October 18, 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.
It’s good to be back after taking a much-needed break to visit dear family down south, where we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving in America with all the trimmings.
I’ll start with the good news. My colleague Josie has written an excellent article highlighting the huge success of this year’s Life Chain. It was a record-breaking event that added one hundred more locations than in 2020. In a big surprise, the Canadian Life Chain inspired a Life Chain to start up in Togo, Africa. You can read all about it in her report.
My colleague Jack has also penned some good news about the Toronto Catholic District School Board quietly lifting the ban that prevented students from attending our signature event – the annual National March for Life. Hooray!
The bad news is rather alarming regarding the Liberal’s anti-life war on women. Last week, the Senate passed the Pharmacare bill that provides “free,” that is taxpayer-funded, contraception and the abortifacient Plan B to Canadian women.
Amanda Achtman from the Canadian Physicians for Life has penned a must-read piece about her experience visiting three Nazi-era euthanasia centres in Germany. She sees horrifying parallels between what the Nazis did and what’s happening here in Canada with MAiD.
Please don't miss reading in the "inspiring stories" section the story about a woman who Linda Gibbons helped 30 years ago to choose life for her baby. This woman is now showing up in court to support Linda while on trial. Because of Linda, this woman now has a 30-year-old daughter and two grandchildren.
Finally, don’t miss my reflection about the Liberal’s insane move of making contraception free for women.
Top Canadian pro-life stories you need to know about
Pro-life | Abortion
Campaign Life Coalition: Life Chain: Now in 350 locations across Canada
“The 2024 Life Chain was an outstanding success. We met our goal of bringing this pro-life witness to 350 locations across Canada.”
Campaign Life Coalition: Humble warrior delivers pro-life win
“Trustee Del Grande had successfully passed an amendment to lift the ban on sending students and chaplains to the March For Life.”
NewsTarget: Canada passes controversial bill providing FREE contraception and abortion pills to all
“A Canadian bill that would allow ‘free’ access to contraceptives, including abortifacients, has passed the Senate without any changes.”
LifeSiteNews: Trudeau touts new Canadian gov’t website providing easy access to abortion
“Prime Minister Justin Trudeau boasted on social media about his government’s new online abortion portal, essentially admitting that the goal of the new website is to help women make ending the life of their unborn child a ‘simple’ thing to do.”
Western Standard: Saskatoon bar cancels pro-life group’s event because of views
“RightNow said Three Hall Public House in Saskatoon cancelled its booking for its pro-life pub event because of its views.”
We Need a Law: Massive pink flag display on International Day of the Girl
“These little markers have become a symbol for the precious lives lost to abortion in Canada. Today, we planted 50,000 pink flags in Central Park in Burlington, Ontario to bring attention to the issue of sex-selective abortion.”
Run with Life: Quebec has more late-term born-alive abortions than the rest of Canada
“Abort late-term baby. Abortion fails. Baby is born-alive. Don't give it palliative care. This is just plain evil.”
The Catholic Register: Know the truth of live birth abortions
“Babies born alive after an abortion in the second trimester, the authors assert, is ‘common.’”
City News Everywhere: B.C.’s Rustad promises 2 rounds of IVF funding in latest campaign announcement
“The BC Conservatives say, if elected, they promise to fund the first and second rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments for those trying to have a child.”
CLC comment: IVF is evil for various reasons. It tries to solve the problem of infertility by immoral means. The children created in this way, however, are in no way evil, just as a child conceived in adultery, fornication, or rape is not evil. Children conceived by evil means are an example of how God can work all things, including evil acts, for good. For those uncertain about the evil of IVF, please watch Choice42's new video Build-a-Baby.
LifeSiteNews: Canadian pro-life blogger reports the facts about abortion that mainstream journalists avoid
“Pat Maloney says reporting the number of babies born alive after an abortion is the most shocking information she has found during her records searches.”
End of Life | Euthanasia
Public Discourse: Euthanasia in the Castle: Inside Europe’s Museums of Nazi Medical Crimes
“Today we might instinctively look at Nazi criteria for death as utterly baseless, but at the time seasoned medical professionals regarded them as reasonable. To have a sense of history is to grasp the arbitrariness of such criteria. When it comes to killing patients, there is no way to get the criteria just right because the stamp of medical approval sends a social message that there is a category of persons who should not exist.”
Catholic Register – Charlie Lewis: Euthanasia empties life of its meaning
“I believe an unintended consequence of legalized killing is it makes Canadians more fearful of illness, pain and death. It has robbed many of their inner strength and their will to live. Euthanasia has snuffed out what could have been joyful times with spouses, children and grandchildren and friends.”
LifeSiteNews: Canadian woman shares ‘appalling’ story of care center pushing euthanasia on her father
“A Canadian Catholic woman shared her frustration with how her father’s new care home ‘pushed’ residents to consider euthanasia as an option to end the life of their loved ones.”
Inspiring stories to give you hope
Campaign Life Coalition: Jailed pro-life grandmother Linda Gibbons helped me choose life. Today, I'm supporting her in court
“Linda was like an angel beside me.”
LifeSiteNews: 40,000 participate in Slovakia’s fourth National March for Life
“40,000 people participated in the National March for Life on a late September Sunday. The event called for the protection of every human life, including unborn children.”
LifeNews: Pro-Life NFL Player Harrison Butker Celebrates Birth of His Third Child
“Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker recently announced the birth of his third child while discussing his controversial remarks from his Benedictine College commencement address.”
Awesome pro-life social media posts this week
Campaign Life Coalition
Kevin Sorbo