News, 1 May 2007

A statement from the Archdiocese of Mexico City has called on doctors and other healthcare workers to exercise their right to conscientious objection to abortion. It warns that those who provide abortions under the city's new permissive abortion law could face excommunication, and so could politicians who voted for the law. The mayor insists that Catholic doctors will not be exempt from the requirement to do abortions. Cardinal Rivera has already challenged the law and has promised to continue the fight against legalized abortion. [CWNews on EWTN, 30 April] and [CNA on EWTN, 30 April]

Figures for 2005 show that Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the US, performed more than 250,000 abortions and supplied more than 1.2 million 'emergency contraception' kits, both increased from the 2004 figures. The figures are reported by Life Decision International, whose president, Mr Douglas Scott, pointed out that "Planned Parenthood claims to prevent the 'need' for abortion while simultaneously working to increase its share of the lucrative abortion market." [CWNews on EWTN, 30 April]

According to a report in the Times of Malta, the licence granted by the Netherlands to the Women on Waves abortion ship requires that abortion activity be carried out only if there is a cooperation-agreement with a hospital in the country off whose shores the facility is operating. Mr Paul Vincenti of Gift of Life said that any country where abortion was illegal could make it difficult for the abortion ship to operate. The Malta home affairs ministry has said it would respond in strict accordance with Maltese law if the ship tried to sail into Malta's waters. [LifeSite, 30 April]

A Los Angeles man has been convicted of the murder of an unborn girl of six and a half months' gestation. Chester Turner was also convicted of the murder of the child's mother and nine other women. The murders were committed between 1987 and 1998. Another of the murdered women was also pregnant but her child of five and a half months' gestation was not included as a victim under the law at the time. Mr Turner is already serving a sentence for rape. [Evening Echo, 1 May]

The Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, Evening Telegraph carried a picture and report of the SPUC Prolife Chain held in the city last weekend to mark the 40th anniversary of the legalisation of abortion. [Evening Telegraph, 30 April] It was one of more than 50 such demonstrations held throughout the UK last month, and another is to be held in Northampton this month. [SPUC, 30 April]


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