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God became man, Jesus, Emmanuel, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. We cannot help but observe the contrast in our present contraceptive society that we live in. We see the death culture that strives to suffocate and eliminate human life, whereas “pro-life culture” respects and gives thanks for God’s gift of children - new life. In our time we have seen the industrialized world embrace contraception as the way to eradicate poverty, lower the birth rate, and guarantee freedom for women. It has not worked. God’s plan to multiply and fill the earth has been cast aside by many who think they know better. Many follow man’s law rather than natural law (God’s law). The situation is critical.

We are not being pessimistic but realistic when we are faced with the consequences of contraception: widespread promiscuity, divorce, transmitted disease, single parent households, legal same-sex marriages, abortion, and the threat of euthanasia. Abortion is used as a solution to failed contraception, bringing with it a host of its own problems: post abortion-trauma, sterility, increased risk of breast cancer, etc. Supporters of abortion admit it is not a good choice and turn to birth control as the answer to the problem of unwanted pregnancy. A closer look reveals this is not the answer. It is a large part of the problem. The statistics show that 54% percent of women who have abortions report that they were using birth control at the time they became pregnant (Contraceptive use among U.S. women having abortions in 2000-2001, Jones, RK; Darroch, JE; and Henshaw, SK; 2002 Nov-Dec; 34(6): 294-303. What we observe is that contraception advocates an anti-child mentality. It attempts to separate marital intimacy from procreation and seeks to turn sex into a recreational activity rather than an expression of love and commitment. Contraception is the evil taproot of abortion. Let us say no to contraception and yes to Natural Family Planning.

There is good news. At a recent national conference held in Chicago (September 2006), at which I was fortunate to be present, the theme of which was “Contraception is not the Answer”, over 250 people gathered to condemn artificial birth control. Experts and leaders from the various national pro-life organizations raised their voices in assailing contraception on the grounds that it devalues children, harms relationships between men and women, promotes sexual promiscuity, and leads to falling birth rates and social ills.

It is clear that there is some major thinking going on about the contraception issue, especially among young people, who are disenchanted with the sexual revolution. There is a new concerted attack on contraception. The strategy will involve nationwide prayer power. It will mean applying pressure to cut back on access to contraceptive services. It will mean a push to allow pharmacists to refuse to fill birth-control prescriptions for reasons of “conscience”. It will mean getting serious about opposing and denying Planned Parenthood Federation funding on all levels. They must be held accountable for this contraceptive mentality.

The truth is that “chemical contraception” doesn’t prevent abortions - it causes abortions. Contraception changes sex from an unconditional gift of self to a conditional act that turns away from God’s gift of children. When people use contraception, they are not interested in life-time relationships and often end up disappointed and divorced. Contraception is the core issue today. Many believe we will not solve the problem of abortion unless we deal with contraception. Abstinence and chastity is the way to take aim at contraception. Being a faithful and loyal follower of Jesus is the way to go.
There is no room for contraception - a deception in our lives. This contraception deception is the primary force behind the attacks against the contra-contraception message. In this Christmas season let us be strong in our beliefs and honor our Saviour. Respect life all the time. +

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URGENT ACTION REQUIRED

For immediate release

June 27, 2006

Tabling of Bill C-338: A Bill We Can Support

Priests for Life Canada is strongly opposed to any deliberate termination of gestation (deliberate termination of pregnancy) and will continue to defend human life from conception to natural death. In this effort, it is recognized that Bill C-338, introduced by Liberal MP Paul Steckle, “An Act to amend the Criminal Code (procuring a miscarriage after twenty weeks of gestation)” on June 21, 2006 in the House of Commons, though it is a partial measure to defend life as it aims to prohibit a deliberate miscarriage after 20 weeks of gestation is nevertheless worthy of our support.

“It's better to save some lives than risk all in pursuit of a perfect law”, indicates Fr. Jim Whalen, National Director for Priests for Life Canada. “In The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II explained that one may support imperfect legislation - legislation that, for example, does not ban all abortions but puts some control on a current more permissive law by aiming to limit the number of abortions - if that is the best that can be achieved at a particular time. In doing so one seeks to limit the harm done by the present law: ‘This does not in fact represent an illicit co-operation with an unjust law, but rather a legitimate and proper attempt to limit its evil aspects’ (No. 73). Bill C-338, should it pass, will limit the damage that is caused to Canadian society by abortion and will be a step in the right direction in an effort to defend the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, as the Catholic Church clearly professes”.

Priests for Life Canada is a Roman Catholic association formed for religious purposes to identify, educate, and support Roman Catholic clergy and all Roman Catholics, assisting them in carrying out their role with respect to the Church's teaching on the sanctity and dignity of all human life. Priests for Life Canada's mandate entails persevering in teaching and promoting Catholic values to build a Culture of Life. Further information can be found at www.priestsforlifecanada.com.

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Priests for Life Canada urges all pro-life supporters to contact their Member of Parliament to encourage them to support this bill. Please refer to page 12 of this publication for further details on this legislation.

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Bill C-338 was presented for first reading in Canadian Parliament by Paul Steckle, MP, Huron-Bruce (ON) on June 21, 2006. This bill will continue debate after the summer 2006 recess. The following are taken from questions and answers in a press release issued by the office of Paul Steckle.

Q). Why are you taking away a woman's right to choose? The Supreme Court clearly said that limits on abortion are unconstitutional. This is just a sneaky attempt to erode abortion rights and to circumvent the Court!

A). Actually, the Supreme Court has never ruled that limits on abortion are unconstitutional. In the 1988 Morgentaler decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the old law was unconstitutional on procedural grounds, such as unequal access to hospitals performing abortions and therapeutic abortion committees, but the Court did not rule that women have the right to abortion. In fact, the Court clearly stated that it was up to Parliament—and not the Courts—to come up with a new law, which would balance the rights of the unborn child with that of the woman. After a failed attempt to enact a new abortion law in the early 90s Parliament gave up and shirked its responsibilities.

Mr. Steckle’s Private Members Bill (PMB) is an attempt to get Parliament to take responsibility for something that it should have dealt with a long time ago. We are one of the few, if not the only, industrialized nation in the world, which offers no protection whatsoever for unborn children. This is not something to be proud of. This is something to be very concerned about and to finally set right.

Q). Why did you pick 20 weeks as the limit? It seems arbitrary.

A). Any limit other than conception is somewhat arbitrary in the sense that a new human life exists from the moment of conception and from then on will continually develop through all the stages of pregnancy, then through childhood to adulthood, until natural death. However, the 20 week limit was picked because that is the point at which the Canadian Medical Association considers the child to be viable.

Q). Are you satisfied that the limit is set at 20 weeks? Will you continue to push to lower the limit? Is this just the beginning?

A). While those of us who are pro-life would prefer to have legal protection extended to all children, regardless of their stage of development, we believe that it is better to give protection to children from 20 weeks onward than only from the point of birth onward, which is the case today.

Q). Why do you not use the term "abortion" in the PMB? Are you afraid of the terminology or are you simply hiding your agenda?

A). The language which is used in the PMB - “procuring a miscarriage” - is the same language that is currently used in Section 287 of the Criminal Code, the section which applies to abortion, which was struck down by the Supreme Court. And since the Canadian Medical Association defines “abortion” as a pregnancy termination before 20 weeks, it seemed there was no point in using that term.

Q). Abortion is wrong – plain and simple! Why are you supporting a PMB that in effect condones the killing of innocent babies so long as it is done prior to 20 weeks?

A). In fact, this Bill in no way condones the killing of anyone. We are virtually the only industrialized nation in the world, which offers no protection to unborn children. This Bill will improve that situation by moving that arbitrary point at which legal protection begins - the point of birth - down to 20 weeks gestation. +

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Note from Priests for Life Canada: Though we recognize that this bill will not provide protection to all unborn children, we see it as a ‘step in the right direction”. We will continue to advocate for protection of all human life from concetpion to a natural death (See PFLC Press Release on page 4).

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“The Spirit of truth will bear witness to me and you also will be my witness” (Jn 15:26).

One preacher decided to preach about truth so announced to his congregation one week ahead to prepare by reading Mark 17 .When it came time to preach he asked for a show of hands how many had read it. Everyone put up their hands. He said you see now why I chose this topic - there is no chapter 17 in Mark.

Pope John Paul II’s encyclical, Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth), strives to safeguard sound teaching, and in particular, the Church’s principles in moral teaching, dealing with the crisis of truth and shedding light on the presuppositions and consequences of the dissent. After the Vatican II Council, there have been many interpretations of Christian morality in theological thinking and philosophical affirmations that are not consistent and are incompatible with revealed truth. Pope John Paul II writes: “It is my intention to state the principles necessary for discerning what is contrary to sound doctrine, drawing attention to those elements of the Church’s moral teaching which today appear particularly exposed to error, ambiguity, or neglect” (V.S. #30). He points to Scripture to explain: “For the time will come when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths” (2 Tm 4:1-5).

Pope John Paul II begins by dealing with the crucial issue of human freedom. In some currents of modern thought, freedom has been exalted to such an extent that it is perceived as an absolute, which would then be the source of values. This results in a radical subjective conception of moral judgment, in which objective universal truth about good is lost, granting the individual conscience the prerogative of independently determining the criteria of good and evil and then acting accordingly. This is a denial of the idea of human nature; of knowing the good by human reason; of universal human values; of the dependence of freedom on truth; of the fact that natural moral law has God as its author; that man, by the use of reason, participates in the eternal law. Such denials resulted in radical opposition between moral law and conscience, and between nature and freedom, leading to a relativistic conception of morality.

Bishop Anthony Tonnos of Hamilton clarifies this: “Relativism is the practice of giving equal weight and authority to every opinion, idea, philosophy, or religion, regardless of its roots. If all ideas are equal none of them can truly reflect the truth. Ultimate truth becomes meaningless and God is relegated to the private sphere” (Catholic Register, October 6, 2006). The words of Christ best express the fundamental dependence of freedom on truth: “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32).

In this age of dissent, skepticism, minimalism, and moral relativism, there is a need for reform. The spirit of dissent must be seen and identified as disloyal discipleship, disloyalty to Jesus Christ. Christ explained this clearly: “He who is not with me is against me. He who does not gather with me scatters” (Lk 11:23). Many have become guilty bystanders. But we are all accountable: “He will repay every man for what he has done” (Mt 16:27). Some in the Church have become intimidated by the times we live in, led by public opinion, political correctness, popular slogans, and media hype. Too many have been led by the spirit of the world. Some have looked to psychology rather than the blood of Christ to be absolved, substituting therapy for repentance. Teaching Sacred Scripture has often been replaced by personal opinions. In some instances there has been a failure to preach and teach chastity and abstinence in and before marriage as well as in entertainment. Silence was the response, a definite cop-out.

Bishop Samuel Aquila of North Dakota points out five areas of concern as the roots of dissent among Catholics: [General Comment: Many have an inadequate understanding of the Catholic faith and they are influenced more by secular culture than by the teaching of Jesus Christ].

1. Many who claim to be Catholic do not accept certain revealed Magisterial Church teachings that do not change, thinking they can pick and choose what to believe. (e.g.: using birth control)

2. Some Catholics accept ideas that are incompatible with the truths of their faith. The truth that sets us free is to be found only in Jesus Christ. (e.g.: abortion and euthanasia are not rights)

3. Many form their consciences with world opinion rather than Church teaching resulting in erroneous consciences, without understanding conscience correctly. (e.g.: using contraception)

4. Catholics do not appreciate sufficiently the dignity of human life. (e.g.: Scientists often take positions at odds with their faith: embryonic stem cell experimentation.)

5. Catholics at times misunderstand living out their faith in the world. (e.g.: Politicians are more committed to political agendas than to the teaching of Christ.)

Bishop Samuel Aquila furthermore pointed out the following failures:

1. Failure to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation on a regular basis

2. Failure to be properly disposed to receive Holy Communion

3. Failure to appreciate the truth, dignity, and meaning of human sexuality

4. Failure to understand the apostolic authority of Bishops

5. Failure to analyze pastoral practices which go beyond legitimate diversity

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, in 1993, treated extensively the theme of Relativism as the gravest problem of our time, as evidenced in his speech in Hong Kong to Asian Bishops, entitled: “Christ, Faith, and the Challenge of Cultures”. He calls it “the mother of all heresies”. In 1996, speaking to the Bishops of Latin America, he called Relativism the central problem for the faith at the present time and that it deprived Christianity of its Missionary impulse. In summary, he taught that Relativism is dangerous because it is false. It suggests that objective truth does not exist, or at least is unattainable by the human mind. He explained that Relativism obscures the Christian claim that Jesus of Nazareth is the incarnate meaning of history, the Logos, the self-manifestation of truth itself. Christianity rises or falls on this fundamental conviction. Relativism denies the possibility of objectively binding creedal statements in the first place.

In 1999, when Cardinal Ratzinger was given an honorary doctorate at the School of Law in Rome, he explained how in a culture dominated by relativism, law becomes distorted and human rights are in jeopardy: “The majority determines what must be regarded as true and just... by the progressive disappearance of the fundamentals of law inspired in the Christian tradition. Matrimony and family are increasingly less the accepted form of the statutory community and are substituted by multiple, even fleeting, and problematic forms of living together. The relation between man and woman becomes conflictive, as does the relation between generations. …The sense of the sacred no longer has any meaning for law; respect for God, and for that which is sacred to others is now, with difficulty, regarded as a juridical value; it is displaced by the allegedly more important value of a limitless liberty in speech and judgment. Even human life is something that can be disposed of: abortion and euthanasia are no longer excluded from juridical ordering. Forms of manipulation of human life are manifested in the areas of embryo experimentation and transplants, in which man arrogates to himself not only the ability to dispose of life and death, but also of his being and of his development”.

Cardinal Ratzinger, on April 18, 2005, calls the most difficult challenge of our times as a “dictatorship of relativism” in the West. Cardinal Francis George of Chicago explained in these words: “In the West there is a fault line between concern for personal freedom and the abandonment of objective truth”. Just as St. Benedict in the fifth and sixth centuries in an era of dissipation and decadence, generated a mode of life,a new community based on the principles of love and truth, so Pope Benedict XVI, in our present time of intellectual and moral decay, must find ways to challenge the relativistic mind-set and preserve an alternative vision of the meaning and purpose of human existence. Christians must keep their focus on Jesus to learn what true humanity means.

Pope Benedict XVI believes that relativism postures as an intellectual expression of tolerance and appreciation for diversity, but in reality, it opens the door for totalitarianism by undercutting any basis for asserting that there are moral limits to what secular power can do. The Church’s insistence on absolute truth makes it unsusceptible to being co-opted by alien ideologies such as National Socialism, Marxism, or free market capitalism. By denying the existence of any transcendent truth, and of a supernatural realm in which truth is grounded, the West runs the risk of divinizing the present, looking for the reign of God here and now. Relativism encourages a utopian approach to politics as seen at Dachau and the gulags. Relativism undercuts respect of human rights by treating rights claims as grounded in social convention rather than transcendent truth. Politicians must not surrender or compromise their Christian convictions. Democracy cannot survive unless God’s truth is accepted.

Pope Benedict XVI’S goal will be to defeat relativism on its own turf. There are three main approaches to his thinking:

1. A teaching thrust to stimulate conversation about what he sees as the false promises of relativism on the intellectual and cultural front.

2. Political intervention to remind legislators and those responsible for civic life of the demands of objective truth.

3. Encouraging resistance in the form of new communities that strive to carve out an alternative vision of life rooted in Christian faith.

Pope Benedict XVI argues that relativism enslaves rather than liberates, because it eviscerates the only genuine basis for human rights, which is the belief that every human being has transcendent value because he or she is a child of God. We must not allow God to be excluded from society or permit ‘rights’ to be cut off from their Christian roots. True liberty flows from ordering one’s life on the basis of truth, which is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI has identified many positive elements of our contemporary world that can be built upon, chiefly among them: democracy and the respect for human rights. He believes democracy is dependent for its vitality upon citizens with a sense of moral purpose and attachment to ultimate truths, which democracy itself cannot supply. Pope Benedict is neither optimistic nor pessimistic. He is realistic. This means he will not disengage or abandon the world but rather remain with and challenge it with Christian values and standards, generating and offering life, love, and hope to all.
Pope Benedict’s strategy is twofold:

1. Relentlessly reminding us that the values we advocate on the world stage, democracy, human rights, and tolerance, are rooted in Christian heritage and unsustainable without that basis.

2. Catholicism should foster vital cells of ecclesiastical life, alive with faith and passion, where the faith is transmitted fully and without compromise. Our priority in this time of apostasy of the faith is to make present the whole truth, the real answer to the demand of a life that corresponds to the Creator, to proclaim the message, and to have and live a faith that seeks to enlighten everyone and speak to everyone. The answers come from faith and reason, not faith and violence, as some religions advocate. In the Ratzinger Report he emphasizes: “What the Church needs in order to respond to the needs of man in every age is holiness, not management. The Church needs saints more than functionaries.

Pope Benedict’s first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, calls us to witness to a truth that transcends human subjectivity; a truth that is based on the value that each individual life has, because God created and loves each individual. He challenges us to be disciples of life and love, not in a spirit of power or domination but in a spirit of service to authentic human living. We must live our lives according to God’s plan of authentic love for humanity, which implies telling people the truth, even if it’s not what they want to hear.

Pope Benedict XVI is making his mark on the political scene. He insists on coherence between the professions of faith of Catholic legislators and their political positions. In certain issues such as the Canadian legislation authorizing gay marriages there is a call for civil disobedience: one has to obey God before man, otherwise it will lead to totalitarianism. In the case of erring pro-choice Catholic politicians, who persist in their errors even after repeated warnings issued by pastors and bishops, the priest should refuse to administer Holy Communion, as a reaction to the person’s public unworthiness to receive this Sacrament due to an objective situation of sin (The Rise of Benedict XVI, p. 183*). Pope Benedict XVI insists that Church teachings on contraception, abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, and embryonic stem cell research are not merely a matter of internal ecclesiastical discipline, but of defending critical truths about human life and the human family. These truths are not just “Catholic”, but objectively valid for all times and cultures.

Pope Benedict XVI is committed to combating a relativistic devaluing of human life in matters of war and peace as well as the international economic order. This is evidenced in his public opposition to both U.S. led Gulf Wars, a position of Christian realism. He pointed out that the concept of pre-emptive war does not appear in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He has spoken out against armed conflict and international economic systems that fail to do justice to the world’s poor. He views exploitation of the poor as a manifestation of the same disregard for truth that leads to exploitation of unborn children or embryonic life. He supports the new movements in the Church such as Focolare, Neocatechumenate, L’Arche, etc., seeing them as new models of community based on truth. He is convinced that God has revealed a set of truths about human life and destiny that the Church is enjoined to safeguard and propound those truths, and that societies that defy them cannot endure.

Pro-lifers must go beyond reacting to pro-acting. The gospel of truth must be proclaimed once again by our witnessing in our lives. “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 10:32). St Augustine stated it clearly: “Christ is truth; let it be proclaimed in pretense by hirelings and in truth by the children of God”. This necessitates preparation: a need for personal spirituality, prayer, and holiness. It means centering our families around the Eucharist, and daily Mass if possible. It means getting down on our knees before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration. It means frequent reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It means praying the Rosary daily calling on Mary to lead us as the Star of the New Evangelization. It means studying and meditating on the Scriptures, the gospels of life, truth, peace, and love. It means promoting gospel values and spreading the truth: Natural Family Planning, not contraception; respecting life, not abortion; palliative care, not euthanasia or assisted suicide; EWTN, not pornography. It means being of service to life from conception to natural death by being a Disciple of Truth.

Living the gospel of truth entails reproaching the restless, encouraging the timid, supporting the handicapped, confusing our opponents, teaching chastity, waking up the lazy, helping the orphan, caring for the sick, and the dying, freeing the oppressed, defending the unborn, approving the good, and loving all. We have been chosen to live in this time of culture of death, to take a firm stand against relativism, extramarital sex, permissiveness, contraception, abortion, and euthanasia. We have endless hope in the Holy Spirit to renew the face of the earth. Let us say yes to our obligation as Catholics to spread the gospel of truth, and to help build a culture of life with Christian values, a civilization of love and peace. +

* “When ‘these precautionary measures have not had their effect, or in which they were not possible’, and the person in question, with obstinate persistence, still presents himself to receive Holy Eucharist, ‘the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it’ (cf. Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts Declaration, Holy Communion and Divorced, Civilly Remarried Catholics’[2000], # 3-4). This decision, properly speaking, is not a sanction or a penalty. Nor is the minister of Holy Communion passing judgement on the person's subjective guilt, but rather is reacting to the person’s public unworthiness to receive Holy Communion due to an objective situation of sin”.

Ratzinger, Spring Debate, Confidential Memorandum, General Principles for Reception of Communion, 2004, p. 183, in The Rise of Benedict XVI, John L. Allen Jr., Doubleday, 2005, pp. 249.

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HAPPENINGS

• This Fall: Parliament deals with Marriage.

• Students: Enter the Priests for Life “Essay on Life” contest (see page 10 for details).

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