In This Issue:
- PRI in the Media
- Trump Must End Iran War
- FDA Must Act on Abortion Pills
- Deepening Depopulation
- Marriage Ministry Succeeds
- War Devastates Ukraine’s Population
- Communist China
- Macau’s Birth Rate Continues to Collapse
- UN Misdeeds
- Vatican Opposes UN Euthanasia Push
- Science Gone Mad
- IVF Births Reach Record High in Japan
- Pro-Life Around the World
- Pope Leo Defends Life in Uruguay
- French Bishops Stand Against Euthanasia
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- Massachusetts Legalizes Abortion Until Birth
- Texas Democrats Target Pro-Life Laws
- Pro-Life Protections Under Threat
- Good News
- Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers Win in Court
PRI in the Media
Trump Must End Iran War: Recently, PRI President Steven Mosher published an article in LifeSiteNews examining the Republican Party’s losses in the midterm elections. Mr. Mosher argued that frustration over the war in Iran, rising living costs, and President Trump’s unfulfilled promise of “no new wars” drove voters toward the Democrats. Echoing Vice President JD Vance, Mr. Mosher urged President Trump to end the war, prioritize Americans’ economic concerns, and return to an America First agenda.
FDA Must Act on Abortion Pills: Recently, Mr. Mosher and Research Analyst Samantha Lejeune published their article in LifeSiteNews urging the FDA to review its decision allowing abortion pills to be distributed by mail. Citing a new peer-reviewed study, they argued that the Biden administration removed critical safeguards without sufficient evidence of safety. They warned that the lack of ultrasounds and in-person examinations puts women at risk and called for the immediate restoration of these protections.
Deepening Depopulation
Marriage Ministry Succeeds: A marriage initiative in the Archdiocese of Kansas City is revitalizing Catholic families and parishes. At Sacred Heart Parish, nine couples reported their marriages were saved. Across participating parishes, Mass attendance increased 23%, while 66% of participants previously at high risk of divorce no longer expected to divorce. The program aims to restore strong marriages and healthy Catholic families.
“One of the chief reasons that birth rates are down is simply because marriage rates are down,” says Mr Mosher. “Not only are younger people waiting longer to get married, but fewer and fewer are getting married at all. The Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas, is leading the way in strengthening marriages through Communio. This will encourage young couples to marry as well.”
War Devastates Ukraine’s Population: The war in Ukraine is devastating the country’s population, as plummeting birth rates threaten its future. Fertility has fallen to just 0.8–0.9 children per woman, while deaths outnumber births by more than three to one. With over 5 million Ukrainians living abroad, the country’s population could shrink to just 25 million by 2040, threatening its economic recovery and future generations.
Communist China
Macau’s Birth Rate Continues to Collapse: Macau lawmakers are calling for greater financial support for families as the city faces a worsening demographic crisis. Just 2,037 babies were born in the first nine months of 2026, a 4.4% decline from last year. With fertility at just 0.95 children per woman in 2024, lawmakers are proposing increased childbirth subsidies, flexible working hours, and extended parental leave to encourage larger families.
UN Misdeeds
Vatican Opposes UN Euthanasia Push: The Holy See challenged a UN working group drafting a new treaty on the rights of the elderly, warning against recognizing euthanasia and assisted suicide as human rights. A Vatican representative insisted that the treaty must protect the elderly’s right to life until natural death. While other delegates promoted so-called “death with dignity,” the Vatican emphasized palliative care, the inherent dignity of every human person, and support for families caring for the elderly.
Science Gone Mad
IVF Births Reach Record High in Japan: Japan recorded a staggering 86,473 babies born through IVF in 2024, accounting for one in every eight births nationwide. More than 550,000 IVF treatment cycles were performed, with the vast majority of successful births involving frozen embryos. Japan expanded public insurance coverage for IVF in 2022, further promoting an unethical practice which involves the freezing and discarding of human embryos.
Pro-Life Around the World
Pope Leo Defends Life in Uruguay: During his visit to Uruguay, Pope Leo XIV challenged the country’s abortion and euthanasia laws, declaring that “the unborn already belong to the human family.” Uruguay recorded a staggering 11,445 abortions in 2025, its highest annual total since legalization in 2012. The Pope also defended the dignity of the elderly and vulnerable, urging society to care for them “until the natural end.”
French Bishops Stand Against Euthanasia: France’s Catholic bishops are urging Catholic hospitals to prepare to refuse euthanasia and assisted suicide as a new law is expected to take effect in January 2027. The bishops warned that Belgium’s Catholic hospitals lost their right to refuse euthanasia and called for stronger protections for Catholic healthcare institutions. Echoing Pope Leo XIV, they declared, “What is legal is not necessarily moral.”
Pro-Life on the Home Front
Massachusetts Legalizes Abortion Until Birth: Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has immediately enacted a law removing all restrictions on late-term abortions, allowing abortionists to perform abortions throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Her emergency declaration prevented a pro-life petition from suspending the law, despite the petition collecting over 112,000 signatures. The measure could still face a statewide referendum in 2028, pending certification of the signatures.
“When I was the keynote speaker at the Massachusetts Citizens for Life conference two years ago, the attendees told me that their governor, despite claiming to be Catholic, was radically pro-abortion,” says Mr. Mosher. “Maura Healey has certainly lived up to her awful reputation. Thanks to her, her state now has abortion-on-demand up to birth.”
Texas Democrats Target Pro-Life Laws: Following the election, Texas Democrats are pushing to dismantle the state’s strong protections for unborn children. House Bill 126 would repeal all three major abortion bans, including the Heartbeat law, the 1925 pre-Roe ban, and the 2022 trigger ban. The bill would also eliminate parental consent requirements for minors seeking abortions and overturn restrictions on gender-transition procedures for minors. Several other bills would further weaken protections for unborn babies, threatening to undo years of pro-life victories in Texas.
“You can file this one under ‘elections have consequences,’” says Mr. Mosher. “Most Texans are pro-life, but they have now elected a governor and a state legislature that is not. And, after running on issues like high gas prices and affordability, the first thing these abortion radicals do is move to overturn the state’s powerful pro-life laws.”
Pro-Life Protections Under Threat: Following Democrats’ congressional victories, John Mize, CEO of Americans United for Life, warns that hard-won protections for unborn children could be threatened. He urged defenders of life to protect the Hyde Amendment, which restricts taxpayer funding of abortion, and the Weldon Amendment, which protects healthcare conscience rights. He also called for continued action against mail-order abortion pills and renewed efforts to defend unborn life nationwide.
Good News
Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers Win in Court: A US District court has upheld free-speech protections for New York pregnancy centers promoting abortion pill reversal. The ruling extends an injunction against Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Heartbeat International and 11 pro-life pregnancy centers in 2024 over their promotion of the life-saving treatment. The decision allows pregnancy centers to continue informing women that they can still save their unborn babies after taking the first abortion pill.
Quote of the Week
“The protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right.”
~ Pope Leo XIV
