In This Issue:
- PRI in the Media
- Reinvigorating the Pro-Life Fight
- Facebook’s Fact-Checking Damage
- Sinicization Continues
- Extremism in Action
- Mr. Mosher Joins Catholic League Board
- Deepening Depopulation
- Danish Population Control
- Incoming Depopulation
- A New Demographic Reality
- Supporting Large Families
- Communist China
- Dubious Progress
- Pro-Life Around the World
- Radicals in Austria
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- Protect the Survivors
- A Billion for Abortion
- Misuse of EMTALA
- Virginia Embraces Abortion
- Good News
- Pray for the Preborn
PRI in the Media
Reinvigorating the Pro-Life Fight: Carlos Polo, Director of PRI’s Latin American office, wrote our latest op-ed on how Donald Trump’s victory has breathed new life into the pro-life fight. Leaders in Peru, Colombia, El Salvador, and Argentina have expressed enthusiasm for Trump’s return, and the forthcoming return of pro-life policies, including the Mexico City Policy. In Mr. Polo’s own words, “A new chapter for the pro-life movement both in the U.S. and globally is about to be written. And leaders throughout Latin America can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Facebook’s Fact-Checking Damage: When Margi Conklin heard that Mark Zuckerberg had shut down Facebook’s fact-checking department, her first thought was: Too little, too late. In February 2020, Conklin was the Sunday editor of the New York Post and she published a piece by PRI President Steven Mosher on the origins of the COVID-19 virus. Despite the popularity of the theory and its likelihood, the piece was quickly flagged as “false information” by Facebook’s fact-checking team. It took years before Mr. Mosher and Ms. Conklin were vindicated as other media outlets admitted the true origins of COVID-19.
Sinicization Continues: The Chinese government has mandated that all Christians and Catholics in China study President Xi’s thoughts on “Socialism” as part of a broader effort to enforce stricter religious governance. In a “Christmas Greeting Letter” sent on Dec. 23rd, the State Administration for Religious Affairs outlined its 2025 plans for religion, emphasizing the continued push for “sinicization.” This announcement follows the renewal of the secretive Sino-Vatican deal, which has strengthened ties between the Vatican and the CCPA, despite the Chinese government’s ongoing persecution of religious groups.
“All bishops who refuse to join the Catholic Patriotic Association are being placed under house arrest, or disappeared, by the CCP,” Mr. Mosher shared with LifeSiteNews last year. “Although the Vatican said several years ago that the Sino-Vatican agreement does not require anyone to join this schismatic organization, refusal to do so results in persecution and punishment. And the Vatican stands by and does nothing.”
Extremism in Action: Under leftist Governor Tim Walz, Minnesota saw a significant increase in abortions. In the past year, 16% more babies were killed through abortion. The Minnesota Department of Health reported 14,124 abortions, which is a 20-year high for the state. This is also the first year that the state no longer tracked how many babies are born alive during abortions, following a law signed by Governor Walz. Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life responded to the data, pointing out that these are the “real-life consequences” of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s “extremism.” Walz has been a staunch supporter of abortion for decades, even going so far as to claim China’s one-child policy was needed because “the Chinese population was so large.” He also claimed the only punishment for violating the policy was a tax on the family, which is incorrect.
“In fact, throughout the time that Walz was making repeated visits to China, women were being hunted down for the ‘crime’ of being pregnant without permission and were being taken by force to abortion centers,” Mr. Mosher shared with LifeSiteNews. “I know. I was there.”
Mr. Mosher Joins Catholic League Board: We are thrilled to announce that Mr. Mosher has been appointed to the Catholic League’s prestigious board of advisors. The Catholic League is the largest Catholic civil rights organization in the United States, dedicated to defending religious and civil liberties. Founded in 1973, the Catholic League plays a vital role in advocating for Catholic values in public life and countering anti-Catholic discrimination, making this collaboration especially meaningful for PRI as a Catholic pro-life organization.
Deepening Depopulation
Danish Population Control: Greenland has been a hot topic since President-Elect Donald Trump set his sights on the country. But did you know that Greenland is in the midst of a profound human rights dispute with the Danish government over coercive population control? In recent years, it has been revealed that the Danish government implemented a controversial program in the 1960s and 1970s that involved forcing many Inuit women in Greenland, as much as half the population of 9,000 women of childbearing age, to undergo abortions followed by the insertion of Lippes Loop intrauterine devices (IUDs). In 2022, the Danish government agreed to conduct an investigation, set to conclude in 2025. In March 2023, 143 Inuit women filed a lawsuit against Denmark for the harm caused by this program, seeking compensation.
Incoming Depopulation: According to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), deaths will outpace births in about eight years in the United States. This estimation is seven years sooner than the estimation released by the CBO just last year. At that time, in January 2024, the CBO projected deaths to outpace births by 2040. The overall growth rate is expected to slow significantly, from 0.9 percent annually over the past five decades to just 0.2 percent over the next 30 years. Specifically, from 2025 to 2035, growth is projected at 0.4 percent per year, and from 2036 to 2055, it will slow further to 0.1 percent. This decline is attributed to factors such as lower fertility rates, an aging population, and reduced immigration.
“Unless we raise the American birth rate, America will soon fall into the same death spiral that Europe, China, and Japan are already in,” says Mr. Mosher. “Our current birth rate is not only too low to sustain economic growth, it is also too low to sustain social security, which will be bankrupt in less than a decade.”
A New Demographic Reality: The McKinsey Global Institute has released a new report on how falling fertility and longer lifespans are creating a new demographic reality for the future. Falling fertility rates around the world are propelling major economies toward population collapse in this century. As the number of older individuals grows and the younger population shrinks, the global workforce and consumer base will also age. Most countries will need to adapt their income and retirement systems, as they are becoming increasingly unsustainable with aging populations. As the McKinsey Global Institute points out, this is “uncharted waters.”
Supporting Large Families: At Pope Francis’ request, the Vatican will now provide a monthly bonus of 300 euros (about $309) to families with three or more children who are employed by the Vatican City State, in response to his concerns about low fertility rates. The bonus will be given until the child turns 18, or 24 if enrolled in university. Additionally, Francis has extended the city-state’s paid parental leave for new fathers from three to five days, effective January 1. The measures reflect the pope’s personal initiative to support large families and promote fertility.
Communist China
Dubious Progress: Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s chief diplomat, has continued to praise the controversial Sino-Vatican deal. He stated that despite challenges, it is “moving in the right direction” and yielding positive results. Parolin, a key architect of the 2018 agreement between the Holy See and China regarding the appointment of bishops, continues to claim that the Holy See “deemed this agreement to be the most effective solution to begin a dialogue with one of the key issues on the table.” According to Parolin, the agreement is “progressing slowly” toward its goals, which are “ensuring that all bishops are in communion with the Pope” and “to foster unity within the Church.”
Pro-Life Around the World
Radicals in Austria: Leaked documents have revealed that left-wing political parties in Austria, including the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the Liberal Party (NEOS), sought to legalize abortion and create “buffer zones” around abortion clinics during failed coalition negotiations. The SPÖ pushed for unrestricted access to abortion and contraception, advocating for the complete legalization of abortion without gestational limits, potentially allowing it up until birth. While abortion remains illegal in Austria, women and doctors are exempt from prosecution if the abortion occurs within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Additionally, the SPÖ called for the creation of buffer zones around abortion facilities, similar to those in the UK.
Pro-Life on the Home Front
Protect the Survivors: Senate Majority Leader John Thune recently announced that the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act will be brought to the Senate floor for a vote. If passed, the bill would put in place protections for babies born alive after an attempted abortion and guarantee medical care. Thune emphasized that this vote will force Democrats to choose whether such babies should be provided medical care or left to die, a question with a clear answer. Democrats have historically opposed such protections, and Thune has accurately criticized them for prioritizing abortion rights over saving newborn lives.
A Billion for Abortion: During his presidency, Joe Biden allocated over $1.23 billion of American taxpayer money to pro-abortion groups, according to an analysis by Restoration of America. The largest recipient was Pathfinder International, which received $145 million for its work on “family planning” and promoting gender norms, while lobbying against restrictions like the Hyde Amendment. Other significant recipients included Essential Access Health ($88 million), Population Services International ($91 million), Family Health International ($97 million), and Engenderhealth ($79 million). Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the U.S., received $46 million, though this amount excludes the substantial federal and state reimbursements it receives for its health services.
Misuse of EMTALA: A group of Catholic physicians and healthcare providers, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Biden administration. The lawsuit challenges a mandate that uses the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) to compel emergency room doctors to refer for and perform abortions. The plaintiffs, including the Catholic Medical Association, argue that the mandate violates their conscience rights and exceeds executive authority.
Virginia Embraces Abortion: In a contentious vote, the Virginia House of Delegates advanced a measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution. The Democratic majority voted 51-48 in favor of removing nearly all abortion restrictions. The legislation prohibits the government from interfering with a woman’s pregnancy decisions and shields abortion providers and those assisting women from prosecution, before the third trimester. While the bill allows for regulation during and after the third trimester, it ensures abortions can still occur to protect the mother’s health or when the baby is not viable. This new measure will not only increase the loss of life to abortion but also undermine parental rights, allowing minors to obtain abortions without parental consent.
Good News
Pray for the Preborn: One week from today, thousands of people will be gathering in Washington D.C. for a variety of pro-life events, including the March for Life. This year is the 30th anniversary of the National Memorial for the Pre-Born and Their Mothers and Fathers. This memorial, put together by Priests for Life and the National Pro-Life Religious Council, will be held the morning of January 24th before the March for Life. It will start with a Catholic Mass and end with a meet and greet with pro-life leaders. Population Research Institute is a proud sponsor of this memorial and we encourage you to go, pray, and represent the pro-life movement.
Quote of the Week
“It takes a lot of work to convince people that every single human child, every unborn child, has a value that is too profound and precious to ignore. But we have every reason to be optimistic, my friends, that we can change public opinion.”
~ Speaker Mike Johnson, source
