http://www.all.org/rss_pressreleases.php Press Releases, American Life League RSS Feed en-us Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:47:03 EDT Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:47:03 EDT http://www.all.org webmaster@all.org webmaster@all.org http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12629 2010-03-16 10:35:00 Washington, DC (16 March 2010) – Three weeks ago, a woman named Angie Jackson live-tweeted her RU-486 medical abortion obtained at Planned Parenthood. As Angie described her mental and emotional state, and detailed the pain and trauma of her experience, the story made national headlines, and captivated and horrified the nation.      Today, American Life League released its annual survey of Planned Parenthood locations. The American Life League report confirms that the nation’s largest abortion purveyor has increased the number of facilities committing medical abortions by 130 percent – even while the total number of Planned Parenthood facilities decline.     “While we are thrilled to see the number of Planned Parenthood affiliates and facilities declining, we are extremely dismayed to see Planned Parenthood continuing to build its abortion business by increasing the number of facilities administering deadly abortion pills,” said Rita Diller, national director of ALL’s Stop Planned Parenthood project (STOPP).       “The abortion pill regimen, appearing under names such as mifepristone (RU-486) and methotrexate, is being pushed by Planned Parenthood in order to increase its abortion business,” Diller said.  “Since Planned Parenthood charges about the same amount for medical abortion as surgical abortion, it stands to dramatically increase its profits from abortion by hawking the pills.  With an abortion pill, there is no need for a surgeon, surgical staff, a surgical suite and all the expenses those services entail.”   Even though the abortion pill experience is painful, protracted and often traumatic for the women who use it, as evidenced by Angie Jackson and a copycat inspired by her, Planned Parenthood continues to sell the pills to unsuspecting women. They take the first pill in the office, and then are sent home with the second pill and left on their own to deal with profuse bleeding and persistent pain.   ALL’s report documents Planned Parenthood declining in all other areas examined.   In November 2009, Planned Parenthood had 96 affiliates, down three from the previous year.  The 2009 number reflects a 47-percent decline from 1987, when it boasted 181 affiliates. Planned Parenthood affiliates are self-governing corporations that operate local Planned Parenthood facilities under certification from Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s national office.     The 2009 report shows Planned Parenthood operating one less surgical abortion facility than it did in 2008.  Its non-express and express chemical abortion facilities, which distribute birth control products that, at least some of the time, can result in chemical abortions, both declined: There were 16 fewer non-express facilities and 11 fewer express chemical abortion facilities.   As of Nov. 30, 2009, Planned Parenthood was operating 817 facilities in the U.S., 27 fewer than at the end of 2008 and down 13 percent from the all-time high of 938 facilities in 1995.    “Planned Parenthood’s flight from numerous communities and neighborhoods means that parents and grandparents can rest more peacefully in the knowledge that Planned Parenthood is no longer lurking around the next corner, waiting for the opportunity to kill innocent preborn babies, and sexualize and steal the souls of children and teens who most need our protection,” Diller said.  “The closing of these facilities is a testament to the fact that when local people actively oppose Planned Parenthood, community support erodes, and when community support erodes, Planned Parenthood facilities shut down.” American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: American Life League: STOPP - Annual Report  (15 March 2010) http://stopp.org/pdfs/2009%20Annual%20PP%20Report%20Combined.pdf. American Life League: STOP Planned Parenthood http://stopp.org/ ABC News: Angie Jackson Live Tweets Abortion (25 February 2010) http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/angie-jackson-live-tweets-abortion/story?id=9937689 # # #  
(Katie Walker) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12626 2010-03-15 13:55:00 Washington, D.C. (15 March 2010) – Less than 24 hours after the Reform CCHD Now (RCN) coalition released a report March 11 condemning the Catholic Campaign for Human Development’s version of the Stations of the Cross, the “prayer” was completely scrubbed from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ web site. The CCHD’s Stations of the Cross transformed a beloved ancient Lenten devotional of the Catholic Church into a “prayer” highlighting the work of CCHD grantees – five of whom are involved in the promotion of abortion and same-sex marriage. The RCN coalition charged that the CCHD’s Stations were “little more than fundraising pitches for pro-abortion and same-sex marriage groups.” “We’re happy to see the USCCB respond quickly to clean the offensive material from its web site,” said Michael Hichborn, lead researcher on the CCHD for American Life League, an RCN member. “We hope and pray this is the first step in cleaning up the larger problem of the CCHD funding organizations that support abortion and same-sex marriage.” The CCHD’s revision of the Stations of the Cross was the latest incident exposed by the 21-member RCN coalition’s campaign to end CCHD funding for organizations promoting philosophies and/or activities contrary to Catholic teaching. The Reform CCHD Now coalition has launched a petition calling on the U.S. bishops to “ensure no more Catholic dollars are spent to support organizations advocating abortion or same-sex marriage.” American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Reform CCHD Now: Stations of the Cross (11 March 2010) http://reformcchdnow.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18&Itemid=18 American Life League: CCHD Promotes Pro-Abortion Groups in 'Stations of the Cross' (11 March 2010) http://all.org/article.php?id=12617 LifeSiteNews: CCHD Pushes Pro-Abort Groups in Lent Stations of the Cross: Pro-Life Coalition (12 March 2010) http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/mar/10031212.html # # #  
(Katie Walker) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12620 2010-03-12 15:32:00 Washington, D.C. (12 March 2010) – A Gallup poll released today shows that young adults are increasingly anti-abortion – bad news for legislators attempting to pass a federal “health care reform” bill that subsidizes it. “What we’re seeing is a generation that views attacks on human beings’ lives – such as abortion – as human rights abuses,” said Michael Barnett, director of American Life League’s LiveCampus project. “As that generation gap widens, legislators hoping to attract the youth vote and pass ‘health care reform’ are going to have to come to grips with that.”   In an article titled “Generational Differences on Abortion Narrow,” Gallup contends that 18-to-29-year-olds are now roughly tied with seniors as the most likely of all age groups to hold an “illegal in all circumstances” view of abortion. “This confirms anecdotal evidence we’re gathering on colleges across the country with our LiveCampus project,” Barnett continued. “Abortion doesn’t make sense to a generation that wants social justice for all human beings. It doesn’t take a Gallup poll to see that decades of decriminalized abortion have left an undeniable void in the lives of millennials – brothers, sisters and future classmates whose rights were denied even in the womb.” LiveCampus is a program designed to train and activate pro-life leaders on the nation’s top campuses while developing resources for pregnant and parenting students, closing local abortion mills and creating counseling programs for post-abortive women. “This Gallup poll confirms what we’ve known for a long time,” Barnett said. “Just as Europeans, in the wake of two world wars, championed peace and nonviolence, so too are today’s young Americans, survivors of over 30 years of decriminalized abortion, seeking commonsense justice: All human beings deserve human rights.” LiveCampus was founded in 2008 by American Life League. Its mission is to support human rights for all human beings from their biological beginning. It pursues this mission through policy change and leadership development on college campuses. American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Gallup: Generational Differences on Abortion Narrow (12 March 2010) http://www.gallup.com/poll/126581/generational-differences-abortion-narrow.aspx   American Life League: Celebrate Life - Live Campus http://clmagazine.org/backissues/2009MA_walker.pdf # # #
(Katie Walker) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12617 2010-03-11 15:54:00 Washington, D.C. (11 March 2010) – A new “Stations of the Cross” devotional from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development profiles five CCHD grantees involved in the promotion of abortion or same-sex marriage.   “During these final weeks of Lent, we ask the bishops cut funding for the CCHD until a complete investigation and overhaul is conducted,” said Michael Hichborn, American Life League’s lead researcher into CCHD grants and a member of the Reform CCHD Now coalition. “It is unacceptable that a Lenten devotion beloved by millions of Catholics the world over would be commercialized to include 'prayers' that are little more than fundraising pitches for pro-abortion and same-sex marriage groups.” Groups profiled in the Reform CCHD Now report on the Stations include: The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition – for making statements in support of abortion and for promoting a pro-abortion group. The United Workers’ Association – for joining the Equality Maryland coalition in support of same-sex marriage, and for remaining on the Health Care for America Now coalition, which is fighting to include abortion funding in health care reform legislation. Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement – for participating in a forum that promotes homosexual activism. People Organized for Westside Renewal – for joining three coalitions that actively promote abortion and same-sex marriage. New Mexico Acequia Association – for espousing anti-Catholic theological views and professing full support for a pro-abortion organization. “Until these issues and those highlighted by the Reform CCHD Now coalition in the past 6 months have been resolved, we respectfully ask the bishops to follow the lead of the seven bishops who have cut off funding from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development in their diocese,” said Stephen Phelan, communications manager for Reform CCHD Now partner, Human Life International. To sign the petition to “ensure no more Catholic dollars are spent to support organizations advocating abortion or same-sex marriage,” go to www.ReformCCHDnow.com. American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Reform CCHD Now: http://reformcchdnow.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18&Itemid=18 # # #
(Katie Walker ) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12613 2010-03-10 15:02:00 Washington, D.C. (10 March 2010) – Catholic pro-life advocates are up in arms after a Catholic University of America (CUA) professor was widely reported in the Associated Press Tuesday saying the Senate health care bill will “more effectively prohibit federal funds from going to abortion.” “Perhaps the good professor hasn’t been paying attention the last six months,” said Judie Brown, president of American Life League, “but not only does the Senate bill expand abortion funding, it also ushers in federally-funded human embryonic stem cell research, physician assisted suicide and a whole host of other offenses against human beings’ lives – all of them antithetical to Catholic Church teaching.” Stephen Schneck, director of the Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., was quoted by the AP as a Catholic source of disagreement over the ramifications of the health care bill. The article came on the heels of news that staffers from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops would lobby to pass the health care bill so long as abortion funding is limited via a provision like the Stupak Amendment. Brown however is quick to point out that, even with Stupak language, a Catholic cannot in good conscience work to advance any of the current versions of the health bill: "It is of the utmost importance to clarify for the unsuspecting or uncatechized that the Catholic Church does not teach that the killing of a child prior to birth by an act of abortion is the only intrinsically evil way to rob a person of his or her life,” Brown said in her March 8 column. “There is also human embryonic stem cell research, many types of contraceptives (massively funded in the bill), euthanasia and infanticide … each of which is equally evil, equally deadly and equally unmentioned by the USCCB in connection with Obamacare.” American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Associated Press: A policy change on abortion, but how radical? (09 March 2010) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_overhaul_abortion_q_a National Review Online: Dangerous Negotiations Over Abortion (06 March 2010) http://healthcare.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZjEyODcxNTkwZDdhZjY1ZmIxYmQ4MmM1N2E4YjhjM2E American Life League: Troublesome: The U.S.C.C.B's Embrace of Obamacare (08 March 2010) http://all.org/newsroom_judieblog.php?id=2965 # # #
(Katie Walker) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12609 2010-03-09 13:59:00 Niece of MLK, Jr., leaders of BlackGenocide.org, the Family Research Council, Frederick Douglass Foundation, Theology of the Body Institute, and others endorse CHRA Washington, D.C. (09 March 2010) – Leaders representing the majority position of Americans are lining up to endorse an initiative that could reignite the pro-life movement to embrace a different way of looking at abortion and other threats against human beings' lives. It’s about the human rights of every human being. That’s the message of the personhood movement and the California Human Rights Amendment led by black pastor and civil rights icon Rev. Walter Hoye. Organizers have captured the same momentum that followed the California marriage amendment campaign to create a groundswell of support for the personhood amendment. Dr. Jim Garlow, Proposition 8 leader and founding director of Pastors Rapid Response Team, said in his endorsement: "Is it not amazing that we are forced, in our so-called advanced society, to defend the notion of personhood? Is it not shocking that supposedly bright people will not protect the most innocent and helpless person, the one in the womb? Have we not learned from slavery how to properly define a person? Have we learned nothing from Hitler's Reich regarding the definition of personhood?" “Other states should draw inspiration from the commitment and perseverance of those behind the California Human Rights Amendment. This is not about party affiliation or ideology. This is about recognizing the sanctity of human life and citizens’ obligation to enact laws to protect it” wrote Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council. Likewise, Fr. Thomas Euteneuer of Human Life International applauded the California initiative: “Let’s start healing this national shame by affirming the personhood of every human being – in law – and start living as if we meant it.” “Even as Dred Scott was considered less than fully human, such is the case for the preborn babies in the womb,” said Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the founder of King for America, in her endorsement of the CHRA. Rev. Clenard Childress of BlackGenocide.org pointed out that human personhood is the crux of the nation’s struggle against racism: “Our prayer is that personhood would be restored to its proper place in the minds, hearts and legislation of America,” Childress said. Other endorsers of the CHRA include Judie Brown, president of American Life League; Christopher West, Theology of the Body Institute; La Verne Tolbert, Ph.D., former Planned Parenthood board member, Georgia; Rebecca Kiessling, family law attorney, Michigan; Kurt Ramspott, Founder, Guys For Life, Inc.; Dana Cody, President and Executive Director, Life Legal Defense Foundation; Kristen L. Chestnut, RN JD, Member, Board of Directors, California Nurses for Ethical Standards; Dean Nelson, Executive Director, Network of Politically Active Christians and Vice Chairman, Frederick Douglass Foundation; Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D., Founder and President, The Ruth Institute; and David Bereit, National Director, 40 Days for Life and the California Republican Assembly. American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: California Human Rights Amendment: http://www.californiahumanrightsamendment.com/ American Life League: Personhood http://all.org/personhood/ LA Times: A new push to define 'person,' and to outlaw abortion in the process (28 September 2009) http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/28/nation/na-embryos-personhood28 # # #
(Katie Walker ) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12606 2010-03-08 11:54:00 Washington, D.C. (08 March 2010) – Margaret Sanger, the infamous eugenicist and founder of abortion giant Planned Parenthood, lived a mere ten miles from Hopewell Junction, New York – headquarters of American Life League’s newest Rock for Life chapter. Started by John Fontanello, the new chapter is less than a month old and already shaking up the culture with righteousness and truth. Collaborating with the local CareNet pregnancy center, Rock for Life set up a table and distributed information on personhood and the youth movement to support a showing of Sarah’s Choice – a pro-life movie starring Christian music singer Rebecca St. James. The group is also planning a Rock for Life concert for summer 2010. Fontanello launched the group after deciding to put his pro-life beliefs into action. While browsing the Rock for Life web site, he stumbled across the “start a chapter” section. And that’s what he did. “I want to counteract whatever Planned Parenthood does to promote abortion,” Fontanello said. “I want to be able to educate the women who are thinking about aborting their child. I am truly honored to be a part of this organization.” Kortney Blythe, Rock for Life chapter director, is excited for the new chapter's opportunity to speak out for human rights and personhood on the very same turf Margaret Sanger occupied almost a century ago. “What a great contrast to Sanger’s disdain for equality and human rights to have John fighting our culture of death which was largely fostered and nurtured by Sanger, just down the road,” Blythe said. “Rock for Life is excited to see what John will do to wake up his New York community for life.” Rock for Life, a project of American Life League, works with hundreds of bands and thousands of pro-life youth who use music as a means to engage, educate and equip our culture to be advocates for life.  LIFE. - not for judgement, not for control, for a better world. American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: American Life League: Rock for Life http://www.rockforlife.org/  
(Katie Walker ) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12602 2010-03-05 12:51:00 Washington, D.C. (05 March 2010) – American Life League’s latest video report, “The CCHD’s Pro-Abortion Friends” details the scandalous relationship between the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) and groups advocating for abortion and same-sex marriage. Though American Life League and the Reform CCHD Now coalition have documented and profiled at least 15 organizations actively promoting abortion and same-sex marriage, and another 31 who are members of the Center for Community Change, the CCHD has yet to address the facts. Among the unanswered charges detailed in the video: CCHD grantee San Francisco Organizing Project (SFOP) was defended by the CCHD and the Archdiocese of San Francisco, even though a January report proved that SFOP helped create and pass abortion-funding health care legislation. Two CCHD executives served as board members (at separate times) for the Center for Community Change from 1996-2008.  The Center for Community Change has a record of pro-abortion and pro-same sex advocacy going back to at least 2004. While the CCHD continued to adamantly deny the charges, the USCCB-sponsored “Social Justice Ministry Gathering” featured several individuals who advocate for abortion and same-sex marriage. “Catholics will be horrified to learn that donations meant to fulfill Christ's call to support our impoverished brothers and sisters are instead supporting groups that agitate for abortion and same-sex marriage,” said Michael Hichborn, host of the ALL Report.  “We are asking bishops around the country to follow the lead of seven of their brothers and suspend collections for the CCHD until a full investigation and overhaul of the organization is conducted.” American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: American Life League: ALL Report: The CCHD's Pro-Abortion Friends (05 March 2010) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTaW60MNb_g Reform CCHD Now: http://reformcchdnow.com/ # # #  
(Katie Walker ) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12598 2010-03-04 10:25:00 Archbishop Wuerl Forced to Close Catholic Foster Care; Cut Employee Benefits Washington, D.C. (04 March 2010) – American Life League president Judie Brown issued the following statement today regarding Archbishop Donald Wuerl’s decision to end Catholic foster care and employee spousal health benefits in the wake of a new same-sex 'marriage' law in Washington D.C. - in effect Wednesday - obligating outside contractors dealing with the city, including the Catholic Church, to recognize homosexual couples. “We extend our deep gratitude and continued prayers for Archbishop Donald Wuerl as he stands against the encroaching attacks on religious liberty and the dignity of marriage and family in our nation’s capital. "Bowing to the special interests of those who would thrust same-sex marriage on a nation that has rejected it, Washington, D.C.’s City Council has despicably attempted to use the city’s most needy children as a means of imposing an ideology contrary to the principles our nation was founded on. "Tragically and predictably, the impoverished, orphaned and often abandoned children of Washington are the ones who will suffer most from the Council’s agenda.  We are reminded of a pertinent quote from the Gospels. 'It were better for him, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones.' – Luke 17:2 "Archbishop Wuerl has refused to allow the children in archdiocesan care to be exploited by a disordered sexual agenda. He refused to have any Catholic archdiocesan institutions acknowledge and fund what natural law has dictated is false – intrinsically disordered homosexual acts. "Archbishop Wuerl has defended the faith and principles that form the bedrock of that which is strongest in our nation’s culture – religious liberty and the dignity and rights of the family." American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Washington Post: Citing same-sex marriage bill, Washington Archdiocese ends foster-care program (17 February 2010) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/16/AR2010021604899.html?hpid=newswell NC Register: Archdiocese of Washington Forced to End Spousal Benefits (04 March 2010) http://www.ncregister.com/register_exclusives/archdiocese_of_washington_forced_to_end_spousal_benefits/ World Magazine: Same-sex marriage in Washington means groups like Catholic Charities have to change their work and policies (03 March 2010) http://www.worldmag.com/webextra/16492    
(Katie Walker) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12592 2010-03-02 14:06:00 Washington, D.C. (02 March 2010) – American Life League welcomed the newest member organization of the ALL Associates program: Right to Life of the Central Coast based in Orcutt, California.   “We’re excited to partner with RTLCC to advance the recognition of all human beings – especially the voiceless preborn,” said Leslie Tignor, national director of the Associates program.   American Life League's Associate Program is a network of pro-life groups dedicated to one simple concept -- absolute commitment to the sacredness of human beings’ lives. RTLCC joins over 100 organizations in 33 states, Canada, Africa and the Philippines.   Since 1995, RTLCC has coordinated pro-life walks, prayer vigils, educational booths at public venues, supplied speakers to local media outlets, and conducted sidewalk counseling in front of the local Planned Parenthood abortion mill.   "Right to Life of the Central Coast is pleased to be associated with American Life League for many reasons," RTLCC director Jan Rush said.  "Not only does ALL provide the best print resources, but also up-to-the-moment information on the pro-life battle that rages in our nation. We believe we will have a greater impact for life in the Santa Maria Valley Area because of this affiliation and the wealth of resources it brings. We are grateful to Judie Brown and ALL for making this possible." American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: American Life League: Associate Program http://all.org/associates/ # # #  
(Katie Walker ) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12591 2010-03-02 12:47:00 Washington, D.C. (02 March 2010) – American Life League applauds Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay, Wisconsin, for prudently withholding contributions to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development pending a review of grantees at the local and national level. “Bishop Ricken and the six other bishops who cut funding for the CCHD provide faithful examples of what it means to be a shepherd,” said Michael Hichborn, American Life League’s lead researcher into CCHD grants.  “Acknowledging that no Catholic can, in good conscience, give money to an organization with a record of funding groups advocating abortion and same-sex marriage, these bishop have made a prudential and courageous decision." Since September of last year, American Life League has reported on 18 CCHD grantees actively promoting abortion and same-sex marriage, and another 31 that are partners with the pro-abortion Center for Community Change. "We also applaud Bishop Ricken’s acknowledgement that the dangerous philosophy of the Gamaliel Foundation makes it unworthy of Catholic funds," said Hichborn. Shortly after announcing that the diocese of Green Bay will not be collecting money for the CCHD, Bishop Ricken released a public letter to two local groups funded by the diocese.  ESTHER and JOSHUA, both affiliates of the Gamaliel Network, were told by Bishop Ricken that, if they do not sever their relationship with Gamaliel, they will lose the diocese's support. In the letter, Bishop Ricken said that the “principles of the Gamaliel Foundation are inconsistent with the tenets of our Catholic Social Teaching,” and “It is not fitting for a Catholic entity to enter into a formal association with another organization when there is such a conflict of principles. American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Catholic News Agency: Wisconsin Diocese Withholding 2010 Funds from CCHD (25 February 2010) http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/wisconsin_diocese_withholding_2010_funds_from_cchd/ # # #
(Katie Walker) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12589 2010-03-01 16:18:00 Washington, D.C. (01 March 2010) – The leader of the country’s largest Catholic pro-life grassroots group is coming to the defense of Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall in the midst of a vicious media smear campaign. Marshall has been under attack in the last week for inaccurate reports from a student-run publication that claimed Marshall said disabled children were “punishments from God” at a press conference called to bring attention to the reasons why the state should defund Planned Parenthood.   That statement, never made by Marshall, was widely reported on and criticized in the media. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell even issued a rebuke in response to the inaccurate reports.   “When a man stands up to the culture of death, it will do all it can to cause him suffering of every kind,” American Life League President Judie Brown said in a commentary Monday. “Because Marshall is one of the nation’s leading experts on the sordid nature of Planned Parenthood’s activity, and because of his faith in God and continual striving for what is good and just, he is maligned by those who believe fiction rather than truth.” The speech in question was given during a press conference that advocated defunding Planned Parenthood. Marshall simply spoke of the undeniable link between abortion and an increased risk of disabilities in the children of mothers who have previously aborted one of their children.   Brown called on supporters to ask Governor McDonnell to issue a public apology to Marshall for perpetuating the fabrication originating from a Virginia Commonwealth University student journalist. American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: American Life League: NY Archbishop on Outspoken Abortion Teaching: I'm Just Doing My Job (16 June 2008) http://all.org/newsroom_judieblog.php?id=2954 Delegate Bob Marshall: Delegate Bob Marshall’s Floor Statement concerning an article by Capital News Service (16 June 2008) http://delegatebob.com/videos/delegate-bob-marshalls-floor-statement-concerning-an-article-by-capital-news-service   # # #
(Katie Walker ) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12580 2010-02-25 11:39:00 Washington, D.C. (25 February 2010) – American Life League President Judie Brown, a three-term member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, joined Venezuelan Christine Vollmer, chairwoman for Alliance for the Family, and four other Academy members in questioning Archbishop Rino Fisichella’s statement as head of the pontifical organization. In March 2009, Archbishop Fisichella published an article that appeared to condone abortion in certain circumstances. The four members of the Pontifical Academy for Life, now joined by Brown, insist that Archbishop Fisichella’s article, and his recent statements to the Academy’s General Assembly, adhering to the contents of that article, have caused widespread confusion about the Church’s position on so-called therapeutic abortion. "Archbishop Fisichella's statements and articles appearing to condone the killing of preborn babies in certain circumstances risk adding to the moral chaos of our confused society,” Brown said. "Archbishop Fisichella has, by his own writing, misrepresented the magisterial teaching of the Catholic Church on the grave question of abortion. By admonishing the Bishop of Recife, Brazil, and extending "compassion" to the Catholic doctors who aborted two preborn babies, the archbishop has perhaps unwittingly played directly into the hands of the anti-Catholic media, distorted the Catholic position and currently refuses to admit his error. We pray he sees this and corrects the false interpretation of Catholic teaching.” When consulted, Vollmer agreed: “Archbishop Fisichella’s introductory speech to the Pontifical Academy for Life General Assembly, claiming that the Doctrine of the Faith 'Clarification' of July 11 agreed with his article is a continuation of his defense of ‘therapeutic abortion’ and the doctor’s right to decide, which is of course unacceptable at a Papal Academy dedicated to the protection of all innocent human life. Many prominent abortion advocates have celebrated this confusion.  As Academicians we want to clear up any confusion that this curial official has sown in the minds of the faithful.” Brown emphasized that, since the archbishop’s original remarks defending the purveyors of abortion, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has reiterated Catholic teaching that abortion is an intrinsically evil act and is never to be permitted.  For more information, see reports by the news agency, Chiesa: “Retractions:The Holy Office Teaches Archbishop Fisichella a Lesson.” American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Chiesa: Retractions. The Holy Office Teaches Archbishop Fisichella a Lesson (10 July 2009) http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1339277?eng=y LifeSiteNews: Pro-Abortion Catholics Defend Vatican Archbishop from Pro-life Critics (22 February 2010) http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10022202.html Washington Post: Companion Drug to Ru-486 Could be Dangerous (17 June 2008) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/22/AR2010022203576.html American Life League: The Vatican Corrects Archbishop Fisichella (13 July 2010) http://www.all.org/newsroom_judieblog.php?id=2679 # # #  
(Katie Walker ) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12574 2010-02-23 15:39:00 Washington, D.C. (23 February 2010) –The following is a statement from American Life League president Judie Brown regarding Delegate Bob Marshall’s recent comments on the increased rate of disabilities in children born to mothers who have had previous abortions. "American Life League salutes Virginia Delegate Robert Marshall.  He is a tireless human rights advocate who has dedicated his entire life to recognizing the personhood of all human beings – including preborn babies and those with disabilities – two groups whose lives are constantly threatened by the abortion lobby. "Bob may have used a poor choice of words at an event to defund Planned Parenthood – the nation’s largest purveyor of abortions - but his remarks have been twisted out of context, a tactic which takes focus off the truth in an effort to brand Marshall as the enemy of the disabled.  "And the truth is clear: there is an undeniable link between abortion and increased risk of disabilities in the children of women who have had abortions. "The link between abortion and preterm birth for future pregnancies has been documented countless times yet seldom reported on. In September 2009, Dr. Prakesh Shah released a meta-analysis in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology using data from 37 published studies. "The Shah meta-analysis found that one induced abortion increases the risk for preterm birth in a subsequent pregnancy by 36 percent. Two or more induced abortions increases that risk by 93 percent. One induced abortion increases the risk of low birth weight by 35 percent, and more than one induced abortion increases that risk to 72 percent. "The Mayo Clinic reports that complications of preterm birth may include: Difficulty breathing Episodes of stopped breathing (apnea) Bleeding in the brain (intracranial hemorrhage) Fluid accumulation in the brain (hydrocephalus) Cerebral palsy and other neurological problems Vision problems Intestinal problems Developmental delays Learning disabilities Hearing problems"We hope that those decrying Delegate Marshall’s statement are as horrified by the effects of abortion as they are by their perception of the words Delegate Marshall used to describe them. Abortion has major, undeniable consequences – one of which is the danger it poses to the future brothers and sisters of children killed by abortion." American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942.   FOR MORE INFORMATION: Delegate Bob Marshall: Statement on Recent News story by Capital News Service (22 February 2010) http://delegatebob.com/news/statement-on-recent-news-story-by-capital-news-service BJOG: Induced termination of pregnancy and low birthweight and preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analyses (16 September 2009) http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122591273/abstract Mayo Clinic: Premature Birth Complications http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/premature-birth/DS00137/DSECTION=complications   # # #  
(Katie Walker ) http://www.all.org/article.php?id=12571 2010-02-22 16:45:00 Washington, D.C. (22 February 2010) – American Life League’s newest Associate, the Corpus Christi Pro-Life Group, is located only two dozen miles from the “Abortion Capital of the United States” – a grisly nickname for New York City. Based out of Rye Brook, New York, CCPLG exists to educate the community about personhood and human dignity. “We’re excited and proud to partner with CCPLG,” said Leslie Tignor, director of American Life League’s Associates project. “From their post near the ‘abortion capital,’ we plan to unite our efforts to end abortion, defeat Planned Parenthood and recognize the personhood of every human being.” CCPLG activates the Catholic community through monthly meetings, pro-life Masses and activities designed to open hearts and minds to the reality of abortion. CCPLG also established a Cenacles of Life chapter which meets regularly to pray and fast to end the culture of death. The group works with the local school district to keep Planned Parenthood out of the classroom. They have been successful in limiting the scope of school-based health clinics which were originally intended to provide contraception and abortion counseling. CCPLG joins other American Life League Associates in the United States, Canada and the Philippines united in their mission to uncompromisingly promote and defend the personhood of every human being from the biological beginning of development. American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to natural death.  For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. FOR MORE INFORMATION: American Life League: Associate Program http://all.org/associates/ Cenacles of Life: http://www.cenaclesoflife.org/ # # #
(Katie Walker)