‘IVF drugs may be linked to genetic defects discovered in embryos’

The London Independent reports (4 July 2011) that ‘IVF drugs may be linked to genetic defects discovered in embryos’.   The Science Editor of the newspaper says that researchers have found that drugs used, particularly for ‘older’ women – women over thirty-five years of age – in the IVF procedures may be causing genetic defects in embryos.    ‘The most important conclusion to be reached from this research according to the report, isn’t so much the “why” but that the screening process for eggs to be used in IVF must be improved.’    What a ‘solution’! 

The report continues that improvement in screening will allow the scientists 

‘to better identify eggs that have developed abnormalities that result in conditions like Down’s Syndrome.  The issue of whether drugs used to stimulate ovulation are having a role is two-fold.  Are the drugs damaging the eggs or simply releasing those that would otherwise be discarded naturally because of abnormalities?  Or it could be the drugs have no role at all?  We don’t know.’

At this point I would like to draw attention once again to the two Papal instructions, Donum Vitae and Dignitas Personae, that set out clearly the reasons why IVF must be rejected.     

I would also like to mention the valuable writings of Fr. John Fleming, the well-known bioethicist, one of which, "Infertility in the Republic of Ireland" is available from European Life Network, contact patrick@europeanlifenetwork.org

Crossroads pro-life walk comes to Ireland

There are a considerable number of pro-life initiatives in Ireland this year with the recent pro-life rally and the Youth Defence road show currently underway but additionally this summer the Crossroads team who annually walk across the US have arranged a walk around Ireland. The walk which will cover 1000 Kilometers will commence in Dublin on  Saturday next July 16th and finish back in Dublin four weeks later, on Saturday August 13th.

During week 1 the walkers will visit  the following towns, Wicklow, Gorey, Waterford, Castlamartyr and Cork where the team hope to speak in churches the weekend of July 23-24th.  In week 2 they will walk from Cork to Buttevant, Limerick, Galway and Charlestown. The team then hope to speak in Churches in Limerick and Galway the weekend of July 30-31st. week 3 will see the team going to Sligo, Ballyshannon Ballybofey, Derry and Maghera and speaking in churches in both Derry and Belfast.  Finally week 4 will see the team returning from Belfast to Dublin through Dungannon, Newry, Ardee and  Ashbourne. Whilst this is the outline plan the walkers may visit other towns or locations.

 

The Purpose of the walk is to witness to the sanctity of every human life, especially the preborn child in the womb. Crossroads is a peaceful organization dedicated to helping bring about a Culture of Life, 

which began in 1995 as a response to the challenge of Blessed John Paul II to youth not be afraid to take the Gospel of Life to the streets.  This summer Crossroads is sponsoring 5 walks in North America and a walk in Ireland.  Over 70 young Catholics are walking this summer from throughout the U.S., Canada and Ireland 

New York State legalises same sex marriage

As you will probably have read elsewhere, the Legislature of New York State recently passed a bill legalising same-sex ‘marriage’.  At this time in our history in Ireland, when the ‘Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act, 2010’ has barely been passed and put into action, the proponents of same-sex ‘marriage’ have made it quite clear that they are not satisfied with the terms of the Act – which they look on as a mere ‘stepping-stone’ to legally recognised ‘civil marriage’ for same-sex partners.   It is appropriate, therefore, to publicise the statement issued by the Bishops of New York State following the passing of the devastatingly harmful bill there.    This is what the Bishops said:

‘The passage by the Legislature of a bill to alter radically and forever humanity’s historic understanding of marriage leaves us deeply disappointed and troubled.

‘We strongly uphold the Catholic Church’s clear teaching that we always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love.  But we just as strongly affirm that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a lifelong, loving union that is open to children, ordered for the good of those children and the  spouses themselves. This definition cannot change, though we realize that our beliefs about the nature of marriage will continue to be ridiculed, and that some will even now attempt to enact government sanctions against churches and religious organizations that preach these timeless truths.

‘We worry that both marriage and family will be undermined by this tragic presumption of government in passing this legislation that attempts to redefine these cornerstones of civilization.

‘Our Society must regain what it appears to have lost: a true understanding of the meaning and the place of marriage, as revealed by God, grounded in nature, and respected by America’s foundational principles.’

 The statement was signed by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, Bishop Howard Hubbard of Albany, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, Bishop Edward Kmiec of Buffalo, Bishop Terry LaValley of Ogdensburg, Bishop Matthew Clark of Rochester, Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, and Bishop Robert Cunningham of Syracuse.

As an addendum – A collection of reflections, prayers and ‘bite-sized’ homilies, entitled Doers of the Word – Putting your Faith into Practice, written by Archbishop Timothy Dolan, has ‘everything that matters’, according to a review of the book in the ‘National Catholic Register’ magazine (that’s the orthodox one!)

Moscow Demographic Summit: "Family and the Future of Humankind"

The World Congress of Families (WCF) report  that the Moscow Demographic Summit: "Family and the Future of Humankind" held on June 29-30 was a great success.  According to the WCF website for the event this was the first ever International Demographic Summit to be held on Earth and the first time an international Pro-Life and Pro-Family event of this scale took place in Russia. It was held the Russian State Social University, Russia's largest university. More than 1,000 participants took part in the Summit: 300 foreign guests (including top demography & family researchers, scientists and activists, US Congressmen and Senators) and 700 participants from all over Russia and the CIS.

The summit concluded with the adoption of a Declaration demanding that governments everywhere adopt pro-family demographic policies.  

Translated from Russian, The Declaration states in part:

"We, participants of the Moscow Demographic Summit, representing families from various social, ethnic and religious communities, leading experts in the field of the family and demography, public activists, NGOs, leaders of parents associations, representatives of the leading business, educational and diplomatic institutions, members of national Governments and Parliaments and other responsible forces of the civil society, representing 65 countries of the world, hereby declare that the Natural Family is the basic unit of society and the fundamental social value, that is a necessary prerequisite for the very existence of world civilizations and the whole humankind.

"We express our deep concern about the dangers of the approaching worldwide depopulation. Despite wrong and biased information about 'overpopulation' threat promoted by some mass media and international institutions, in reality already for several decades in a row we have been witnessing a global process of demographic degradation.... In the nearest historical period, the negative demographic trends can bring about extinction of whole peoples, destruction of States, and disappearance of unique cultures and civilizations. Even according to conservative estimates by the UN, within next three decades, the total fertility rate will go down  below the population replacement level all over the world. In reality, it can happen much earlier, thus making the whole world community face the unprecedented social and historical problem of humankind survival.

"We are alarmed by the fact that the family institution is in a state of grave social crisis which consists in the destruction of universal family, conjugal and parental roles based on traditional family values; in the disruption of the reproductive function of the family; in an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, caused by the imposition of contraceptive thinking (in terms of safe sex) and destructive premarital and extramarital sex patterns; in widespread divorce; in the spreading of cohabitation without marriage; in increasing numbers of single-parent families; a wave of social deviations (abortions, homosexuality, pedophilia, drug addiction, refusal of marriage and childbearing (the child-free phenomenon), prostitution, pornography, etc.); disruption of the process of socialization of young generations; cutting of ties among relatives and alienation of different generations within one family, etc.

"We call on the governments of all nations and on international institutions to develop immediately a pro-family demographic policy and to adopt a special international pro-family strategy and action plan aimed at consolidating family and marriage, protecting human life from conception to natural death, increasing birth rates, and averting the menace of depopulation."

Click here to read the Declaration of the Moscow Demographic Summit in its entiriety

Ireland's Crisis Pregnancy Agency advertises "masterclass on termination of pregnancy"

Despite the fact that Ireland has a pro-life constitution and that due to the present economic crisis Ireland's Health Services Executive (HSE) have announced major cutbacks including the shutting down of some hospital emergency departments, nevertheless the Crisis Pregnancy Agency within the HSE, have allocated funding for the holding of so called "masterclasses for supporting unplanned pregnancy" commencing with a class that declares termination of pregnancy to be a lawful choice

Masterclass 1 Termination of pregnancy: A lawful choice 
16th September 2011; 10.00am – 4.30pm

This outrageous programme will apparently consist of a presentation given by Sherie de Burgh of "One Family" who was formerly employed by the Irish Family Planning Association IFPA which is an affiliate of IPPF the largest abortion provider in the world.  The programme was organised by the HSE in conjunction with the Department of Adult and Community Education, National University of Ireland Maynooth.

The aim of these Masterclasses according to the CPA website,

is to create an opportunity for professionals to gain more in-depth knowledge and skills to assist them in managing the challenges that present around unplanned pregnancy.

The website also claims that, 

The masterclasses further support the work of the HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme in the area of quality and standards development in the broad field of supporting clients with unplanned pregnancy.

This is a travesty that must be challenged immediately. Objections should be made to the Taoiseach Enda Kenny the Health Minister James Reilly and to the HSE