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New Irish opinion poll shows majority reject abortion.
According to a new opinion poll (Irish Times article Feb.20) there is significant support for the protection of the lives of unborn children in Ireland and a majority would favour a new constitutional referendum in Ireland prohibiting abortion. The poll asked participants if they would support a "constitutional amendment to prohibit abortion, while allowing the continuation of the existing practice of intervention to save a mother's life in accordance with Irish medical ethics". The poll carried out by Millard Brown IMS using a random sample of 908 people over 18 years of age shows, 67% would support a new unambiguously worded constitutional referendum while 14% would reject it with 19% in the don't know/no opinion category. |
Pope Benedict XVI has warned of the seductive powers of science.
Pope Benedict told a meeting of the Pontifical Academy of Science and the French science academy: "Human beings always stand beyond what can be scientifically seen or perceived. To overlook the question of man's 'being' inevitably leads to refusing the possibility of research into the objective truth of being ... and, effectively, to an incapacity to recognise the foundation upon which human dignity rests, from the embryo until natural death." [ Reuters Africa, 28 January, and Vatican on EWTN, 28 January] | |
| Greetings!
New Newsletter Format
We have expended considerable effort and experienced much difficulty over the past year in delivering our newsletter. Today however we are launching a new newsletter format, which we hope will significantly improve the usefulness and attractiveness of the ELN (European Life Network) Newsletter. We would be pleased to have your comments on this new format.
We would also like to advise that this is only the first step and that we intend to revamp and update our website and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience
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Pro-life campaigners in Northern Ireland have accused the spokeswoman for the Royal College of Midwives there of using her position to advocate the illegal killing of unborn children and especially children with disabilities. The Guardian reported midwives in the province feared prosecution. Mrs Betty Gibson, chairwoman of SPUC Northern Ireland, said: "The law in Northern Ireland is perfectly clear. Abortion is only permitted when the mother's life is in danger. Aborting children because they are disabled is illegal. Four years ago, Breedagh Hughes [the college's spokeswoman], spoke publicly about taking part in abortions she knew to be unlawful. Her open defiance of the law is actually inviting the authorities to bring a prosecution. However, her real fear seems to be that the unlawful abortion of disabled children may become impossible in Northern Ireland." [SPUC, 28 January]
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Proposal for Moratorium on Abortion
The president of the Pontifical Council for the Family has launched a campaign for a United Nations global abortion ban. Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo told La Reppublica that he would ask heads of government, beginning with those of Latin America, to sign a petition. [ LifeSite, 25 January] Dr Jack Willke of the International Right to Life Federation welcomed the move and said: "... every one of the arguments put forth to legalize abortion has been proven to be false. Today, we are left with millions of dead babies but also millions of injured mothers and fathers." [ LifeSite, 28 January] The idea for a ban reportedly came from Mr Giuliano Ferrara, a former head of the Italian communist party, and it has been endorsed by Dr Roger Scruton, the British philosopher. [ LifeSite, 28 January]
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Pro-Vita Romania, report that the Romanian abortion rate is the worst in Europe
Quoting from'Curentul' newspaper pro-vita report that close to 1 in every 2 pregnancies in Romania is aborted. According to the report a study by the Society for contraceptive & sexual education shows, 43% of women interviewed had had at least one abortion, 29% had 2 abortions and 20% had 4 abortions. According to other figures published in 'Adevărul' newspaper, some 17,000 teenage girls aged 15 - 19 had recourse to abortion in 2005. Abortions in 2005 totalled 162,087 and live births 221,000. Figures from the national statistics institute show the average Romanian woman has two terminations during her fertile years. According to a study by the Health ministry in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the abortion rate is twice as high among poor women, with a low education level, compared with other categories. Dr. Stelian Pană, chief obstetrics & gynaecological medical officer, states abortion "has other grave risks: haemhorrage, infections, sterility, or uterine perforations (piercing of the womb during intervention). A young woman who has never given birth may be mutilated for life if complications arise which can lead to the removal of the womb". Girls of 16 in Romania have the right to decide whether or not to continue a pregnancy. Below that age family agreement is necessary .
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| Universal Declaration of Human Rights
2008 is the 60th anniversary of the Universal declaration of Human Rights and yet the most vulnerable people of all, babies before birth, in many countries are not afforded even the most basic right, the right to live. ELN will ,over the coming weeks and months consider the issues surrounding this catastrophic failure which has led to the killing of untold millions of unborn babies
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