On July 25th, 1968, Pope Paul VI released the encyclical "Humanae Vitae" that dealt with the issue of contraception. This document caused an earthquake in the Church, with many dissenting from the teaching, that reverberates to this day.

Below are three short videos made by seminarians from the Diocese of Saginaw that put the differences between contraception and NFP in a humorous light. Watch them all and laugh .

Also below are links to two articles by noted pro-life blogger Jill Stanek, who is not Catholic, but who analyzes contraception and comes to some pretty amazing conclusions.

A protestant analyzes contraception (Part 1)

A protestant analyzes contraception (Part 2)

Next year is the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae and the web site of Priests for Life has numerous resources for those who want to learn more about contraception. Go to http://www.humanaevitae40.org/ for more information.

Labels: Natural Family Planning

Is it possible that a more advanced case of irony exists than that a group that calls itself "Save the Children" is a supporter of Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the world?

I don't see how.

Labels: Planned Parenthood

by Sheree Havlik, Speakers Bureau Director

I was scheduled to do chastity/abstinence presentations for three 9th grade classes at a school this past year. When I finished the first presentation I headed for the rest room to wash my hands while the students filled out their evaluation forms. We do an activity that involves the students eating chips, sipping water out of a cup and spitting it back in the cup. We mix the cups of water and chip-spit to show how quickly STDs are transmitted through sexual activity. After I have poured this water from cup to cup I like to wash my hands. The restroom was right next door to the room that I was speaking in so I went in to wash my hands. A young girl came in and stood at the sink just next to me and began washing her hands. She kept looking at me so I made some small talk while we washed our hands. I went over to the hand blow dryer to dry my hands. She followed me and put her hands above mine to dry hers as well, and again, kept looking at me. Not really knowing what to do here, as this was a little strange, I continued to just speak nicely and asked her how things were going. She then asked me, “If someone is raped and they get an STD, is it their fault?” I knew immediately that there was more to this question. I told her that first of all, rape is a horrible act and that it is never the person’s fault. And if they get an STD, that is most definitely not their fault. I asked her if she knew someone that had been raped (really knowing the answer, but not wanting to assume). She began to answer, but couldn’t get the words out, so shook her head yes. I knew it was her. The sadness on her face and in her eyes was obvious. At this time another girl came into the restroom and the blow dryer went off. The young girl pressed the button on the dryer to start up again so the other girl could not hear us. I can’t even remember all that I said as I was simply reacting at this point. There is no training that prepares one for this type situation. I reiterated that rape was not her fault and that she was a very special person and that she still had a beautiful gift to give to the person that she would fall in love with and marry. I told her that no one could take that gift away from her. I told her to take her dignity and self-respect back. That no one had the right to take that from her. I told her again that she had a beautiful gift and to always remember that. At this time the other girl came out and was at the sink, and the blow dryer went off again so we could not speak any longer. We both walked back into the classroom and the young girl began filling out her evaluation form.

When studies show that teen sexuality is still up around the 50% mark, and students tell me that everyone “just does it”, I wonder if we are making any progress at all. It’s very easy to get dejected and wonder, “What good am I doing? Why do we spend so much time, money and effort to go out and talk to our youth (just once mind you), when the rest of the world is giving them lots of encouragement (every day) to be sexually active?”

We very often get good comments back from the students that say we have changed their minds or that we have inspired them. But this one went the deepest into my heart of any situation. I had about 3 minutes under a hand dryer to give a young girl back her dignity and self-respect. To have those 3 minutes was worth everything I have ever done for the pro-life cause. This emphasizes to the max what society is doing to our teenagers. In encouraging them to be sexually active, they are encouraging them to sin. And worst of all they are destroying the dignity of our young girls and hurting the souls of our boys that now believe that they “deserve” to have sex -- no matter what.

That’s why we do what we do. That’s why we go into the schools to talk about chastity and abstinence; that’s why we donate money to the cause; that’s why we pray; that’s why we do whatever our part is in the pro-life movement – to bring the message of dignity and hope to even just one person. To be that voice that counters a society that destroys souls.

It was some time later when I pulled out the evaluation forms to send them in. The one on the top (the last one in :) had the following comments:
Q) How have your feelings on sex before marriage changed? A) “Because you are special and not everyone is doing it”
Q) What did you learn from the program? A) “That if you are raped it’s not your fault and no one will blame you.”
Q) What will you remember most? A) “How much it taught me.”

Submitted by
Sheree Havlik
Speakers Bureau Director

Labels: Speaker's Bureau

RU-486 Reversal
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

An ancient saying tells us, “Where there’s life, there’s hope.” The truth of that statement was demonstrated powerfully by an experience that two of our medical advisors at Priests for Life recently related to us.

Dr. Matthew Harrison had a visit from a 20-year old woman named Ashley. She was seven weeks pregnant, but she feared for the life of her baby – not because there was anything wrong with the pregnancy, but because, two days earlier, she had taken RU-486 at an abortion mill. Now, she had changed her mind about having the abortion and wanted to see if the baby could be saved!

The RU-486 process requires taking the drug itself (called mifiprex) at the abortion mill, and then taking a second drug (called cytotec or misoprostol) three days later on one’s own. Ashley had taken the mifiprex, but had not yet taken the cytotec. Now in a small percentage of cases, the RU-486 will not kill the baby by itself. It’s normal function, however, is to starve the unborn child by interfering with the working of progesterone. The RU-486 goes to the cells that receive the progesterone and block them, so that the real progesterone cannot do its work. This would be analogous to putting a counterfeit key into a keyhole so that it fits but cannot turn the lock to open the door. Meanwhile, the real key cannot go in. The cytotec, then, will induce contractions so that a dead baby is delivered.

Dr. Harrison had not faced such a situation before. Ashley told him that her boyfriend had pushed for the abortion. But after she took the RU-486, Ashley thought to herself, “O My God, what have I done?” She told her mother what had happened, and her mom called a local pregnancy center. The center then referred her to Dr. Harrison.

The doctor excused himself, went into another room, and prayed. He consulted a number of medical resources, and decided to give Ashley a progesterone treatment. With an extra dose of progesterone, he thought, maybe the effects of the counterfeit progesterone could be overcome. It was worth a try. This was not, however, without its risks, about which he clearly informed Ashley. He told her, first of all, that this effort might not work, and her baby might die anyway. He also told her that this effort might prolong the death process, or might bring additional complications to her or her child, or might even kill her. Ashley was courageous, and signed the consent form saying, “Whatever happens is in God’s hands – I just pray that my baby will be OK.”

She took the shot, and she began bleeding that weekend. But then the bleeding stopped, and with continued progesterone treatment by Dr. Harrison, the pregnancy continued normally. Dr. Daniel L. Holland, who is Dr. Harrison’s partner, delivered a healthy baby girl named Kaylie – a survivor of an attempted RU-486 abortion!

It’s easy to think it’s “too late!” But where there’s life, there’s hope!

The original column can be found at www.priestsforlife.org/columns/columns2007/07-07-16-ru486-reversal.htm

Labels: Fr. Pavone

NARAL is upset that the Republican Presidential candidates who spoke at the National Right to Life Committee Annual Conference support overturning Roe v. Wade but yet at the same time have not said anything about contraception.

To that end, they released 5 questions they would like for these candidates to answer. We would like to take a shot at answering these questions because they point out some flaws in the pro-choice arguments.

Here goes. Our answers are in red

1) You support overturning Roe v. Wade. Doesn't that mean you support government interference in personal, private medical decisions that should be made between a woman, her family, and her doctor?

We do not support continued government interference on a whole range of issues (see answer to question 4 below) and are of the opinion that the Supreme Court wrongly interfered with an unborn persons right to live in 1973 when it stated that "the term "person" does not apply to the unborn."

2) If you believe abortion should be outlawed and that doctors who provide abortion care should face criminal charges, then do you also believe women should be sent to prison for terminating a pregnancy?

No.

3) Ninety-nine percent of Americans believe it is appropriate for young people to have information about STDs, and 94 percent of Americans think it is appropriate to teach young people about birth control. Do you support honest, realistic, age-appropriate sex education?

We support what works over ideology and political correctness and it is becoming increasing clear that the continued massive increases in the use of contraception and sex education are not working. We know that abstinence, when taught and put into practice, actually works.

4) Do you think it's okay for a pharmacy to refuse to fill a woman's prescription for birth control based on an employee's personal views against contraception?

Wait a minute. Are you saying that the government should interfere with the right of a pharmacist in his/her ability to make a private, personal medical decision (see answer to question 1 above) and maybe even punish that pharmicist if they decide to follow that decision?

5) Do you believe hospital emergency rooms should be allowed to withhold information from a rape survivor about emergency contraception—which can prevent a pregnancy if taken soon after the assault?

The premise of your question is that one assumes that a pregnancy resulting from a rape is automatically an "unwanted" child that must be aborted immediately. However, we know that most women who abort their child conceived in rape come to regret it. The compassionate solution to such a problem is to counsel the women through the trauma of the rape and to provide for her needs in the future. Insisting on abortion as the solution only compounds the problem and makes recovery more difficult.

Labels: contraception, Simple truth

Dear Friends,
What's next? Speech against "a woman's right to choose" is illegal? If this hate crimes bill passes, the pro-life community may be the next one silenced. No more prayer outside the abortion centers. No more reaching out with compassion and hope to mothers. No more speaking out against abortion at all. Anywhere. Please call your U.S. Senators and ask them to vote against the hate crimes bill. Read on to learn the effects of this bill. God bless, JA


Action Alert

U.S. Senate set to effectively endorse deviant and criminal behaviors under hate crimes amendment

In a shameless act, Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA) filed the anti-Christian "hate crimes" legislation as an amendment to the Department of Defense Reauthorization Bill. This bill is currently being debated in the U.S. Senate and a vote could come as early as Friday July 13th or next week.

This amendment makes sexual orientation a protected class yet, sexual orientation is not defined either in this legislation, or in federal law generally.

Contact your Senators at: http://capwiz.com/traditional/home/

What Are The Effects of the So-Called Hates Crimes Amendment?

This so-called "hate crimes" amendment will make 30 sexual orientations: http://www.traditionalvalues.org/pdf_files/SexualOrientationsDSMRev.pdf into federally-protected minority groups! The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has published 30 such sexual orientations that, because of Congress's failure to define "sexual orientation," will arguably be protected under this legislation. These 30 orientations are listed in the APA's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), which is used by physicians, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and psychiatrists throughout the U.S. It is considered the dictionary of mental disorders. Those 30 sexual orientations include behaviors that are felonies or misdemeanors in most states or can result in death.

Serious Threat to Religious Liberties. This language begins to lay the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners, and anyone else whose actions are based upon and reflect the truths found in the Bible.

So-called "hate speech" which could include a pastor's sermon, an author, citizen activist who writes a letter to the editor, or individual speech against homosexual behaviors, could become the target of zealous pro-homosexual federal prosecutors!

During the House Committee debate, Representative Artur Davis admitted that the "hate-crimes" bill could be used to prosecute pastors for their sermons if they incite or are an "inducement" to violence.

H.R. 1592 is based upon a false premise: That there's an epidemic of so-called "hate crimes" against homosexuals and drag queens that needs federal involvement for local law enforcement officials!

Immediate Action is needed: Contact your (2) U.S. Senators and tell them to oppose the so-called hate crimes amendment to the Department of Defense Reauthorization Bill. because:

Congress's refusal to define "sexual orientation" creates the prospect of legal protection for every form of sexual perversion recognized by the psychiatric profession. By its silence, Congress is effectively endorsing such deviant and criminal behaviors as beastiality, pedophilia, and necrophilia as "sexual orientations" protected by federal law.

It lays the legal foundation and framework to investigate, prosecute and persecute pastors, business owners, and anyone else whose actions are based upon and reflect the truths found in the Bible.

Contact your Senators at: http://capwiz.com/traditional/home/

Distribute this email to your church leadership and at least 10 friends and ask that they contact their U. S. Senators IMMEDIATELY!

Traditional Values Coalition
139 "C" Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003
Web site address: http://www.traditionalvalues.org/


Submitted by
Jessie Anne Nobles
Ministries Assistant

Labels: pro-life efforts

Submitted by
Terri Schauf
Education Coordinator

Labels: Speaker's Bureau

Fr. Frank Pavone, the Director of Priests For Life and the Moderator General of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life (MEV) writes a bi-weekly column dealing with pro-life issues.

Yesterday's column, which we reprint below in full, has to do with the differences between "absolutists" and "prudentialists" in reference to which kinds of legislation can be morally supported.

Fr. Pavone lays out the standard that all Christians should follow within the very human limitations that our political system entails.

You can subscribe to his columns by sending your e-mail address to subscribe@priestsforlife.org

Absolutely No Exceptions
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life

One of my favorite pro-life shirts is the one that says, "100% Pro-life, Without Exception, Without Compromise, Without Apology.

"That's exactly the stand each of us is called to take; in fact, it is the only pro-life stance. Abortion is an intrinsic evil. It is evil by its very nature, and that evil is not altered by circumstances. To put it another way, if one lived for a million years -- or forever -- and did nothing but try to imagine circumstances that could justify a single abortion, one could never imagine one. It simply does not exist.

Every abortion, no matter what the circumstances, contradicts the law of God.

The circumstances in which a child is conceived -- whether in love or by rape -- can never make an abortion morally permissible. The circumstances in which the pregnancy advances -- whether with sickness or health -- can never justify the direct killing of a child. Every child, starting at the single cell stage, is a human person. The children conceived in rape and incest must have equal protection. The children of mothers with medically complicated pregnancies must have equal protection. Our duty to these children is absolute, and admits of no exceptions. To say that an abortion might sometimes be permissible is like saying an act of terrorism, of child abuse, of rape, or of Satanism is sometimes permissible.

There is no Court, King, Governor, President, Parliament, or Prince anywhere on earth or any time in history who can issue any decision, decree or declaration that would justify even a single abortion. When human lawmakers attempt to do so, the "law" that results is not simply a bad law; it is, in fact, no law at all, and carries neither authentic juridical validity nor any obligation to obey it.

But why, then, don't we stop all abortions today? What are we waiting for? Obviously there are limits to what we can do. Every abortion is wrong. But as I dissuade one woman from doing it, many other women don't hear me. As I speak to one group, there are countless groups not hearing me. And even if I blockade the door to an abortion clinic, what about all the other clinics that are operating at the same time? Lawmakers are not the only ones who face limits in how many babies they can protect today. We all do.

Yet while we acknowledge practical limitations, we can never limit the principle nor lose sight of the goal. No abortion is permissible, and every child must be protected.

Nor is it permissible for each state to decide on its own whether or not to protect the lives of the unborn. That makes no more sense than letting each state decide on whether to protect the lives of the born!

Life can be confusing, and the temptation to compromise with evil can be great. But the teaching about abortion is as clear and direct as it can be, and is best summed up with one word: never.

This column can be found online at www.priestsforlife.org/columns/columns2007/07-07-02absolutelynoexceptions.htm

Fr. Frank's columns can be heard via podcast. See www.priestsforlife.org/podcast for more details.

Fr. Frank's columns can be listened to in MP3 format at www.priestsforlife.org/columns/columns2007/index.htm

Labels: Fr. Pavone

Dave Palmer is the General Manager of the Guadalupe Radio Network and an all-around good guy.

He puts up a quote of the day and I could not help but notice how applicable todays quote is to the work that we do:

"Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you."
- St. Augustine

Dave also makes a daily reflection on his web site and I wanted to repost it here for people to read and ponder.

I couldn't help but notice a theme of 'trust' that runs through the readings at Mass today. The first reading, taken from Genesis chapter 28, tells the story of Jacob experiencing the living God which made him exclaim, 'Truly the Lord is in this spot, although I did not know it.' The Responsorial Psalm is a bit more obviously about trust, with the proclamation 'In You, O God, I place my trust.' (from Psalm 91). Then in the gospel we read of the beautiful story of the woman who had suffered with hemorraging for twelve years, who knew that if she was only able to touch the hem of Jesus' cloak, that she would be healed. She did and she was.

Today we hear so much about hectic schedules, stressed out lives, busyness, craziness, self-help programs, ways to be healthier, take control of our lives, be more purpose-filled. Blah, blah, blah. Is there any doubt to the true believer that all these things and much more will come to each of us to the degee that we turn over our lives to God and trust totally in Him?

Dave Palmer
General Manager- North Texas
Guadalupe Radio Network

Labels: Simple truth

Total Pro-Life Immersion. And apparently, there are much more youth wanting to be immersed than we planned for.

With Youth For Life's Pro-Life Boot Camp 2007 three weeks away, we already have a waiting list, after reaching beyond our limit of 45 at the end of June. Youth from across the country are signing up and calls come into the Catholic Pro-Life Committee main office daily asking about Boot Camp. Last year, most of the 27 youth who attended registered within the two weeks prior to Boot Camp.

So what's all the excitement about?

It might have something to do with Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. (Fr. Tad) or Steve Kellmeyer giving awesome talks, Remnant Catholic Apostolate performing or the more hands-on daily prayer at abortion centers.

A 16-year old who attended last year put it like this: "I recommend Pro-Life Boot Camp because it is a good chance to get together with people around your age with similar values and do something to defend life."

So now the question is, will those on the waiting list get to go???

The answer can easily be yes. All we need are more chaperones (who will go through a background check and safe environment training). If this is something you are considering in the slightest, e-mail jsmith (at) prolifedallas (dot) org.

In the mean time, you can learn more about Boot Camp on our CPLC website and register your youth online (warning: you might be put on a waiting list).

Labels: Boot Camp, Youth For Life

We had a great save (Praise God for some heart changing and many answered prayers) Saturday at Routh St. abortion mill. We had two women drive up in a Lexus. They were sisters. The one sister, Sarah*, dropped off her sister Tammy* and John and I spoke to Sarah as she came back to the car. Both of them were Christians and we spoke with Sarah on scripture and how she is accountable for bringing Tammy to the hell-hole of Routh to aid in the destruction of her niece/nephew.

She told us repeatedly she was against this but her sister was certain. As she drove off, after our lengthy visit with her, John and I were saddened, but we all prayed. I had given Sarah the "Focus on The Family" literature with the stages and pictures of pregnancy to review.

About 5 minutes later, she drove back into the parking lot with this brochure opened across her steering wheel and clearly with a burdened heart (praise). She marched in that center, got her sister on the front porch, and they talked for a long while. Through the sonogram, they found out Tammy was pregnant with 7 week TWINS! They walked to the car and I begged them to go to the White Rose and they did!!!

I walked them in and stayed with them until the end of their consult. The "twin" factor was big in the save and more than that, the faithful prayer support, the spirit's moving in these ladies' hearts.

This mom got to go home to deliver two sets of booties to her 13 yr old daughter and to announce she would have twin baby siblings!! Tammy is sure to need ongoing prayers, however, because she has recently broken up with the father of these babies and now lives with her daughter at her sister's home. She does have a job with benefits and that is a big praise being pregnant with twins.

Submitted by Amy, a CPLC sidewalk counselor

*Names changed to protect privacy

Labels: Sidewalk Counseling stories

This couple went in to see how far along their baby was and maybe to schedule an abortion. The guy came out while his girlfriend was inside the mill. I asked him about his brown scapular and he said he's Catholic and goes to a church in Dallas.

He then told me that if their baby was past 11 weeks old they would keep him/her. But if not, they would abort because he doesn't make enough money to have another child since they just had a baby and she's not even a year old yet. He went back inside and came out with his girlfriend (who was crying) to leave and told me that the baby is actually only 8 weeks old, so they would be having the abortion.

They left and after about 20 minutes pulled up to the curb behind me and asked for more information (I'm guessing they threw away what I gave them at first). I gave it to them while still urging them to consider the White Rose and they said that they were going to keep their baby for sure and that in the 20 minutes they were gone, had decided to name the baby.

By the time they told me that they were both crying and smiling. Then they left.

Submitted by Louise, a CPLC Sidewalk Counselor

Labels: Sidewalk Counseling stories

AMARILLO – I have been on the front lines of the battle to restore respect for human life for over 24 years, and I thought I had seen just about everything. There is not much that can shake me up any more. But on June 11, I did one of the hardest things I have ever done.

After I left Schooler Funeral Home, it was a couple of hours before I could focus enough to begin to write what I had seen and experienced: A child-size casket containing 10 preborn babies. The babies varied in age from 25 days to apparently full term. The full term baby has flowing brown hair and the most beautiful little face. Jim Schooler, the funeral director, was kind enough to prepare me before allowing me to view the babies. “Rita,” he said, “I’m around dead bodies all the time, but this has hit me harder than anything I have ever experienced.”

I went to my car and got a Blessing Blanket for these little ones, and back in I went, with Jim leading the way to the room where the babies lay in state. These babies had been dead for at least 35 years but were preserved by a scientific research firm. Each was encased in an acrylic block, something like a paper weight with a baby inside. I could have been just another curious onlooker. But the babies had been entrusted to us for burial,and it was my job to sign the papers; ten papers for ten babies. Ten babies encased in ten cubes, in one casket.

It is impossible to wrap your mind around the cold reality that these children had been deprived of the most basic human dignity for over 35 years, and I wondered if anyone had ever hugged them or loved them. So I did. I picked each one up individually and walked across the room, holding the babies close to my heart. I put each one on the pink baby blanket that says “Wrapped in Jesus’ Love” and I took a picture of these precious little ones.

I spiritually adopted them, so that they would have an earthly mother who knows where their bodies will be buried and who loves them, and I signed each of their committal papers. And where it said “relationship” I wrote “Spiritual Mom.” As I placed each child back in the casket, I kissed the cold acrylic block that encased him or her. And I cried.

Tuesday evening, June 12, Bishop John W. Yanta presided at the rosary for the babies at Schooler Funeral Home, assisted by Msgr. CalStalter. More than 75 people came to pray for the souls of the babies and for their parents. Then on Wed., June 13, Bishop Yanta presided at their burial at the Hour of Mercy in Memory Gardens, near the statue of the Holy Family.

Special thanks to Schooler Funeral Home, Memory Gardens and Scott’s Flowers for donating their services in honor of these children. Msgr. Harold Waldow will celebrate the Mass of the Holy Innocents for the babies on July 7 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s in Amarillo. Please join us in remembering these little children who never celebrated a birthday, never felt a mother’s hug, and who waited so long for a Christian burial.

Submitted by Rita Diller, Amarillo, TX

Labels: Aborted baby burials