March 23, 2024
Dear Maureen, I’m Pete Baklinski and this is your Canadian Pro-Life News Bits where I let you know what’s happening on our country’s pro-life and pro-family front.
Manitoba’s Bill 8, which will create buffer zones around the province’s abortion mills, advanced to second reading on Wednesday. My colleague David Cooke has penned an important piece about what pro-life advocates in Manitoba can do to oppose this bill.
A number of CLC staff attended the UN's recent Commission on the Status of Women session. They shone a light in the darkness by bringing in the pro-life message. You can read a few reports about how it was received.
Our sister organization Quebec Life Coalition has penned an important piece comparing the federal parties when it comes to life issues. With Pierre Poilievre trying to force an early election, this is a valuable resource.
Nova Scotia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons is trying to force doctors into making “effective referrals” for morally problematic procedures, such as euthanasia, abortion, and transgender services, the upstanding doctors refuse to participate in. But, the college is receiving pushback.
You may notice the news bits are now being organized according to topic. I hope this helps you find the stories you are most interested in.
Finally, I’d like to thank those who have contributed Lenten alms for the continuation of CLC’s pro-life work. We are now about to enter the most holy season of the year. If you have yet to engage in charitable giving this lent, please consider making a donation to CLC by clicking the button below. We depend on you for your support. Thank you in advance!
Top Canadian pro-life stories you need to know about
Abortion
Campaign Life Coalition: How to stop Manitoba’s proposed abortion mill ‘bubble zone’ law
“This censorship bill is the stuff of dystopian science fiction and totalitarian regimes.”
Campaign Life Coalition Youth: Confronting MLA Nahanni Fontaine: Part 2
“Manitoban MLA Nahanni Fontaine ended up hearing from not just one ‘anti-choicer’ at the UN's Commission on the Status of Women, but three of us from Campaign Life Coalition.”
Campaign Life Coalition Youth: How CLC defended life at the UN Commission on the Status of Women
“I think the Campaign Life Coalition team did a terrific job bringing this pushback right into the belly of the beast—not out of any opposition to human rights, but rather in defense of them.”
National Review: Canadian study showing lower mortality rate for pregnant teens who aborted has flaws
“Interestingly, the study purportedly finds that pregnant Canadian teens who obtained abortions had lower mortality rates than pregnant Canadian teens who carried pregnancies to term. However, I would recommend interpreting this finding with caution. This is for several reasons.”
LifeSiteNews: Campaign Life Coalition slams Trudeau’s pharmacare bill providing ‘universal access to contraceptives’
“New federal legislation being promoted by many politicians that will allow for “universal access to contraceptives,” including the “morning after pill,” exposes the “profound” reality of Canada’s “anti-life and anti-child mentality,” observed one of the country’s top pro-life advocates.”
Quebec Life Coalition: Comparison of federal political parties when it comes to the pro-life issue
“With a federal election looming in 2024 or 2025, all political parties are having contests to determine who their candidates will be. Considering this, I thought it useful for me to share a simple analysis of our federal parties from a pro-life perspective.”
Euthanasia
Catholic Register: Montreal Archdiocese tells court it’s being asked to ‘assist in…murder’
“The Archdiocese of Montreal argues in a court filing it is being obliged to ‘assist in what constitutes ‘“murder’” ” by being denied a temporary exemption to keep MAiD out of a local palliative care centre.”
Catholic Register: Conscience rights’ battle rages in Nova Scotia
“Christian physicians in Nova Scotia have taken up the fight against the province’s College of Physicians and Surgeons over a policy that would force physicians to refer patients for euthanasia, abortion and transgender services.”
Gender Ideology
Campaign Life Coalition: Will Trudeau Follow the Science?
“Just this past week, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) announced an official policy change in the medical treatment of children experiencing gender incongruence or gender dysphoria. The use of puberty-blocking drugs is now forbidden for children under age 16 in England.”
Campaign Life Coalition Youth: Experts shine light on gender ideology at CSW side event
“The speakers raised concerns about the distortion of biological realities and the potential harms of gender-affirming care practices.”
LifeSiteNews: Danielle Smith doubles down on decision to ban ‘puberty blockers,’ citing UK’s move
“Alberta Premier Danielle Smith doubles down on her ban of puberty blockers for children, citing international evidence.”
Inspiring stories to give you hope
Life News: Pro-Life Advocates Save 16 Babies From Abortion at Controversial Abortion Biz
“Moms who were determined to subject themselves to the murder-for-hire abortionists, while also putting their own lives at risk, reversed course and walked away. They decided to take the route of life and hope instead.”
Pregnancy Help News: Happy World Down Syndrome Day 2024: Finding the meaning of life and meaning in life
“There is nothing ‘down about a Down syndrome diagnosis. We are uplifted and inspired every single day by the way God created those with Trisomy 21 to live their lives. It is truly possible to view a Down syndrome diagnosis as a blessing for a special few as a response to the world’s narrative on the contrary.”
Pregnancy Help News: Sarah’s story of Abortion Pill Reversal
“I'm beyond grateful for the women at the Abortion Pill Rescue Network who loved, cared for, and supported me.”
Awesome pro-life social media posts this week
Abby Johnson
Kristan Hawkins
March for Life
Must-see video of the week
Confronting Canada at the UN: Abortion is Genocide: "Maria Black, one of the delegates representing CLC Youth at the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, attended a UN side event on “Indigenous Women’s Voices on the Barriers and Opportunities towards their Inclusive Socio-Economic Development.” She asked about the funding the Canadian government has specifically directed towards improving Indigenous communities' access to "sexual and reproductive health services” (i.e. abortion). Manitoban MLA Nahanni Fontaine responded."
Take Action
If you live in Manitoba, please use our online Action Alert Email platform to send a message to your MLA telling them to vote NO on the abortion buffer zone Bill 8. Click here.
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Maureen, I’ve been spending a lot of time researching contraception and how harmful it is to women and how it damages the marital relationship. Of course, I’m doing this because of the Liberal/NDP coalition wanting to bring universal contraception into our country.
I reread what St. Mother Teresa once said on this topic. She was extremely against couples using contraception. Why? Because, she said, it made them selfish and self-centred. It destroyed their love. Here is what she said:
“In destroying the power of giving life, of loving, through contraception, a husband or wife is doing something to self. This turns the attention to self, and so it destroys the gifts of love in him and her. In loving, the husband and wife must turn the attention to each other, as happen[s] in Natural Family Planning, and not to self, as happens in contraception."
"Once that living love is destroyed by contraception, abortion follows very easily. That's why I never give a child to a family that has used contraception – because if the mother has destroyed the power of loving, how will she love my child?”
Her insight here is so profound. Mother Teresa would never allow a contracepting couple to adopt one of her orphans because contraception strangled love in their hearts. She saw the spiritual reality that contraception is corrosive to true love, and it can lead to a mentality that finds abortion acceptable.
Women deserve better than contraception. Marriages are already under enough attack without further being undermined by this poisonous influence that is antithetical to true love.
In my opinion, contraception has contributed more than anything else to the breakdown of marriage and the family. I for one, want to see contraception banned one day in our country.
When a couple needs to regulate the number of births in their family, there’s the good old-fashioned way called abstinence. It’s free. It’s healthy. It works 100% of the time. And, it requires self-mastery, demanding that the couple grow in true love for one another.
Be bold and daring for life!
Pete Baklinski
Director of Communications
Campaign Life Coalition
Follow Pete on X: @petebaklinski