, another grouping of nuns, representing about 10 000 (ten thousand members), and about 100 religious communities, opposed the current legislation, attacking Network as betraying Catholic beliefs, and supporting the US Catholic bishops. The leadership Conference figures, on how many nuns they represent have also been disputed by the Catholic Bishops in the US, as we do not have an accurate number to go on, we have not mentioned a figure. The healthcare overhaul was also supported by Obama allies Catholics United, whom Michigan Catholic Conference, the Catholic Bishops in that area, have slated as deceiving the American public, according to respected political commentator Thomas Peters, writing for American Papist, which is now part of Catholic Vote Action, a political watchdog of a conservative ethos: 19th March 2010.

Without Catholic support, the controversial health overhaul legislation would not have passed. Not only are many of the senior positions in the Democratic party, held by pro-abortion Catholics, but the votes of the Stupak block were vital to Obama in passing the bill. Catholics were also the swing vote which got Barak Hussein Obama elected as President of the United States of America. While historically the organizational hierarchy of the Democrats has alleged that the Republican party is too closely connected with religion, at least with the campaigning strategies of Barak Obama, allies in groupings claiming to be Catholic, and in America's many so-called Catholic universities, have been a vital part of the Democrat strategy.

It is likely that the current push, once signed into law, by Barak Obama, will have the same effect as taxpayer funded abortion has had elsewhere, a shift in societal views on abortion, something which may have influenced the Democrats to take the massive risk of forcing the overhaul.

When the passage of this health overhaul became less likely late last year, the South African African National Congress (ANC), stopped focussing on their own National Health Insurance plan, which:

"According to Alex van den Heever, a health economist, who was quoted by HASA (The Health Association of South Africa), having spoken at their Durban Conference: the NHI is a ""completely unworkable, unaffordable solution that won't improve health services despite massive increases in expenditure""(News 24 (Secular; Independent; South African) article by SAPA [South African Press Association] (Secular; Independent; South African) 08 / 06 | June / 2009). According to van den Heever: part of the proposal is to increase the Health budget by 100 Billion Rand, an astronomical and unrealistic figure, especially during a recession, and as the ANC has put forward other plans slated as unrealistic by financial experts."

(Archives 03 / 08 | August / 2009

If the choice was because on the American situation, it may result in the NHI option being considered once again in South Africa. The Public Health sector in South Africa, once seen as world class, has largely collapsed under mismanagement under the ANC governments.

RSA lawmakers' hands are dripping in blood, its leaders have 'binned God' - JHB Archbishop says as thousands protests against abortion

(Social Justice South Africa; to also appear in other Scripturelink.net News Services)

Article by Marc Aupiais

South African law, reflects the official beliefs of the ANC (African National Congress, the ruling party in the Republic, which came to power under Nelson Mandela) since 1994, that abortion is an intrinsic right of both women and girls:

"Recognising the values of human dignity, the achievement of equality, security of the person, non-racialism and non-sexism, and the advancement of human rights and freedoms which underlie a democratic South Africa;

Recognising that the Constitution protects the right of persons to make decisions concerning reproduction and to security in and control over their bodies;

Recognising that both women and men have the right to be informed of and to have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of fertility regulation of their choice, and that women have the right of access to appropriate health care services to ensure safe pregnancy and childbirth;

Recognising that the decision to have children is fundamental to women's physical, psychological and social health and that universal access to reproductive health care services includes family planning and contraception, termination of pregnancy, as well as sexuality education and counseling programmes and services;

Recognising that the State has the responsibility to provide reproductive health to all, and also to provide safe conditions under which the right of choice can be exercised without fear or harm;

Believing that termination of pregnancy is not a form of contraception or population control;"

Preamble of the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1996 (Act No. 92 of 1996)
Accessed via:
http://www.acts.co.za/choice_on_termination_of_pregnancy_act/index.htm


"The hands of South Africa's lawmakers are dripping with blood", said Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg.

He said this, Saturday, to thousands of protesters gathered for a Johannesburg march, rallying for an end of South Africa's state sponsored, legally endorsed, Constitutional Court protected abortion system. A memorandum demanding an end to legalized abortion was handed over to officials of the Department of Health, at the historic site of Constitution Hill, about four blocks from the Cathedral of Christ the King, where the protest walk had begun. The march, which extended from Nuggett street to King George Street, followed a Mass and a sermon by the influential, and often fiery Archbishop. Archbishop Buti, who has acted as both an apologist for the actions of the ANC monopoly government in South Africa, and as a major critic of it, claimed that "South Africa is a young democracy - yet those at the helm have wasted no time in 'binning God'." He furthered his accusations, even seemingly alleging a government antagonism to organised religion, claiming at the anti-abortion event: "They tolerate religion so long as it is practised in private," adding the accusation that "South Africa's lawmakers deny that God is the source of all freedom."

Archbishop Buti has in the past accused the government of "passive genocide", over its response to the Zimbabwean land crisis, and subsequent occurrences in neighbouring Zimbabwe, joining other voices criticising The Republic of South Africa's "quiet diplomacy", towards its neighbour. He has also previously claimed, over the moral fiasco, which eventually ended in the de facto impeachment of former president Thabo Mbeki, and the dropping of all 700 charges of corruption against President Jacob Zuma, that South Africa was heading in the direction of "sin and ruin", due to the actions of the government's leaders. When Thabo Mbeki left office, the Archbishop noted his achievements, such as the building of schools. When Jacob Zuma's ambassador arrived at the Vatican, he was greeted with much praise of South Africa, and of his rival Thabo Mbeki's achievements, and of other historic factors, but unlike the welcome to Thabo Mbeki, the message to Zuma, in what it did and not say was striking. In what it said, it seemed to the trained eye, that the pope was quoting the Archbishop of Johannesburg.

"The Act [noted above] simply frees a person from moral responsibility, from the dictates of their conscience," said the clergyman, "'Since abortion is approved by Government legislation [then] it cannot be wrong,' is the reasoning which sees morality reduced to a personal preference," the archbishop charged.

Turning to calls by Jacob Zuma for moral debate, shortly after it was discovered that South Africa's polygamist president had fathered even more love-children "The debate around moral regeneration is simply that : debate. There is no search for elusive moral value, [and] not much conscience. In the debate there are no absolutes, no non-negotiables."

The Archbishop contrasted this with what he believed should be the foundation of any moral debate, of the type called for in South Africa: "For Christians God is the author of life and we have to answer to Him on the issue of abortion. Yes, there are tensions between individuals and [there is] tension between the church and politicians who have legislated [for] the killing of life in the womb but society is far too lazy to search for the truth, to do what is moral."

Asked for anything by which to estimate the numbers of protesters, for our service, the Editor of Archdiocesan news, whom we have in the past collaborated with, said that the Cathedral had been filled to capacity during mass, holding about 2 000 (two thousand) people, and that there were about another hundred gathered outside in the parking lot of the Cathedral. Others, she informed our service, had joined that march afterwards. The turnout was, based on her testimony to our service, thus likely lower than the 3 000 (three thousand) hoped for by the organisers "Campaign for Life", but still significant, given that this was one of the first major anti-abortion marches to be conducted by the Church in South Africa.

"We are on a cause of life." said the Archbishop:

"We march today because the Church is duty bound to raise its voice; duty bound to value life, especially life in the womb. South Africa's lawmakers deny life and offer abortion on demand. In this country child rape, brutal abuse of women and children, drugs, violent road deaths are common. Amidst this everyday violence the gospel calls us to protect and revere life. 'Thou shalt not kill' is unambiguous. Life is of unassailable, inestimable value and abortion is a deplorable crime."

He then turned to the authority of the Hippocratic oath, which historically had directly forbidden abortion since ancient times: "Doctors and nurses are pledged to serve life, not death. How long will it be before the South Africa's constitution protects life?"

According to a message sent our service by the editor of Archdiocesan News:

"The Archbishop called on young people to respect their bodies, respect life and speak out. Silence means complicity.

'Love God, love your neighbour.' he urged the assembly. 'Protect and defend life - life from its inception!"

Despite prior planning, permission to hold the anti-abortion march, was withheld by the state, until Thursday last week, the march occurred on Saturday morning. The South African Press Association, had all the information we have by 16:00 on Saturday afternoon, according to a source, however, we have yet to pick up the story of a major march in any of the main press services in South Africa. A march involving about 100 people against abortion had been reported on in February by media. That organization had claimed that over 9 00 000 (nine hundred thousand) unborn offspring had been slain in abortion since Nelson Mandela signed South Africa's pro-abortion legislation into law, that group had further said to media, that abortion is funded by the taxpayer in South Africa. Financial group KPMG has warned of a skills shortage facing South Africa in the future, due to a decline in birthrate, along with the impact of other factors on population.

Our Service has, likely in mimicry of other media: further received no release whatsoever on this important march from the Information Officer of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, Father Chris Townsend, who claimed to our editor during talks in which we desired media releases from the SACBC in general, that he was on the board of the Southern Cross, a newspaper which has used it's influence to promote legal abortion directly, as well as to promote pro-abortion Barak Obama. Father Chris Townsend had threatened our service, after we had reported on alleged use of Catholic funding for Caritas Internationalis, in order to fund pro-abortion advocates. Without the official structures of the Diocese of Johannesburg noting this event, our service would not have picked up this march. Much thanks to Archdiocesan News, an official structure of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg, and their editor, for monitoring the march for us, as we requested, and in accordance with previous collaboratory agreements, as our service was not able to do so on this particular day.

March 13 anti-Abortion March with the Archbishop of Johannesburg to petition government official, in bid to end legalized abortion

(Social Justice South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Following a statement by the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference in February, hinting at a need to look into altering the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996), Archbishop Buthi, of Johannesburg, appears to be upping the stakes, with a third anti-abortion event organized by the "Culture of Life Campaign":

The Bishops, have recently become more political in their fight against legalized abortion: saying in February:

Quotation from a recent press release by the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, showing a Catholic effort to amend abortion laws:

"Given the current depth of polarisation along social, economic and political lines, we propose that the starting point be the foundational principle that the human person, and every human person, has intrinsic and inalienable value. All else in any code of morals must take its lead from that basic principle. In this way we will avoid all considerations of race, class, nationality, religion and political persuasion. This is also the only way in which we will be able to judge and evaluate whether or not our Constitution and it’s application is in fact fair and just to all those who have been given the gift of life – from babies in their mother’s wombs to natural death. "
titled -- "National Church Leaders welcome Pres. Zuma's call for a Moral dialogue"

(South African Catholic 22 / 02 | February / 2010)

"Culture of Life Campain" chairwoman: Michelle Joseph sent an email to South African Catholic today giving us the following information:

"Anti-abortion march
On Saturday 13 March from 09:00 hundreds of Catholics [are planned and expected to] gather at the Cathedral of Christ the King, Hillbrow – corner of Saratoga Avenue and Nugget Street – to join the Culture of Life Campaign in a march to Constitution Hill where Most Reverend Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg will hand a letter to the MEC for Health, Gauteng expressing the Catholic Church’s teachings on abortion and petitioning the Government to amend the law on abortion.

The march to Constitution Hill will take the form of a prayer-walk. It will start at about 10:45 following Mass celebrated in the Cathedral by the Archbishop and a number of priests of the Archdiocese. Various parishes and church organisations will carry banners identifying the group, some may wear uniforms and some may carry posters calling for an end to abortion.

[...]
"

"Background
The Culture of Life Campaign was formed by lay people of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg at the request of Archbishop Tlhagale in response to legislation that condones the termination of pregnancy. Eleven years after abortion was legalised in South Africa, thousands of citizens still believe that the Termination of Pregnancy Act (Act 92 of 1996) violates the rights of unborn children. In particular, Catholics believe that the unborn foetus becomes a human life from the moment of conception and therefore termination of pregnancy is tantamount to murder, an act that is condemned [sic] by the Constitution of South Africa.

The Culture of Life Campaign looks for proactive ways to protect the lives of unborn children and their pregnant mothers. One of its projects is the creation of a future safe haven for pregnant mothers – giving them opportunity to take care of themselves and their unborn children, giving them an alternative to abortion.

The Culture of Life Campaign fully believes that no effort is too great when it comes to the defence of human life and in the words of the late Pope John Paul II: “Go out into the streets and trading places and woe unto you if you do not succeed in defending life.”"

Pavement protest outside a Sandton abortion centre

On Saturday 6 March, 10:30 to 12:00 around dozen people, members of the Culture of Life Campaign: were planned to be involved in a protest prayer vigil outside an abortion facility. The organization does so monthly, and has claimed that motorists use their vehicles hooters to hoot (USA:honk) their support to protesters, not unlikely given mass opposition to abortion among a vast majority of South Africans, as attested to via statistics.

Government unfairly dismissed doctor for pro-life stance- PSA

(Social justice South Africa; c.f. SAPA (South African; Independent; Secular) 08 / 03 | March / 2010))

Article by Marc Aupiais

The South African Press Association reports on the reported unfair dismissal of a pro-life doctor, allegedly dismissed for his anti-abortion beliefs, expressed outside of working hours as a member of the pro-life professionals' organization: "Doctors for life".

"Bloemfontein - A Free State doctor fired for protesting against abortions must be reinstated at the National Hospital in Bloemfontein, an arbitrator has found, the Public Servants Association of SA said on Monday.

Doctor Faan Oosthuizen was dismissed in February 2009 for participating in protest action and campaigns against the termination of pregnancies by the Free State health department as far back as 2006.

PSA spokesperson Manie de Clercq said Oosthuizen's dismissal in 2009 was substantively unfair. The Free State health department was ordered to reinstate him in the same or similar position, with the salary and benefits that existed prior to his dismissal."

(SAPA (South African; Independent; Secular) 08 / 03 | March / 2010))

Public Servants Association of South Africa's representative, claimed that doctors were often compelled to finish other doctor's abortions, even after hours. The PSA further noted that claims by the department that staff felt victimized by the choice of the pro-life doctor to report the matter to the Health Professions Council of South Africa, were found to be without evidence by the arbitrator.

Despite massive opposition to the procedure by the general population of South Africa, which is largely socially conservative on such matters, as homosexual unions, and termination of pregnancy : "abortion"), the South African government's ruling party, the ANC, under former president Nelson Mandela, forced through both radically liberal abortion laws, and other controversial legislation.

Anti-abortion march, in March, after bishops suggest altering Constitution

(South African Catholic)

Note by Marc Aupiais

After the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference released to us and other media, a media release, in which it was suggested that either the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108) be amended or that it be differently interpreted, than it currently is, Archbishop Buthi of Johannesburg, appears to be adding pressure, or at least groups in the Johannesburg Archdiocese appear to be. An anti-abortion mass, and march are planned for March 13 2010, from the Bishop's seat, the Cathedral of Christ the King, in Johannesburg. South African Catholic has been informed, that the protest aims at having laws allowing for abortion amended entirely to end the practice, or else, for abortion laws to be tightened, so as to make abortion harder to procure.

Relating to an entirely unrelated March [capitalization intentional], on February 1st this year, by a grouping known as the Christian Action Network, who were also marching for an end to abortion, it was stated then to media that over 900 000 children had been subjected to so-called abortion or termination of pregnancy since 1997, when Nelson Mandela radically liberalized the laws regarding procurement of artificial terminations of pregnancy in South Africa. It was also claimed to media, that taxpayers directly fund abortions in South Africa.

Catholic Bishops of England and Whales behind push to promote abortion in Schools

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. LifeSiteNews (Catholic; Independent; Canadian) 23 / 02 | February / 2010 ; The Telegraph (British; Independent; Secular; Conservative) 23 / 02 | February / 2010; BBC World News (Secular; Governmental; British) 19 / 02 | February / 2010; The Guardian (British; Independent; Secular; Secularist; Liberal; editorial) 23 / 02 | February / 2010; LifeNews 01 / February / 2010; LifeSitenews (Catholic; Independent; Canadian) 01 / 02 | February / 2010; Catholic Culture (Catholic; Independent; American): The Contraception Misconception)

Article by Marc Aupiais

"Sex and relationship education - who does what?
Age 5-7 - puberty, relationships and how to keep safe
Age 7 - 11 - puberty, relationships including marriage, divorce, separation, same sex and civil partnerships and managing emotions and dealing with negative pressures
Age 11 - 14 - Sexual activity, human reproduction, contraception, pregnancy, STDs including HIV/Aids and high risk behaviours, relationships, including those between old, young, girls, boys and same sex
Age 14 - 16 - Body image and health, choices relating to sexual activity and substance misuse, and the emotional well-being, reducing risk and minimising harm, parenting skills and family life, separation, divorce and bereavements, prejudice and bullying"

(BBC World News (Secular; Governmental; British) 19 / 02 | February / 2010)

Causing much concern to papists and loyal Catholics throughout the world, including our own editor, who Lambasted the Catholic Bishops of England and Whales, Labour and the Liberal Democrats, in his column "The Tempest and The Hurricane", Labour has introduced a bill to force Catholic schools to teach the virtues of homosexuality, abortion, extra-marital sex, contraception et al.

Much of the media attention from the BBC, the Independent, and The Guardian media groups, has called for stricter and harsher treatment of religion, even than in the current bill.

Catholic schools will be made to inform students how to procure an abortion, an offence incurring automatic excommunication under the current code of canon law. Further, they will be made to promote abortion, and Homosexual "Civil Partnerships" (de jure homosexual "marriage") in schools. A new amendment pushed through yesterday, will allow Catholic schools to additionally teach what their religion does on the matters, but not in such a way as to treat homosexuality or the other issues concerned as wrong. Supporters of the push against religious schools, such as one writing an editorial for the Guardian, have expressed disappointment that the Catholic schools can still note as one view among many, that extramarital sex is a sin in the Catholic religion, however this ignores that while this belief may be noted, it may not be promoted.

An editorial calling for stricter measures against Catholics in the Guardian said:

"So it's great to see that the government has taken the initiative to make sex and relationship teaching mandatory from a much younger age. Hopefully this new legislation will ensure that schools have to teach children age-appropriate information about relationships including marriage, same sex and civil partnerships, divorce and separation; and in later years, sexual activity, reproduction and contraception. It is fundamentally important that children and young people can obtain this ­information without prejudice.

So, why, with this progressive new legislation, is there an amendment that means faith schools can adapt it to suit their beliefs? Ed Balls, the schools secretary, says in a letter to the Guardian that "faith schools will not be able to opt out of statutory lessons on sex and relationship education"; but if his argument that the "bottom line is that all young people should receive accurate and balanced information, and discrimination is prevented in all schools", how can teaching that sex outside marriage is wrong, or that contraception is bad, or that homosexuality is a sin, be seen as "balanced" information? Surely that will contradict the guidance provided as part of the sex education curriculum? And how does faith school teaching about sex fit in with the idea of tolerance or equality?

Balls may believe that conceding to the religious lobby was the best way of getting this legislation passed; but it undermines the progress made, and gives support to prejudiced misinterpretations of sex education.

Brook, the young people's sexual health charity, is more optimistic about this amendment. Spokeswoman Jules Hillier says: "We're hopeful that the ethos of the bill, which stresses diversity and equal opportunities, will mean that all schools will need to take a balanced approach to the teaching of SRE."

It is arguable, I suppose, that without this amendment, and with pressure from the religious lobby, this bill might not get passed – which would be a great shame, because it will impact young people in many positive ways for years to come. It's an enlightened government that dares to remove the right of parents to opt their children over the age of 15 out of sex education and enforce mandatory lessons in the subject in the majority of schools in the UK. So overall, it's a move in the right direction, albeit not quite far enough."

(The Guardian (British; Independent; Secular; Secularist; Liberal; editorial) 23 / 02 | February / 2010)

The sex education will be compulsory, parents of children over age 15, will not be allowed to withdraw their children from the classes, as they currently are able to do.

It recently emerged that the Catholic Education Service (CES) in Great Britain, directly assisted in the crafting of the bill, and Ed Balls, the minister pushing the bill has directly thanked Archbishop Vincent Nichols, in charge of the English Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, along with the CES for their support of the bill. It was believed by both sides that without the support of the church, that this bill would otherwise be facing much greater obstacles in getting passed.

The BBC notes the Catholic Education Service website, which the CES referred the BBC to as their comment:

" [The CES] pointed to a document on its website which said teachers would need to act wisely, "mindful that the teachings of the Church must be upheld in our Catholic schools and the innocence of children preserved".

It continued: "This must take place whilst also acknowledging pupils will often be encountering conflicting messages from external sources.

"This is an example of where good teaching will need to respond to the maturity of children and the environment in which they live, coupled with respect for the dignity of all human persons, upholding the Church's teachings."

Under the plans, all schools are to be required to teach children aged seven to 11 about relationships including marriage, same sex and civil partnerships, divorce and separation under Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education.

Secondary school pupils are to learn about sexual activity, reproduction, contraception as well as same sex relationships.

Clauses in the Children, Schools and Families Bill require schools to cover these issues in an "accurate and balanced" way, reflecting a reasonable range of religious, cultural and other perspectives and the religious and cultural backgrounds of the school's pupils.

The subject is also to be taught in a way that promotes equality, accepts diversity and emphasises both rights and responsibilities, the Bill says.

This requirement could have been problematic for schools governed by religions that are specifically opposed to homosexuality and contraception."

(BBC World News (Secular; Governmental; British) 19 / 02 | February / 2010)

The BBC then notes that the amendment passed Yesterday, may allow a school to water down elements of teaching, according to its religious character. The minister pushing the legislation has however directly denied this claim. Stating what our article already has noted, that schools would still have to promote the government agenda, even if on the side noting religious beliefs.

Editorially: While all my formal training is in South African and Roman and Roman Dutch law, my understanding, of this legislation, is that both the teachers concerned and likely the schools' important staff, will latae senitae (as if sentence were already passed by the very act: automatically) be excommunicated from the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. As regards the English Bishops' co-operation in forcing abortion on Catholic schools, one is lead to question where ecclesiastical law would put these individuals.

Damien Thompson, blogs editor for the Telegraph, wrote on the fact that not a single voice of the hierarchy of England and Whales has been available for comment on this issue. An odd silence from a body which the pope had desired stand up for Catholic doctrine and morals in Great Britain, when he addressed them on their Ad Limina visit earlier this year.

In contrast to the Bishops Conference of England and Whales, Scotland's Cardinal Keith O’Brien, responding to claims by Catholic Labour member Jim Murphy, the Scottish Secretary, that labour could harness religious votes, slammed Labour egregiously.

"In a stinging rebuke to Jim Murphy, Cardinal Keith O’Brien said he could not think of a “tangible example” of the Government embracing the views of the Catholic Church in the past decade.

[...]

“Instead we have witnessed this Government undertake a systematic and unrelenting attack on family values.

“This is a charge I personally put to Gordon Brown when we met in 2008 and I have seen no evidence since then to suggest anything has changed.”

The leader of Scotland’s 750,000 Catholics then listed a series of new laws that have been passed despite the objections of the church and other faiths."

(The Telegraph (British; Independent; Secular; Conservative) 23 / 02 | February / 2010)

This push in Great Britain- to promote contraception in schools, comes shortly after a study questioning the effectiveness of such education was released by the applicable journal of the American Medical Association: Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, quite recently:

"The study found that the probability of [... subjects in the program] having sexual intercourse [prior the end of the study] was approximately 15 percentage points lower among teens in the abstinence-only program than those in condom-promoting courses or those undergoing no sex education.

The study randomly assigned 662 African-American students (average age 12.2) to participate in one of four programs: abstinence-only intervention; safer-sex–only intervention targeting increased condom use; comprehensive interventions targeting both sexual intercourse and condom use; or a control intervention focusing on health issues unrelated to sexual behavior.

The researchers found that the probability of ever having sexual intercourse by the 24-month follow-up was 33.5 percent in the abstinence-only program and 48.5 percent in the control group attending health promotion courses. Rates in the safer sex and comprehensive programs did not differ significantly from the control group.

In addition, fewer students in the abstinence-only group (20.6 percent) vs. those in the control group (29 percent) reported having sex in the previous three months during the follow-up period. The abstinence-only intervention did not appear to affect rates of condom use. The eight-hour and 12-hour comprehensive programs appeared to be associated with reduced reports of having multiple partners when compared with the control group.

The authors of the study, which was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, concluded that theory-based abstinence-only interventions "can be part of [the] mix" of methods to reduce sexually-transmitted infections among teens."

(LifeSitenews (Catholic; Independent; Canadian) 01 / 02 | February / 2010)

Marc Aupiais's view of what the Bishops have said on Abortion

(Chastity South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais (Editor)

The following is a quotation of "The Tempest and the Hurricane" column of Marc Aupiais, a pro-life blogger in his personal capacity:

The Bishops may just have joined calls to end abortion in RSA
http://marc-aupiais.blogspot.com/2010/02/bishops-may-just-have-joined-calls-to.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed:+TheTempestAndTheHurricane+(The+Tempest+and+the+Hurricane)

It looks at the possibility that the SACBC is finally making a real stance, however meekly worded: against abortion in South Africa:

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Article by Marc Aupiais

South African Catholic, a service which I edit, but which this blog is independent of has just made a press release for the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference for them and some other Christian leaders of a group I have never heard of before:

http://southafricancatholic.blogspot.com/2010/02/southern-african-catholic-bishops.html

As all our safety measures to insure that the dispatch was in fact sent out by the SACBC mailing system checked out, we are assured that we as the list all should have gotten this message as media.

In any case: back to me as me, and this blog.

The message is significant. A small protest from another group I have never heard of before, called the Christian Action Network, happened in Capetown on February 1st this month. I wrote for South African Catholic on this at:

The Mother City coldly observes, a small protest over the tiny slain
http://southafricancatholic.blogspot.com/2010/02/mother-city-coldly-observes-small.html

Significantly, the Christian Action Network, called for an alteration to South Africa's Constitution, which the Constitutional Court, at the time it interpreted it on the matter, said excluded the right to life from unborn children, basing itself seemingly on common law principles from prior the days of ultrasounds. This was in response to the Christian Lawyers' Association challenging the ANC's mass liberalization of Abortion under Nelson Mandela.

The entire statement is interesting in the wording. It certainly seems very suggestive of the SACBC actually putting its weight behind efforts to have the Constitution amended (for what the twentieth time, but this time) to ensure that South Africa does not murder another +9 00 000 children.

Interestingly, it cites Mandela, who ensured abortion was radically liberalized, and whose ANC has believed abortion the right of every woman since 1994. But, it simply noted that a "legacy" had supposedly begun to emerge under Mandela, and not that one had emerged, which perhaps saves them somewhat from looking foolish for calling for attention as to whether or not the unborn should no longer be discriminated against under the might of South African law."

The Mother City coldly observes, a small protest over the tiny slain

(Social Justice South Africa; c.f. SAPA's article on : News 24 (Secular; independent; South African)01 / 02 | February / 2010; IOL's the Johannesburg Star (Secular; independent; South African) 03 / 02 | February / 2010 )

Article by Marc Aupiais

According to SAPA, The South African Press Association, a group calling itself the Christian Action network, held a small pro-life march, on the first day of this month, featuring about 80 protesters, in Cape Town (The "Mother City"), protesting at the reported +- 900 000 (Nine Hundred thousand) children aborted via what the network notes to quite directly be taxpayers' money, since February 1997. The protesters seemingly were lead by a small white coffin, in a white hearse, with the protesters dressed in mourning black, and carrying placards.

The group's international co-ordinator, Taryn Hodgson, says that the protesters desire a constitutional amendment declaring life as beginning at conception. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) party in South Africa, has since 1994 believed abortion to be the inalienable right of women, who can procure one as young as age twelve, when even kissing a boy is illegal in South Africa. Abortion was controversially pushed through parliament by the ANC, under the leadership of former president Nelson Mandela. The vast majority of South Africans, continue to be opposed to abortion, according to a poll published some time ago by South African media.