The Vatican has dampened claims Pope Francis has signalled a significant relaxation of the Church’s ban on contraception as a response to the Zika virus outbreak. In a press conference aboard the papal flight to Rome from Mexico, Francis was asked if the grave nature of the virus – which is linked to serious birth Read more
A US archbishop has urged priests, scout leaders and other Catholics to sever ties with the Girl Scouts of the USA. St Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson stated in an open letter that the organisation promotes values “incompatible” with Catholic teachings. The archbishop urged parishes that host Girl Scout meetings to consider alternative programmes that are Read more
The Archbishop of Los Angeles has criticised ‘consistent ethic of life’ approaches for leading some people to see all issues as morally equivalent. Archbishop Jose Gomez told a Hispanic pro-life gathering recently that such thinking is mistaken, the Catholic News Agency reported. He said pro-life issues are not just one issue among many. The archbishop Read more
Due to the blizzard that hit the mid-Atlantic, my bus never made it to the 43rd March for Life in Washington, D.C. But thousands of others were able to brave the snow and wind to witness to the dignity of unborn human life, and to protest the gravely immoral practice of legal abortion in the Read more
Fulton Sheen is reputed to have said, “Hearing nuns’ confessions is like being stoned to death with popcorn.” I can’t remember where I read it or why it stuck in my mind, but the words came back to me as I waited in line to make my first confession in more than 20 years. It Read more
The Cook Islands Ministry of Health has told the country’s only gynecologist to stop making appointments at the Epsom Day Clinic in Auckland for women who want an abortion. “Before, I could ring and make an appointment at the Epsom Day Unit, so they could go there,” Doctor May Aung has told the Cook Islands Read more
Actor Liam Neeson has been slammed for his part in an “anti-Catholic” campaign by Amnesty International calling for abortion decriminalisation in Ireland. The campaign features a short film made by “Father Ted” creator Graham Lineham and his wife. The film called ‘Chains’ criticises the Eighth Amendment to Ireland’s constitution, which makes it almost impossible for a woman to Read more
A mob of abortion supporters tried to desecrate a Catholic cathedral in Argentina last week. Feminists approached the cathedral in Mar del Plata screaming “the Church is a piece of trash, you’re a dictatorship”. Stones and bottles were thrown at Catholics praying the Rosary in front of the cathedral. The activists, who were among tens Read more
American anti-abortion activist Troy Newman lost a legal bid to stay in Australia after arriving on Thursday without a visa. His visa had been cancelled before he left the United States by Australia’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection. Mr Newman, who is president of Operation Rescue in the US, had planned a 10-day speaking Read more
Family Planning chief executive Jackie Edmond said the abortion law as it stands is outdated and needs fixing. She said abortions were part of a broken system as they currently fell under justice rather than the Ministry of Health. Edmonds said this when making a submission last Thursday to the Justice and Electoral select committee’s Read more