--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Life Communications - Volume 5, No. 10 September, 1995 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This newsletter is intended to provide articles and news information to those interested in Pro-Life issues. All submissions should be sent to the editor, Steve . --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) *Pro-Abortion Rhetoric Absent at Beijing Conference* With an unprecedented criticism of abortion, Hillary Clinton addressed the United Nations' Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. "It is a violation of human rights when women are denied the right to plan their own families," said Clinton, "and that includes being forced to have abortions or being sterilized against their will." In addition, the Vatican launched its pro-life campaign at the women's conference, at which abortion was expected to be the hottest issue of debate. Mary Ann Glendon, the head delegate from the Holy See, told a plenary session, "All who are genuinely committed to the advancement of women can and must offer a women or a girl who is pregnant, frightened and alone a better alternative than the destruction of her own unborn child," according to Reuter's. In a report issued to coincide with the conference opening, Human Rights Watch, a private human rights group, claimed that Islamic governments and the Vatican were actively attempting to deny women equality and civil liberties. Similar charges were made by pro-choice conference delegates who suggested the Roman Catholic Church had joined forces with Islamic nations to further conservative, pro-family agendas. Holy See delegation spokesman Joachim Navarro-Valls said the Vatican was in discussion with other delegations holding a similar stance on abortion but, according to Reuter's, had entered no alliances. "The differences regarding women in Islam and Catholicism are so substantial that no operative agreement is possible," he said. "We disagree profoundly." Pro-choice delegates have also suggested that the alleged Vatican-Islam alliance was formed to block passage of the conference Platform for Action. Though a Reuter's report claimed the platform "appeared" to support the right to legal abortion, there is no overt statement of support for legal abortion found anywhere in the document. Instead, the tentative language of the platform both cites and supports information published by the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, which reads, "In no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning. All Governments...and non-governmental organizations are urged to...deal with the health impact of unsafe abortion as a major public health concern and to reduce the recourse to abortion... every attempt should be made to eliminate the need for abortion." -- Stephanie Herman --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) *Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe) Abandons the Pro-Choice Movement* Otherwise known as "Jane Roe" of the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court case legalizing abortion, Norma McCorvey has joined the ranks of the pro-life movement. Rev. Flip Benham, who recently baptized McCorvey after her recent conversion to Christianity, apparently befriended the pro-choice activist earlier this year and, over a period of months, challenged McCorvey's views on abortion. Though she still insists upon a woman's right to first-trimester abortions, McCorvey has reportedly quit her job at a Dallas area abortion clinic in order to join forces with Rev. Benham's branch of Operation Rescue. "I know how these evil people [Operation Rescue] can draw you in," is how Barbara Ellis responded to McCorvey's decision. Ellis, a Bay Area abortion-rights activist, told Kevin Fagan of the _San Francisco Chronicle_, "I talked to [Norma] recently, and she sounded bad, really bad, and I knew something was going to happen." Referring to Rev. Benham, McCorvey's lesbian lover, Connie Gonzales, told AP's Julia Prodis, "I hate him. He's the devil." Gonzales describes McCorvey as "gullible" and shows no respect or empathy for her partner's change of heart. McCorvey, now 48, had complained that members of the pro-choice movement, especially Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee, her lawyers in the Roe v. Wade case, cared little for her individual situation. "I was nothing to Sarah and Linda," McCorvey wrote in her 1994 book, _I Am Roe_, "nothing more than just a name on a piece of paper." Kate Michelman, president of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League inadvertently substantiated McCorvey's charge in an AP report, "...the Roe decision that recognized the woman's right of choice is not about any single individual woman." In contrast to such articulations of indifference for the individual, McCorvey, on ABC's "Nightline," stated simply, "I'm doing this for me. I'm not doing it for anyone else." -- Stephanie Herman --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) Across the Pond (Which One?) *Adelaide, Australia* Euthanasia Bill Defeated A July bill before the South Australian parliament that would have legalized euthanasia was defeated. This followed on the heels of the passage of a similar bill in the much more sparsely-populated Northern Territory. Right to Life Australia Chairwoman Margaret Tighe was quoted in the Australian AP: "Trying to push a euthanasia bill through mainstream parliament as opposed to a tiny legislature was apparently not so easy... Let us hope from now on, the focus will be on proper patient care. To kill a pa tient is to abdicate our responsibility to our fellow humans who we must always care for adequately - regardless of the degree of a patient's condition." *Japan* Oe Finds a Voice Nobel Prize-winning writer Kenzubo Oe announced in an April 16 Canadian Broadcasting interview "that he would not be writing any more novels, at least for the forseeable future," says Professor Dick Sobsey of the University of Alberta (Canada). "He has no more reason to write." "Oe's novels" were an attempt "to give voice to his son who never learned to speak beyond a few limited words." His son, Hikari, was born 32 years ago with severe disabilities. "Doctors tried to convince the parents that they should let their son die, saying that the most they could hope for 'was a kind of vegetable existence.' " But the parents, after struggling with the decision, sought an operation for their son, who survived, but "was epileptic, developmentally delayed, visually impaired with limited physical coordination." However, Hikari "has learned to express himself through music," and "a CD of music composed by Hikari Od won Japan's top prize for Classical Japanese music last year. - Not bad for a 'vegetable.'" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) ProLife Profile: PRIESTS FOR LIFE A 501 (c) (3) organization, committed to providing information and materials of an educational nature to enable the clergy better to support and promote the Church's teachings on the life issues. Priests for Life meet annually and publish a quarterly newsletter. Full membership (with voting privileges) in PFL is open to priests and deacons (both permanent and transitional) upon payment of annual dues. Lay Catholics and religious are cordially invited to support this work by their prayers and contributions, and by becoming auxiliary members. Annual dues for both classes of membership is a modest $15.00. For group rates or for bulk mailings to provide copies for all the priests of your diocese, please contact us. For information about how to form a PFL chapter, write to Rev. Frank Pavone, P.O. Box 141172, Staten Island, NY 10314. (914) 937-8243. Priests for Life is prepared to send priests sample homilies and bulletin inserts on abortion and euthanasia. These can be sent in quantity as well, only for the cost of postage. As a 501 (c) (3) organization, contributions to PFL are tax deductible. For more information, please write to Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, PFL, P.O. Box 141172, Staten Island, NY 10314. Full homilies are available from Priests for Life, and some will be printed in the newsletters. Here, however, are some general hints for developing pro-life homilies. > 1) The Golden Rule is a perfect argument against abortion . . . > Do not do to others what you dislike (Tobit 4:15); do to others as > you would have them do to you (Mt. 7:12). Who would want to > have been aborted? > 2) We are called to love and help those who have no help. Most > women have abortions because they feel there is no other choice. > Can we be Good Samaritans by developing local outreach to > pregnant women in need? > 3) The Eucharist is the victory of life over death! "Dying you > destroyed our death." Christ Himself is the Life (Jn. 14:6). > To stand with God in Christ is to stand with life and against > death in all its forms. NEW BROCHURE: An attractive new brochure about Priests for Life is available. Please write to us to order them. They are excellent to distribute at priests' gatherings, in mailings, or to laity who can pass it on to their priests. Please write to us at P.O. Box 141172, Staten Island, N.Y. 10314, and share your experiences in any aspect of pro-life work with priests. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) Announcements *U.S. Life Chain* In cities across America, Sunday, October 1st will include an hour of quiet witness as tens of thousands of pro-life volunteers stand beside major roadways to peacefully demonstrate for the protection of the unborn. An hour will be dedicated (3-4PM EST?) for prayer and quiet protest. These are locally-organized events, and information should be available from pro-life churches and groups in each city. *NSL Plans Upcoming Promotional* Those college students wishing to become a part of National Students for Life should let the organization know their contact information for the summer and school year as NSL has planned an upcoming mailing to everyone on their mailing list. This mailing will include information on how you can join and more information about the organization. Email your contact info to: ertelt@netcentral.net or check out the NSL home page at: An alternative page is avilable at: . For more information, call 202-626-8800 x144. *1995 2nd Annual Write for Life Contest* Metro Right to Life of Omaha Nebraska is sponsoring its second annual Write-for-Life essay contest. With a prizes of $10,000, $3,000, $1,500, and $100, the program is designed to recognize creative skillful writing that communicates the right to life position in a thought provoking manner. To be eligible, submitted articles must be published in a secular, non-religious publication, other than pro-life publications (newsletters, magazines, etc.). Topics are open to issues such as abortion, infanticide, voluntary and involuntary euthanasia, assisted suicide, abortifacients, school-based clinics and more. Articles and/or other inquiries may be submitted to: Metro Right to Life, 9001 Arbor St., Suite 104, Omaha, NE 68124-2064, FAX (402) 399-0501 or for information call (402) 399-0299. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) CORRECTION/RETRACTION - PLN v5n9 v5n9 of the _ProLife News_ (August, 1995) included an article with factual errors concerning the distribution and use of Title X funds. At the time, these funds for family-planning clinics were under consideration by Congressional Appropriations committees for reduction or deletion. Neither occured. The immediate factual error was a reference that Title X funds could be used for abortion counseling and referrals. They can not. article also claimed that major pro-abortion groups have been the > _primary_ beneficiaries of Title X funds, which is an exaggeration at best. Many thanks to reader James Crawford for pointing out this glaring mistake. Why many in the pro-life movement oppose the Title-X funding is that abortions and referrals for abortions are performed by the many of the same clinics that receive funding from the Title-X bill. A rough analogy likens the Title-X situation to the hypothetical American Vegetarians Society giving money to Oscar Myer to fund the development and distribution of all-veggie foods. The $$s are not used for meat or meat production, but a meat producer is still getting money. In all cases, this is no excuse for exaggeration or misrepresentation of fact, and we sincerely apologize for allowing the erroneous article to run unquestioned. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote of the Month: "Everyone has the Right to Life..." -- Article 3 from the United Nations 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights', New York, Dec. 10th 1948. +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Credits: | | 3 - Australian and Japanese news from the September 22 _Communique_ | | available from American Life League. $16.95 p.a. Contact A.L.L. in | | Stafford, VA 22555. (Contact their BBS via to .) | | 4 - Care of the Catholic Information Network: 619-449-6030 14,400 bps | | many thanks to reader Tim DeRyan. | |QOM- Many thanks to reader Philippe Schepen. | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Anyone desiring information on specific prolife groups, literature, or other information should contact the editor For those on the web, there is a preliminary World Wide Web page at URL , and an index of Pro- Life web sites at URL . ---------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/ProLife.News: pln-0510.txt .