Dana for President?

The saga of the Irish Presidency and the list of contenders continues. Fianna Fail (FF) leader  Michael Martin already has egg on his face from his unsuccessful attempt to woo Gay Byrne to stand on the Fianna Fail ticket.

It is also public knowledge that Dana Rosemary Scallon approached Fianna Fail for support but if reports are to be believed rather than accept Dana, Martin would give Fianna Fail support to David Norris who was forced to quit the race for the park as a result of his support for a convicted paedophile.

Anthony Murphy editor of the Catholic Voice newspaper places this in context on Facebook 

I have been told on very good authority that at the last parliamentary meeting a number of the FF TD's and Senators wanted to nominate Dana Rosemary Scallon - Micheal Martin blocked this saying words to the effect "over my dead body" - now he is pushing for Norris. In other words Martin would rather endorse an advocate of a convicted rapist rather than an advocate of the family and the child. How this party has changed and how Dev must be turning in his grave!

 Perhaps it is high time for Fianna Fail to abandon Martin and seek a new leader

Maynooth's Masterclass on abortion

The ‘Masterclass’ on abortion (see my blogs for 11 July and 15 August last) went ahead, as scheduled, on Friday, 16 September.    A large number of security persons, together with gardaí (police), gave protection to the organisers, speakers, and participants.     Those from whom all of these people were being protected consisted of an impressive crowd of young and old defenders of the unborn who stood on both sides of the main road that runs past an entrance to the National University of Ireland at Maynooth, Co. Kildare, for about two hours – in the sometimes very heavy rain.   As the organisers refused to allow any of the pro-life people to attend the event, or even to get within any decent proximity of the meeting-room, it was then decided to enter the campus – carrying posters and placards – and circle the building peacefully three times.

It is horrific to realise that despite the many complaints to the organisers – the ‘Department of Adult and Community Education’ at NUI Maynooth, and the ‘Crisis Pregnancy Programme’ of the Health Service Executive of the Irish Department of Health – the ‘Masterclass’ actually took place.   As I mentioned previously, the title of the ‘Masterclass’ was ‘Termination: Dealing with complex issues’.   Only the title was changed, of course (from ‘Termination of pregnancy: A lawful choice’) – the content was not changed.

It is also particularly heart-breaking that such a programme should take place in a University which for many generations prepared young men for the priesthood.

 Another ‘Masterclass’ is scheduled to take place on 4 November – and the title this time is: ‘Supporting minors in crisis pregnancy’.    Now, I wonder what that deals with?   The Health Service Executive is the agency that is well known for bringing pregnant minors to the UK and elsewhere to have their babies killed by abortion.

Applications for attendance at this ‘Masterclass’ should be submitted well in advance of the closing date, 28 October 2011.

The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties have criticised the Irish Government for not rushing forward – yet – to ‘implement’ the recent ruling of the ECHR Court in the A, B and C v Ireland case.  These two pro-abortion groups want the members of the Council of Europe’s committee of ministers who are meeting this week to call on the Irish Government to take prompt action in the matter.

Those who wish to introduce abortion into Ireland are very determined and it is therefore essential that greater attention is given to this blatant attempt to undermine Ireland's respect for the lives of unborn babies.

On another related front I would like to draw your attention once again to my blog of 16 September, where I highlight the necessity of contacting your MEPs in relation to the pro-abortion amendments that are proposed to be inserted in the document ‘Situation of fundamental rights in the European Union’ in the very near future.

Archbishop Tomasi: diverting funds for abortion and contraception "totally unacceptable"

Vatican Radio reports that;

The Holy See has condemned as totally unacceptable any attempts to divert funding for genuine health care in favour of programmes that provide or facilitate contraceptives and abortion. The Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Specialized Agencies in Geneva, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi made the remark yesterday in a statement he delivered to the 18th Session of the Human Rights Council. Archbishop Tomasi’s statement outlined the position of the Holy See regarding the need for a human rights-based approach to eliminate preventable maternal mortality. The Permanent Observer noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) has demonstrated that women in Africa die primarily from five major causes: hypertensive diseases, obstructed labour, haemorrhage, sepsis and infection, and HIV-related diseases.

He went on to say that the interventions known to address such medical crises include training and employment of skilled birth attendants, provision of antibiotics and uterotonic medications, and improvement of blood banking. He said the Delegation of the Holy See finds totally unacceptable any attempts to divert much-needed financial resources from those effective and life-saving interventions to increased programmes of contraception and abortion, which aim at limiting procreation of new life or at destroying the life of a child. Archbishop Tomasi concluded saying, “the Holy See Delegation expresses the firm hope that the international community will succeed in reducing maternal morbidity and mortality by promoting effective interventions that are based on deep and abiding values as well as on scientific and medical knowledge and that are respectful of the sacredness of life from conception to natural death"

Lobby your MEP to stop pro-abortion power grab

 The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children SPUC have issued the following alert.

Just before the close of the European Parliament session in July, the pro-abortion lobby held a meeting on sexual and reproductive rights. Wanda Nowicka (pictured), one of the speakers at the meeting, said: “We don’t need hard law [legislation]; we only need a movement for EU [European Union] competency [on abortion].”

 Picture shows pro-abortion lobbyist  Wanda Nowicka

The pro-abortion lobby has now put this plan into action, by proposing amendments to a report called “Situation of fundamental rights in the European Union”. The amendments have been proposed via FEMM, the European Parliament's women's rights and gender equality committee. The report and these amendments are due to be debated by the whole parliament in its plenary session on 14 November in Strasbourg.

The amendments are aimed at giving the European Commission competency over abortion, by tying it to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and by decreasing the autonomy of EU member-states. The amendments are listed below for your information.

Please contact the Members of the European Parliament (MEP) for your region and urge them to oppose the amendments. If you are resident in the UK, you can find the contact-details for your region's MEPs at http://www.europarl.org.uk/section/your-meps/your-meps If you are resident elsewhere in the European Union, you can find the contact-details for MEPs at http://bit.ly/pFXrT4 Please don't forget to copy any replies you receive from MEPs to SPUC either by email to political@spuc.org.uk or by post to SPUC HQ. SPUC will keep you updated with further information on this debate.  In Ireland the replies should be forwarded to patrick@europeanlifenetwork.org

Please ask MEPs to oppose the following pro-abortion FEMM amendments to the report “Situation of fundamental rights in the European Union”:

"Whereas the judicial authorities of Member States are independent and may determine their own interpretation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights (DELETED)"

"Whereas the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon created a new situation in the EU in the field of human rights by making the Charter of Fundamental Rights legally binding (Article 6 TEU), (INSERTED)"

"Calls on the Commission to control thoroughly the implementation of European legislation related to gender equality in the Member States (INSERTED)"

"Invites the European Commission in the following years to consider a proposal for a legal framework on the issue of multiple and intersectional discrimination (INSERTED)"

"Is concerned about women's sexual and reproductive rights and health in some Member State; calls especially on the Member States to respect the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children, and to have information and the means to do so, including access to health care, legal and safe abortion and reliable, safe and affordable contraception (INSERTED)"

"considers that the Commission should more effectively use all available means, including, where appropriate, infringement procedures, in order to ensure that Charter provisions are applied when implementing the EU law.(INSERTED)"

"Calls on the Commission to find effective ways to follow up breaches of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, outstanding issues and specific cases of violations of fundamental rights and to carry out occasional audits in all Member States to identify unfulfilled Commitments. (INSERTED)"

Papal Address to Engaged Couples

 Extracts from Pope Benedict XVI speech to engaged couples as reported by Zenith.org

The wine of celebration is also lacking from a culture that tends to put aside clear moral criteria: In this disorientation, everyone is seen striving to move in an individual and autonomous way, often only within the perimeter of the present. The fragmentation of the communal fabric is reflected in a relativism that hides essential values; a consonance in sensations, states of mind and emotions seems more important than sharing a plan of life. Also fundamental decisions become vulnerable, exposed to a perennial revocability, which often is considered an expression of liberty, though actually, it points rather to a lack of liberty. The apparent exaltation of the body belongs also to a culture deprived of the wine of celebration, [an apparent exaltation] which in reality trivializes sexuality and tends to make it exist outside a context of communion of life and love. [...]

As engaged couples you are living a unique stage, which opens to the wonder of encounter and which makes one discover the beauty of existing and of being precious to someone, of being able to say to one another: You are important to me. Live this path with intensity, gradualness and truth. Do not give up on pursuing the lofty ideal of love, which is a reflection and testimony of the love of God!

  But, how should this phase of your life be lived? How can you give a witness of love in the community? I would like to suggest to you first of all that you avoid enclosing yourselves in intimate relations, which are falsely tranquilizing; instead, make your relationship become leaven in an active and responsible presence in the community. Moreover, do not forget that to be genuine, love also requires a journey of maturing: beginning from the initial attraction and "feeling well" with the other, educate yourselves to "love well," to "want the good" of the other. Love lives from gratuitousness, self-sacrifice, forgiveness and respect for the other. [...]

[...] The fidelity and enduring nature of your love will also make you capable of being open to life, of being parents: The stability of your union in the sacrament of matrimony will enable the children that God wishes to give you to grow confident in the goodness of life. Fidelity, indissolubility and transmission of life are the pillars of every family, a true common good, a precious patrimony for the whole society. Henceforth, found on them your path to matrimony and give witness of this to your contemporaries: This is a precious service! Be grateful to those who with commitment, competence and willingness accompany you in formation: They are the sign of the attention and care that the Christian community reserves for you. You are not alone: Seek and receive in the first place the company of the Church.