Illinoisians speak out for life: 50M and counting: 40 years of Roe v. Wade

Illinois citizens continue to speak out against abortion, with the 22nd annual SpeakOut Illinois conference this Saturday, February 2, at the Crowne Plaza O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont. The conference, titled "50 Million and Counting: Forty Years of Roe v. Wade," will feature presentations on "Stand Up for Life: Why Your Witness Matters" and "Fatherhood in the Culture of Abortion." The Henry Hyde Life Leadership Award and Illinois Life Advocate Awards will be presented. The event will culminate with a solemn Memorial for the Unborn.

Event Details

WHAT: SpeakOut 2013 "50 Million and Counting: Forty Years of Roe v. Wade"

WHEN: Saturday, February 2, 2013, registration opens at 8:30 a.m.

WHERE: Crowne Plaza O'Hare Hotel, 5440 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018

MAP LINK: bit.ly/14pzgdo

WHO: Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League
Ryan Bomberger, founder of the Radiance Foundation
Star Parker, president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education
Dick Walsh, founder of Americans for Life
35+ sponsoring organizations
Illinois pro-life citizens

REGISTRATION & INFORMATION: www.speakoutillinois.org

"After four decades, and the deaths of 55 million babies, those who value the sanctity of human life are still standing as strong as ever and speaking out -- and they have made a huge and positive impact," said Ann Scheidler, co-chair of the SpeakOut Illinois committee and vice president of the Pro-Life Action League, a key sponsor of the annual event. Scheidler, along with her husband, the iconic Joe Scheidler, has been speaking out for life since abortion was legalized in the U.S. in 1973.

This year's conference speakers bring passionately diverse perspectives to the cause:

Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League and son of Ann and Joe, brings his experience from pro-life activism's "first family" to the fight against abortion. His leadership has been instrumental in numerous victories for the pro-life movement as he works closely with local groups to shut down abortion providers in neighborhoods across the country.

Ryan Bomberger, founder of the Radiance Foundation, is an Emmy award winner whose personal story is rooted in pro-life choices. Conceived in rape and adopted into a large multiracial family, he embodies a compelling argument against abortion in even the most traumatic circumstances.

Star Parker, president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, understands the pressures of women on welfare, having walked that road herself. Unabashedly pro-life and anti-poverty, she has brought her expertise to Capitol Hill, university lecture halls, and corporate conference rooms. At SpeakOut 2013, Parker will be the recipient of the Henry Hyde Life Leadership Award for her tireless commitment to promoting the sanctity of life.

Additionally, a special Illinois Life Award will be presented to longtime pro-life advocate Dick Walsh, founder of Americans for Life, for his undaunted dedication to the values of life and family.

SpeakOut 2013 takes place on the heels of the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, which resulted in the death of over 50 million lives and the decimation of more than one generation. SpeakOut seeks to challenge the latest generation to continue the battle for life into the future with a special youth-oriented program titled TeenSpeak.

SpeakOut Illinois brings together more than 35 organizations from across the state to openly champion the sanctity of human life. Sponsors include the Pro-Life Action League, crisis pregnancy centers, law firms, political groups, women's groups, media outlets, and religious organizations. Illinois is the only state to have such a broad pro-life coalition.

More information on the event and a registration link is at www.speakoutillinois.org.

Pro-lifers urge new Secretary of State to support human rights

President Obama nominates Sen. John Kerry to serve
as Secretary of State in the Roosevelt Room on Dec.
21, 2012. Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy.

As Senator John Kerry is confirmed as Secretary of State for Obama's second administration, pro-life groups have encouraged the official to protect human rights, especially for the unborn.

"International diplomacy with a central focus on the dignity of the human person will bear tremendous fruit in building a more loving, healthier and more stable world," Jeanne Monahan, president of March for Life, told CNA Jan. 31.

"The March for Life Education and Defense Fund deeply hopes that the new Secretary of State will work to combat the human rights abuse of today, abortion – both in the U.S. and internationally."

Kerry was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate to replace Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. Legislators voted 94-3 to confirm the nomination on Jan. 29. The three no votes came from three Republicans – Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, and both of Texas' senators.

Kerry was the Democratic candidate for president in 2004, and his abortion advocacy views have drawn ire from many in the Catholic sphere.

Critics have been quick to point out, however, that during his presidential campaign he said that "life begins at conception," while also supporting legislation to promote abortion rights.

"John Kerry...is an outspoken champion of abortion and homosexual marriage," Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute, told CNA.

"There is little doubt that this unfaithful Catholic will continue the policies of Hillary Clinton and push the developing world, under threats of losing development aid, into accepting abortion on demand and homosexual marriage. I have little doubt that traditional peoples around the globe are cringing today at this choice of the Obama administration for Secretary of State."

The state department is responsible for America's foreign relations. Under Clinton, the department promoted abortion access overseas as part of "reproductive health."

"We are concerned Sec. Kerry will seek to impose his extreme anti-life views in America's name. In addition, there are serious questions about his commitment to religious freedom, having been part of an effort to gut the vital USCIRF as a senator," Ashley McGuire of The Catholic Association said Jan. 31 to CNA.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom is a commission of the federal government which supports religious freedom throughout the world.

The issue of religious freedom was raised during Kerry's confirmation hearings this week. Senator Marco Rubio questioned him about the case of Saeed Abedini, a Christian pastor and an American citizen who was recently sentenced to eight years in an Iranian prison for his work with Christian churches in the nation.

Kerry indicated that he, and the federal government, condemn Iran's violations of religious freedom and are calling for Abedini's release.

"Sen. Kerry, who has now been confirmed and will take the oath of office soon, has the opportunity to lead a worldwide effort needed to free Pastor Saeed...it's our hope that the strong statements he put on paper during his confirmation process will be transformed into full engagement when he takes office," Jordan Sekulow, director of the American Center for Law and Justice said.

The Center also indicated that they "fully intend to hold him to this commitment upon his confirmation. Senator Kerry has an ideal opportunity to begin his tenure at the State Department by reaffirming American commitments to religious freedom."

Kerry has served as a senator for Massachusetts, and his resignation will be effective Feb. 1. The state governor has appointed William Cowan to take his senate seat until elections can be held this summer.

Source: CNA/EWTN News

Appeals court rules against abortion mandate

A federal appeals court has once again ruled against the Obama administration's abortion/contraception mandate in a case that has strong implications for religious liberty.

A panel of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday (Jan. 30) granted a preliminary injunction preventing the mandate from applying to Grote Industries, a for-profit company based in Madison, Ind., and owned by Catholics. The same panel in December issued an injunction preventing the mandate from applying to an Illinois-based business, Korte & Luitjohan Contractor, also owned by Catholics. Both rulings were 2-1.

The issue likely will end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In addition to the Seventh Circuit, the Eighth Circuit and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals have issued either rulings or orders against the mandate, which requires businesses and many religious organizations to purchase insurance plans covering contraceptives, including emergency contraceptives such as Plan B and ella that can kill an embryo after fertilization and even after implantation. Pro-lifers consider that action a chemical abortion.

The Seventh Circuit panel noted that the Grote family claims the mandate "compels them to materially cooperate in a grave moral wrong contrary to the teachings of their church." Not following the mandate would result in "several financial penalties."

"We conclude that the Grote Family and Grote Industries have established a reasonable likelihood of success" based on Grote's claim that the mandate violates the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the panel ruled. "We also conclude that they will suffer irreparable harm absent an injunction pending appeal."

Grote Industries is self-insured and its insurance plans did not cover contraceptives or abortion-causing drugs of any kind prior to the mandate, according to the ruling.

The judges consolidated the Grote and Korte cases.

Although the latest ruling involved a Catholic-owned business, evangelical-owned businesses and evangelical colleges also have won in federal court. There are 44 lawsuits involving non-profits and for-profits against the mandate, according to a tally by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. Of the 14 rulings thus far involving for-profits, 10 have gone against the mandate.

Alliance Defending Freedom is representing Grote.

"Americans have the God-given freedom to live and do business according to their faith," ADF attorney Matt Bowman said in a statement. "Forcing employers to surrender their faith in order to earn a living is unprecedented, unnecessary, and unconstitutional. Honoring God is important every day, in all areas of life, including in our work. Freedom is not the government's to give and take away when it pleases."

Voting in the majority were Reagan nominee Joel M. Flaum and George W. Bush nominee Diane S. Sykes. George H.W. Bush nominee Ilana Rovner dissented.

The mandate was announced by the Department of Health and Human Services in August 2011 as part of the health care law championed by President Obama. Although the Supreme Court upheld the health care law last June, the justices' ruling did not deal with the religious liberty issues surrounding the abortion/contraceptive mandate. That means the nation's highest court could yet strike down what has been for religious groups and some business owners the most controversial part of the law.

Source: Baptist Press

Illinois Federation for Right to Life Mourns an Outstanding Defender of the Unborn

The pro-life movement has lost an outstanding defender of the unborn.  Linda Behnken passed away on January 30, 2013.  Linda's steadfast belief in the sanctity of life was the driving force in her commitment to protect all human life from the womb to natural death.  She was President of Belleville Right to Life and Past President  of the Illinois Federation for Right to Life.  She also served as the Treasurer of the Illinois Federation for Right to Life. She was the Pro-life Coordinator for St. Nicholas Parish for 20 years.  Linda's life of sacrificial giving of her time, energy and personal resources serves as a model for all pro-lifers.  May God reward her richly for her tireless work for His Kingdom.

Following are the funeral arrangements:
 
Visitation
4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Friday, February 1, 2012
Kassly Funeral Home
9900 St. Clair Avenue
Fairview Heights, IL 62208-1724
   
Funeral Mass
10:00 AM, Saturday, February 2, 2012
St. Peter's Cathedral
200 West Harrison Street
Belleville, IL
   
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to:
St. Peter's Cathedral
200 West Harrison Street
Belleville, IL
 
or
 
Belleville Area Right to Life
P.O. Box 386
Belleville, IL 62222
 
Thank you for all your kind thoughts and prayers.

Source: Illinois Federation for Right to Life

Pro-lifers, despite Roe's 40th, voice hope

Pro-life Americans have reasons to be hopeful even after 40 years of legalized abortion, leaders in their movement said at the annual March for Life and related events.

Speaking Jan. 24 and 25, pro-life speakers pointed to legislative gains in the states and potential developments in the courts -- as well as God's grace and the movement's perseverance -- as hopeful signs.

This year's March for Life took place Jan. 25 because of scheduling and hotel conflicts with President Obama's Jan. 21 inauguration. The march normally occurs Jan. 22, the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.

States are enacting bills that are "dramatically changing the contours of abortion policy in this country," said Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life, the pro-life movement's leading legal organization. Yoest spoke at AUL's legal symposium Jan. 24 in Washington, D.C.

Last year, states passed 43 laws restricting abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which is affiliated with the pro-choice movement. That made 2012 the second highest year ever for such laws, trailing only the 92 restrictions enacted in 2011.

The pro-life movement won't advance much at the national level in the next several years, but progress at the state level will continue, Yoest said.

There is a "tremendous tidal wave of pro-life legislation in the pipeline," she told the symposium audience.

"I'm looking offshore, and I'm here today to tell you there is a storm surge coming."

Abortion rights advocates recognize the pro-life gains more than pro-lifers, and they have changed their strategy, she said.

They are "pivoting from choice to coercion," with the new health care system as an example, Yoest said. "What they could not win through choice they intend to impose by coercion."

At least partly in response, the most requested model legislation from AUL by states is for the defunding of the abortion industry, Yoest said. Second is AUL's model to strengthen conscience protections. AUL's legal team is helping in 39 states, she said.

Law professor Gerard Bradley told the same audience, meanwhile, there may be an opportunity to exploit a possibly "fatal flaw in Roe v. Wade's jerry-rigged legal edifice."

Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that abolished all state bans on abortion, combined with Doe v. Bolton, which was decided the same day, legalized abortion, in effect, throughout the country for any reason at any point in pregnancy.

The protagonist in a Supreme Court reconsideration of Roe "will not be a Good Samaritan or a heroic state official. He will be a bad man, one who has killed his own unborn son or daughter," Bradley said.

He will be a man convicted under a state "feticide" law, which treats violence causing death or injury to an unborn child as a separate offense, Bradley said. At least 38 states have approved such laws, he said.

"I submit it might be the undoing of Roe, because [the many defendants] convicted of feticide make an equal protection argument against their convictions, to overturn their convictions," Bradley told the audience. "They say it violates equal protection of the law. It's unconstitutional to hold him accountable for what she is perfectly free to do. They say, in effect, ... 'I'm making the same choice. I have the same intention, commit the same act, cause the same harm, engage even in the same behavior -- whether it's an abortifacient drug or stomping on somebody's stomach -- and I can have the same motivation....'"

Such a case could require the high court to resolve the "foundational question" it has suppressed since Roe, he said: "Who counts as a person?"

Though it will be awkward for the justices "to now take up the foundational question it has long suppressed," he thinks they "actually have no feasible alternative," Bradley said. "[The men convicted under feticide laws] raise equal protection challenges which go right through the personhood question."

A Southern Baptist theology dean encouraged pro-life Christians to speak justly and mercifully, recognizing change may come unexpectedly.

"We are people who are speaking from one conscience to another, often to people who have been wounded, to people who are scared and to people who are seeking to cover and to hide," said Russell Moore, dean of theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., during a Jan. 25 Family Research Council (FRC) event before the March for Life.

"That means that we don't cower," Moore said. "We speak directly to the conscience. ... And we speak of justice.

"And we must also speak of mercy -- that we are the people who recognize and know that God is able to receive those who have done horrific things, those who have been wounded in horrific ways.

"As we speak, we speak not only to those who are with us, but we speak with justice and with mercy to those on the other side, knowing that hearts can be changed," Moore said.

"And it just might be that in your advocacy, wherever it is, that the arguments that you make will go nowhere for now but will be remembered in a time of turning, in a time of crisis in a way that yields fruit."

Moore spoke at FRC's ProLifeCon conference in Washington for the online pro-life community.

At the March for Life rally, Rep. Chris Smith, R.-N.J., addressed President Obama, a strong advocate for abortion rights, as he spoke of the pro-life movement's resolve.

"Someday future generations will look back on America and wonder how and why such a seemingly enlightened society could have failed to protect the innocent and inconvenient," said Smith, the leading pro-lifer in Congress. "They will wonder how and why a Nobel Peace Prize-winning president who spoke eloquently about caring, cherishing and safeguarding all of our children could have simultaneously been the abortion president."

Smith said, "Know this, Mr. President, we will never quit. In our diversity, our faith and trust in God is tested, but it also is deepened and overcomes and forges an indomitable yet humble spirit."

After the rally, the massive crowd of pro-lifers -- dominated by young people -- marched to the Supreme Court with the temperature in the mid-20s.

It was the first March for Life ever without Nellie Gray, who died in August. She had been president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund since its founding after the Roe decision. Jeanne Monahan, formerly of FRC, is the new president of the organization.

Source: Baptist Press

Medical Experts Warn of Under-Exposed Abortion Risks

Abortion is associated with numerous unreported and under-reported health risks, according to a panel of doctors.

Surgical and medical abortions are associated with a host of untold and under-reported medical and psychological risks, said a panel of doctors at a recent conference in the nation's capital.

"Abortion reporting has been a major impediment in receiving accurate information about abortion complications," said Dr. Monique Chireau, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Duke University School of Medicine.

She added that "improved abortion reporting, informed consent and public information regarding abortion complications should help reduce abortion rates."

Chireau was part of a medical panel that spoke at the Americans United for Life Symposium on Jan. 24 in Washington. She examined the complications that can arise from surgical abortion, observing that for every additional week of gestational age, "there's a 38% increase in mortality."

She also noted that states with heavier restrictions and mandatory waiting periods for later-term abortions have a 25% lower rate of complications than those without such limitations.

Dr. Donna Harrison, director of research and public policy for the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, also spoke at the symposium, discussing medical abortions, which use chemicals to kill unborn children and expel them from their mothers' bodies.

The complications of medical abortion can be quite severe, and include "hemorrhage, incomplete abortion, and death," she said, noting that the rate of complications increases drastically after the eighth week of pregnancy.

Also concerning is the fact that first trimester medical abortions are generally unrestricted and unsupervised, she added, but these abortions are being promoted around the world.

Harrison also warned of a rise in the unrestricted use of Ella, an "emergency contraceptive" that is nearly identical chemically to the abortion pill RU- 486.

While Ella is labeled as safe for one-time use at the recommended dosage, Harrison noted that there are almost no FDA restrictions on the drug, and many women abuse it, taking multiple doses at a time or using the drug after every sexual encounter within a cycle.

These risky behaviors go unsupervised, she said, and women who use the drugs face potentially deadly complications, often without receiving adequate medical screenings or exams to check for problems.
 
Psychological Aspects

Dr. Priscilla Coleman, professor of human development and family studies at Bowling Green State University, offered commentary on the psychological aspects surrounding abortion.

A number of psychiatric and societal influences impact the mental health of women who have undergone abortions, she said, pointing to studies indicating that those with pre-existing psychological factors experience increased complications from abortion.

However, it is not just "those with pre-existing issues that are harmed by abortion," Coleman said. Rather, research demonstrates that across the board, abortion "significantly increases risk for depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and behaviors."

Furthermore, she observed, recent studies show that abortions result in a 20% increase in mental distress "compared with unintended pregnancy carried to term."

Source: National Catholic Register

March for Life Turns 40

Pro-Life Leaders Recall Ill-Fated Court Decision



Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., was a seminarian when the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision legalizing abortion on demand, but the impact of the news remains fresh in his mind.

"I felt very passionate about protecting the dignity of all human life and was saddened and mystified by the court's decision," recalled Archbishop Naumann, who had already been active in the civil-rights movement and later emerged as a leading pro-life advocate in his archdiocese.

As the nation prepares to mark the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Catholic pro-life leaders across the nation considered how the 1973 decision spurred their own activism, while also shaping the identity and mission of the Catholic Church in the United States.

By the early 1970s, grassroots efforts to overturn liberal abortion laws in states like New York and California had begun in earnest.

Yet few anticipated that pro-life advocacy would become their life's work and ultimately forge a robust ecumenical alliance of Catholic and Protestant churches joined to defend the unborn.

When the high court handed down its decision, it stunned Michael Taylor, now the executive director of the Washington-based National Committee for a Human Life Amendment. At the time, Taylor was directing the National Right to Life Committee, temporarily housed at the bishops' conference before it became an independent, non-sectarian organization.

"The issue was not national in 1972, and my job was to work with right-to-life groups across the country," Taylor recalled during an interview with the Register. "It was a different world in those days: There was more anti-Catholicism. The Church was urging the development of right-to-life groups, but the word 'pro-life' didn't exist."

Four states had already approved liberal abortion laws, and a larger number allowed abortion in cases of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother. Taylor knew the high court would soon hand down a decision in the Roe case. But he was buoyed by the fact that no new abortion laws had passed since 1970, and so hoped that the issue might be losing momentum.
 
Supreme Shock

Then, on Jan. 22, 1973, the Supreme Court's ruling was announced. Taylor rushed to the court to obtain a copy of the decision and immediately realized it was a "game changer."

"We thought they would be more moderate. Instead, it was far more extreme than any other law in existence," he said. "It made the issue national. They had taken the other side's case completely. Every problem we have had since Roe is because the court seized control of the issue."

Just before the ruling, Taylor had thought he could take a break and return to graduate school. Instead, he became even more involved in organizing right-to-life committees across the country — though he did eventually go back to school.

Today, Taylor believes that the high court's decision led Church leaders, along with pro-life advocates of every denomination, to become more engaged in public-policy debates on social issues. And those early days of the pro-life movement have given him a more nuanced view of two emerging movements to uphold traditional marriage and religious freedom.

"The pro-life movement didn't happen overnight. People [who are now pro-life] have told me, 'I spent a whole year working on the [abortion] issue, and I have changed my mind.' Over 40 years, Americans have been educated, and they have educated themselves. In contrast, the marriage issue is new stuff, comparatively."

Phyllis Schlafly, for her part, was "absorbed with the ERA [Equal Rights Amendment]" when the Roe decision was announced.

Yet, just a few years earlier, she and her husband, Fred, had helped to block an effort to legalize abortion in Illinois.

After Roe made abortion on demand the law of the land, however, Schlafly soon perceived that some feminist activists believed the ERA would help secure access to abortion.

"Feminist leaders who supported the ERA" wanted to use it to obtain federal funding of abortion, Schlafly stated during a telephone interview.

"Their argument was that if abortion is only for women, and you deny funding of abortion, you are discriminating against women," she said.

From her perch directing a national political movement opposing the ERA, Schlafly also witnessed some initial friction between Catholics and Protestant opponents of abortion rights. "The Catholic bishops took up the fight right away. They were out front on abortion. The result was that Protestants didn't come aboard right away. Around 1973-75, there was still a lot of standoffishness. But, by '77, the Protestants came aboard and have been prominent ever since," she said.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/march-for-life-turns-40/

Source: NC Register

Lawmakers lament 40 years of legalized abortion

Pro-life politicians from across the country reflected on four decades of legal abortion in America, offering prayers and the promise of renewed efforts to build a culture of life.

Newly-elected Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) said that she is "heartbroken" by all the lives that have been devastated by abortion, but also "hopeful and inspired" by the young people who represent the future of the pro-life movement.

Wagner spoke on the House floor on Jan. 22, the 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that effectively legalized abortion throughout America.

She lamented the 1973 ruling as "a decision that has done so much harm to the moral landscape of our nation."

Wagner explained that as a mother, "the sanctity of life is very cherished and personal to me." She recalled traveling to Washington, D.C. 23 years ago to participate in the March for Life, while pregnant with her second son.

"I knew that it was not enough to simply say that I was pro-life," she said. "I literally had to walk the walk."

Wagner was one of numerous legislators from both major political parties who spoke out in support of life on Jan. 22, voicing sorrow over four decades of legalized abortion and pledging continued action to foster respect for all human life.

"While we mourn for the babies and their mothers, we in the pro-life movement must rededicate ourselves to prayer and action to protect life," said Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.).

In a statement provided to CNA, he explained that defenders of life must "not only focus on changing our nation's laws, but also changing hearts and minds, and caring for expectant mothers and their babies."

The congressman said that he is "uplifted by the participation of so many young people" in the March for Life each year. This year's march, scheduled for Jan. 25, is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of participants, including a strong youth presence.

"With God's help, they are key to moving our nation away from the culture of death to embracing a culture of life," Lipinski stressed.

Dozens of pro-life lawmakers observed the anniversary of Roe v. Wade on social media sites.

"America knows the collective pain of abortion is a heavy burden no free and prosperous nation can carry forever," wrote Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) on Twitter.

"My belief in the sanctity of human life has deepened through my experiences as a mother, a Christian, and a nurse," Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) posted on Facebook. She added that the anniversary of Roe v. Wade is a reminder "that every life is a precious gift from God."

Multiple legislators quoted former President Ronald Reagan, who reflected on the 10th anniversary of Roe v. Wade that "(w)e cannot diminish the value of one category of human life – the unborn – without diminishing the value of all human life."

Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) called the 1973 decision "one of America's most blatant instances of judicial activism."

In an online statement, he mourned the loss of the millions of children who "have been denied the chance to celebrate a birthday, begin kindergarten or go on to contribute their God-given talents to our world."

Rubio pledged to continue fighting for the unborn in the U.S. Senate.
 
"As with many of our nation's most important debates," he added, "the battlefield of this issue is in the hearts and minds of the American electorate, and I pray that we can one day live in a society that fully cherishes every life from conception until death."

Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.), a former nurse, noted all the progress that women have made in modern society.

Black is one of several pro-life legislators who will address the crowds gathered for the March for Life.

Speaking at a Jan. 22 press conference marking the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, she observed that millions of unborn women "are not here to benefit from the progress we have made and share in our hopes and dreams for the future."

"We press on with the hope that one day we will live in a country where each and every life – both born and unborn – is respected, valued and given the opportunity to pursue his or her dreams," she said.

Source: CNA/EWTN News

Priests for Life Leader Father Pavone Honored by Youth as 'Defender of Life'

Hailing him as a "hero of the preborn," Students for Life of America will honor Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, with its 2013 "Defender of Life" award during its annual conference Jan. 26 in Bethesda, Md.

"His ground-breaking work exposing the true horrors of abortion through images of the aborted child, his countless hours standing and praying outside of abortion facilities offering women in crisis real help, and his great compassion for the women and men left with the heartache of abortion have inspired a generation to enter into the pro-life movement," said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life. "Throughout Father Frank's ministry he has been a leader, a visionary, and a courageously outspoken voice for the preborn."

Father Pavone became active in pro-life when he was still a teenager and attended his first March for Life. His easy rapport with youth makes him a crowd favorite every year as he walks with the women and men of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign and the Priests for Life Pastoral Team.

"Young people are not future leaders of the pro-life movement; they are leaders today," Father Pavone said. "They understand that one-third of their generation has been lost to abortion, and that they are survivors. When they speak up for the unborn, they are also speaking up for themselves. This is one reason why this cause is so personal for them."

Leaders of other youth organizations congratulated Father Pavone on his "Defender of Life" award.

Kristina Garza, director of campus outreach for Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, said: "I cannot think of a more appropriate person to receive this year's Defender of Life award, than Father Frank Pavone. He works tirelessly, not only to defend life, but to end abortion. He is the general in this war on the Culture of Death. He always makes it a priority to empower and inspire young activists because he understands the value and vibrancy of this generation's efforts to end abortion. I will always be grateful for his outstanding example of courage, compassion, and integrity, and for his encouragement in my own work to change the hearts and minds of youth and young adults throughout our nation."

Jeff White, executive director of Survivors, described Father Pavone's role in the movement as that of "encourager, leader, priest, friend. He has been a true defender of God's preborn and has brought unity in a movement like no one else ever has. May God bless him richly for the lives whose rescue he has made possible. No one is more deserving of the Students for Life, Defender of Life award."

Bryan Kemper founded Stand True Pro-Life Outreach and is now also the Youth Outreach Director for Priests for Life. He said Father Pavone is one of his heroes, and much more than that.

"I have been in the pro-life movement for over 20 years and I have a lot of heroes. Father Frank is more than a hero, he is a mentor, a role model and a friend. I could not think of anyone more deserving to receive the Defender of Life Award from SFLA this year. I am so proud to work for and side by side with Father Frank in this fight to end the evil of our age. Together with all of the amazing pro-life warriors rising up I know we will see the abolishment of abortion."

"I am very grateful to Kristan Hawkins and the whole SFLA organization for this honor and for the work they do all year," Fr. Pavone added. "I look forward to visiting many of the Students for Life groups on their own campuses."

Source: Priests for Life

US states' pro-life legislation in 2012 deemed historic

A new report finding "significant victories for life" in state-level legislation during 2012 has left a leading U.S. pro-life group hopeful about the coming year.

"More than half of states have pro-life governors and pro-life majorities in their legislatures," said Dan McConchie, vice president of state legislative action for Americans United for Life, "so we expect pro-life advances to replicate the high levels of success in the past couple of years across the country."

McConchie told CNA that he expects to see "continued interest in restraining abortion coverage" in the new health care law throughout 2013, as well as "late term abortion bans, regulation of abortion-inducing drugs, and clinic regulations."

On Jan. 16, Americans United for Life released its annual "Life List," ranking all 50 states according to their ongoing legal efforts to protect life.

The 2013 list observed that the past year had seen "historic progress for life-affirming legislation" throughout the country.

"Last year, at least 60 new life-affirming laws, including at least 38 measures related to abortion, were enacted," the report said. "Additionally, 16 pro-life state resolutions were adopted."

Americans United for Life has worked for years to model and help enact language for pro-life legislation in states throughout the country.

Dr. Charmaine Yoest, president and CEO of the organization, said the state-level successes lay "the foundation for rolling back and reversing Roe v. Wade," the Supreme Court case that legalized abortion nationally 40 years ago.

She predicted that the coming year will see numerous bills "that also work to protect the First Amendment Freedom of all Americans who do not want to be forced into business with Big Abortion."

The "Life List" found that the most legislatively pro-life states in America are Louisiana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Arizona, while Washington state, California, New York, Vermont and New Jersey are the least protective of life.

Most improved in 2012 was Arizona, which rose to number 5 on the list from number 14 the previous year. This was partly due to the adoption of the "Women's Health Protection Act," which bans abortions after 20 weeks gestation based on medical evidence of the danger that such abortions pose to women's health, as well as the unborn child's capacity to feel pain.

In addition, South Carolina became the eighth state to pass legislation banning insurance plans that cover abortion from participating in any exchanges operating in the state under the health care reform law.

Among the most popular abortion-related legislation in 2012 were bans on government and insurance funding for abortion and restrictions on drugs that can induce early abortions. Ultrasound requirements, abortion clinic regulations and informed consent laws were also common.

Americans United for Life also noted a nearly 40 percent rise in the number of measures initiated to protect freedom of conscience in healthcare, as well as a significant increase in end-of-life measures.

However, the group said, 2012 saw a nearly 50 percent decrease in biotechnology measures from the previous year, with only two states considering bans on embryo-destroying research and none initiating bans on human cloning.

The report observed that many of the least pro-life states on the list have had a state court "manufacture" a constitutional "right" to abortion beyond what is federally recognized. Others have enacted legislation that effectively blocks laws and regulations that would protect women and unborn children from abortion.

"For those states that have the least protective laws, the priority really should be the basic protections, especially informed consent and parental involvement," said McConchie. "Women considering abortion deserve both information and support before they make a monumental decision of this nature."

Source: CNA