The biggest topic of discussion at the Alliance for Life national convention in Charlottetown June 24-25 was not on the agenda. It was the statement circulated by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops advising Senators and Members of Parliament that they could support the abortion proposal known as Amendment “A” with a clear conscience. The two hundred delegates gathered at the University [...]
(Last of three articles) Father Ted Colleton I always like to give the impression that I am overworked, extremely busy, under pressure and in great demand. Some people even believe it. I don’t! But when I get back from “Safari” there are usually messages and the news is more often bad than good. The other night I returned from a long plane [...]
The birth of the world’s first ‘test-tube’ baby, just a decade ago in July 1978, was hailed world-wide as a major medical breakthrough, a giant step forward in helping women, hitherto infertile, to achieve their heart’s desire to have a child. No one at that time could conceive of slicing up human embryos, or cross-fertilizing human sperm with animal ova. But even [...]
The Ontario NDP re-affirmed its commitment to abortion at its Thunder Bay end-of-June 1988 convention. Morgentaler remains its hero as, of course, he is of the Ontario Liberals, the feminists, the Toronto Star, and Globe, the Ottawa Citizen, McLeans, and the gay-lesbian crowd. The sputtering rebellion of a few Windsor NDPers who oppose the killing of the unborn (see June Interim, page [...]
If some members of the Ontario Legislative Press Gallery have their way, the membership privileges of The Interim may be revoked. The Interim has been an associate member of the Press Gallery since June 1987. At that time, according to then president of the Gallery, Dan Rath, [The Interim] “meets the requirements for membership outlined in the Gallery’s constitution.” A year later, [...]
For the second time in less than a month, Denis Dillon, a widely-respected lawyer in the United States, has had to choose between principles and expediency: whether to follow his conscience with regard to abortion, or whether to forget principles and think only of his legal and political career. Both times Dillon laid his career on the line and refused to act [...]
Rome: The Vatican has condemned the use of in vitro fertilization and in the Charter of Rights of the Family, put out by the Holy See, it stated that “human life must be absolutely respected and protected from the moment of conception.” The fact that 90% of babies “started” using the method of I.V.F., are never born, is proof enough that this [...]
Canada and USA: Scientists have broken the walls that separate the species. Laboratories are responsible for having created several thousand new plant and animal life forms. Such new forms being researched or already in existence are: wheat, implanted with flounder fish anti-freeze gene, to be able to withstand below freezing temperatures; mice implanted with human growth-hormone gene, making them twice the normal [...]
West Germany: West Germany will introduce legislation limiting experimentation and banning any research that would “affect the dignity of the human race” said Justice Minister Hans Engenhard. Health Minister Rita Suessmuth said that Germany had a special responsibility to respond to such research in an exemplary way. She was referring to the Nazis who attempted to create the “Master Race.” This new [...]
Another “medical miracle”, the fertility drug, bears closer study, reported Marilyn Linton of the Toronto Sun. Women seeking help with infertility are given these drugs to stimulate egg production. This often results in multiple births with as many as four or five babies being born. This is an amazing burden for any new parents to cope with. There are also terrible side [...]
Toronto: Cardinal Carter has severed ties between St. Augustine’s Seminary and the University of Toronto. The Cardinal was unwilling to comply with the demand from the Toronto School of Theology (TST) that St. Augustine’s abide with the rules of tenure of the University. This rule ensures that professors are practically irremovable, no matter what they teach or how they behave. In 1984, [...]
Saskatoon: According to the Vice President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Most Rev. Robert Lebel, handing out clean needles or condoms to reduce the spread of AIDS should be supported by the Christian community. “We shouldn’t lay a guilt trip on health-care workers because we don’t approve of condoms,” he told members of the Catholic Health Association of Canada. [...]
The following text was issued on March 17, 1988 as “Notes on CCCB Permanent Council stand on abortion.” Certain phrases of particular importance in revealing the frame of mind of those who phrase these notes have been printed in bold. 1) Each human life begins with conception. From conception, a separate and unique human life is present, with all the chromosomes and [...]
To: Members of Parliament Senators In reply to a number of inquiries about the difficult matter of abortion legislation, I wish to offer the following in the name of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. The teaching of the Catholic Church, as well of other churches and groups opposing any attack on human life after conception, is meant to help form the [...]
In the initial weeks after the Supreme Court struck down Canada’s abortion law, there was tremendous unity of mind and strategy among pro-life Canadians. All pro-life groups and churches which spoke out on the issue agreed that it was Parliament’s duty to pass legislation protecting all unborn babies without exception. When Cardinal Carter of Toronto wrote to members of Parliament demanding full [...]