April 25, 2025
April 25, 2025
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.
Last Monday, the Catholic Church lost its leader, Pope Francis. While aspects of Francis’ pontificate were controversial, the Pope was, nevertheless, a consistent and outspoken defender of life and the preborn. He strongly condemned abortion on numerous occasions. Please read our statement about his passing.
The leaders of the main Federal parties facing off in this election have released their election platforms. The Carney Liberals have pledged to expand and increase access to abortion through a “permanent” fund. The Conservatives under Poilievre have vowed to allow the killing of preborn children to continue, stating that “no laws, rules or regulations passed restricting abortion.” Shamefully, both partyleaders have abandoned the preborn.
Don't forget to vote pro-life on Monday. Check out voteprolife.ca to find the pro-life candidate in your area.
Our president emeritus, Jim Hughes, has been recovering after a stroke. We give thanks to God that he survived. Please keep him in your prayers as he continues to focus on recovering his health. You can send him an email to clc@campaignlifecoalition.com, which we will pass on for him to read.
How about some good news? A Canadian judge has ordered a pro-abortion vandal to pay $397 to Campaign Life Coalition’s Atlantic Coordinator, Ruth Robert, for destroying pro-life signs. I’m glad to see some justice done for the pro-life movement. It’s a small but significant victory!
Linda Slobodian has penned a sobering reflection in Western Standard about how pro-life advocates — like you and me — will not have a meaningful voice in Parliament, no matter which of the mainstream parties wins the election. Even if leaders of the main federal parties are shutting out the pro-life issue, we must never abandon the preborn. We need to clamour all the louder for protection at conception for every preborn child.
Political pundits maintain that the life issue is a losing issue. We need to prove them wrong and make the life issue the defining issue of future elections. We’re not going to see the change that justice demands for the preborn until the pro-life voice drowns out every other voice. The Canadian pro-life movement is over three million strong. We have the numbers to make this happen. Let’s make it happen!
Don’t miss the must-see video of the week in which EWTN interviews my colleagues Matt Wojciechowski and Maeve Gainey about what’s really at stake in this election.
And check out my reflection at the end about William McGrattan, the head of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, weighing in on the matter of Mark Carney, who presents himself as Catholic, receiving Holy Communion. It’s encouraging.
Have you ever donated to help cover the cost of producing the News Bits? If you haven’t, now is a good time. Your donation this week will help cover the cost of some new equipment, allowing me to continue my work. Thanks for your generosity!
Top Canadian pro-life stories you need to know about
Campaign Life Coalition: On the Passing of Pope Francis
“Pope Francis’ commitment to the preborn, the vulnerable, and the marginalized will be remembered as one of the defining aspects of his papacy. Even amid theological and pastoral disputes, his voice remained firm in defending the fundamental right to life.”
Pro-life Canadian Man: Liberals pledge to provide ‘permanent’ funding to kill preborn Canadian children
“The Liberal Party has become a death machine that champions the destruction of the weakest and most vulnerable among us—the preborn child.”
LifeSiteNews: Pierre Poilievre’s election platform pledges to uphold abortion until birth in Canada
“Pierre Poilievre's newly released Conservative platform pledges to uphold the status quo on abortion, allowing the killing of the unborn for any reason until the moment of birth.”
Campaign Life Coalition X: Canadian judge orders vandal to pay restitution for destroying pro-life signs
“This sends a clear message that this kind of behaviour will no longer be tolerated. I’m hoping that this decision will help to facilitate a more peaceful dialogue in the future with those who disagree with our message.”
LifeSiteNews: Canadian pro-life leader Jim Hughes in recovery following stroke
“Please pray for former Campaign Life Coalition leader and LifeSiteNews board member Jim Hughes, who suffered a stroke last month.”
“The website, linked to a group called the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform, says ‘abortion is a human rights violation.’”
Comment: Of course, it is not a crime. Truth can never be a real crime.
ARPA: New Down Syndrome Information Law Introduced in Nova Scotia
“Bill 56 would require the Minister of Health and Wellness to ensure that up-to-date, evidence-based information on Down syndrome is available to members of the public.”
Western Standard: Pro-life conservatives abandoned by all federal parties
“No matter what the outcome of the federal election is, those who fight to give a voice to the unprotected unborn will not be represented by a meaningful voice in Parliament.”
Canadian Press: Conservative government won't change medical assistance in dying laws
“Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says if his party forms government it will keep Canada's medical assistance in dying regime intact, but won't expand it to include advanced directives.”
Real Women of Canada: The Frightening Secret About Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)
“Advocates for MAiD also claim that the procedure provides a beautiful, serene death without complications. This is not factually correct.”
Campaign Life Coalition: Pride flag battle is heating up in Waterloo Catholic
“On April 14th, dozens of Catholic ratepayers and other concerned stakeholders joined us to rally in support of a motion by Trustee Conrad Stanley, that, if passed, would ban all political symbols in Catholic schools, including the LGBT Pride flag. But the battle is still heating up!”
SaskToday: Moose Jaw’s pro-life group celebrates 50 years of helping moms and babies
“Our fight for the lives of the unborn and now, too, the lives of the elderly and disabled, is greater than ever.”
Live Action: Because another brave woman shared her story, Tallie sought healing from her abortion
“As I began to get ready to go, I felt like God spoke to my heart. Out of nowhere, God told me to disclose my abortion to Adriana at this conference. I didn’t know her well but felt I needed to talk to her.”
Live Action: Coffee shop owner with Down syndrome employs others with special needs
“Nektario Tsinonis hasn’t let Down syndrome stop him from accomplishing his dreams. The Maryland native is now CEO of his very own coffee shop, and he’s building his business by employing others with special needs.”
Campaign Life Coalition
Pro-life Canadian Man
Anna Lulis
"As voters prepare for the federal election, Canadian Catholics raise awareness about important issues that aren’t being discussed by the major political parties."
Maureen, I was glad to see the head of Canadian Catholic Bishops clearly state that “responsibility” lies with the local bishop to deny Prime Minister Mark Carney Holy Communion.
Bishop William McGrattan, President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, has come out in support of denying Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians in the context of a reporter's question about the Prime Minister presenting himself as faithfully Catholic while championing the killing of preborn humans by abortion.
“I would say that someone who is in politics and claims to be living according to their faith and making such statements, we see the disconnect, and this is unfortunate with many of our politicians,” said Bishop McGrattan in an interview aired on EWTN on April 11.
When asked by the reporter if the Canadian bishops are considering denying Carney Holy Communion if he continues his support for abortion, Bishop McGrattan replied that any such decision would come from Carney’s local bishop, who, in this case, is Marcel Damphousse, Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall.
“I think that those pastoral decisions would have to be made by the local bishop,” he said. “Those are decisions, obviously, that affect the life of the local church and therefore, you know, if it is in [regard to] a very challenging, scandalous position, I think, then, that is the responsibility of the bishop, in a pastoral way, to confront and to challenge various politicians in that way.”
CLC broke the news earlier this month that Carney was filmed in St. Monica Parish near Ottawa receiving Holy Communion during the April 6 Sunday Mass. I called it a “sacrilege.”
Exactly two weeks before this, on March 23, Carney publicly declared his “unreserved” support for abortion, stating that he “absolutely supports a woman’s right to choose” and will defend it “proudly and consistently.”
Canon 915 of the Church’s Code of Canon Law instructs that those “obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”
Bravo to Bishop McGrattan for responding courageously with Catholic teaching to this scandalous situation. The Catholic Church is 100 percent pro-life and witnesses to the sanctity of every human life when it boldly lives out its pro-life mandate.
Let’s hope we see some movement on this from the local bishop now.
Be bold and daring for life!
Pete Baklinski
Director of Communications
Campaign Life Coalition
Follow Pete on X: @petebaklinski