In This Issue:
- PRI in the Media
- Another Biden Failure
- From Helltown to Haven
- Deepening Depopulation
- A Retreat from Marriage
- Communist China
- CCP Targets Females 15-49
- Thousands for a Baby
- Global Attack on Christianity
- UN Misdeeds
- Religion & LGBT Ideology
- Ruse Reaches Out to Hungary
- Science Gone Mad
- Surrogacy Gone Wrong
- Pro-Life Around the World
- It’s a Baby
- Indian Baby Saved
- Abortion Education Expands
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- The Reality of Failed Abortion
- Indiana Upholds Abortion
- Almost 10K More Babies
- Pillen Pushes for Ban
- Plan B Vending Machines
- Good News
- The Smallest Ring-Bearer
PRI in the Media
Another Biden Failure: The United States Congress voted unanimously for COVID transparency in March of this year. But despite the COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023, the Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, failed to produce a proper report. The sham report she released, five days past the due date, reiterated the same tired talking points that the Biden administration has been pushing for three years.
From Helltown to Haven: When the town of Front Royal, VA was founded, it quickly gained a reputation as a “Hell-town.” But today it is a growing haven for Catholic families. The establishment of Catholic institutions, including Christendom College, Seton Home Study School, and Population Research Institute, contributed to the now-thriving community.
“When I moved my young family to Front Royal in 1995 it was already becoming a center of Catholic intellectual life and culture,” says PRI President Steven Mosher. “I worked with Father Paul Marx to help move Human Life International and Population Research Institute to this small town in the Shenandoah Valley, and other apostolates soon followed. It has been a blessing to be among so many other believers.”
Deepening Depopulation
The Retreat from Marriage: A record 24% of 40-year-old U.S. citizens have never been married and live alone, according to a new analysis of census data. A sharp decrease in marriage rates in the 40-44 age bracket between 2010 and 2021 continues a decade-long trend. This trend has caused businesses that rely upon marriage, including Bed, Bath, & Beyond and David’s Bridal, to fail in recent years.
Communist China
CCP Targets Females 15-49: The Chinese Communist Party is gearing up to promote “scientific childbearing” to boost the low birth rate. Officials will push fertility-boosting interventions, from folic acid supplements for girls as young as 15 to medical reproductive assistance for women up to 49. Chinese citizens are protesting these measures online, especially those that lived through the worst years of the one-child policy.
“The Chinese Communist Party regards the Chinese people as much in the same way that a rancher regards his herd of cows,” says Mr. Mosher. “Hence the CCP’s use of the dehumanizing term ‘the masses’ to refer to the population under its control. I would not be surprised if, in a few years, the CCP is impregnating girls just past puberty to boost the birth rate. It will be The Handmaid’s Tale come to life.”
Thousands for a Baby: China’s leading travel agency is now offering 50,000 yuan for each child its employees have. For both male and female employees, the sum would be paid in installments of 10,000 per year for the first five years of the child’s life. The company, Trip.com, is leading the way as the first tech giant to subsidize childbearing in this way.
Global Attack on Christianity: During a conference at the end of June, the CCP shared its plan to export its “Sinicized Christianity” around the globe. This new goal joins Xi Jinping’s other grandiose plans to push “Socialism with Chinese characteristics” and “Xi Jinping Thought” on the Western world.
“Sinicized Christianity is a contradiction in terms,” says Mr. Mosher. “It substitutes the heretical worship of the state for the worship of God. Would the CCP like everyone in the world to worship it? Of course, it would.”
UN Misdeeds
Religion & LGBT Ideology: The UN’s Independent Expert on sexual orientation and gender identity has implied that religions should have to accommodate LGBT ideology or be held accountable by governments. This implication, made by “expert” Victor Madrigal-Borloz, came in a report given at the council’s 53rd session. Madrigal-Borloz went further to claim that religious beliefs against homosexuality or transgenderism are “not supported by international human rights law.”
Ruse Reaches Out to Hungary: Austin Ruse, President of the Center of Family and Human Rights, has pushed Hungarians to stop EU activism on issues such as abortion, homosexuality, and gender ideology. Presenting at the Danube Institute in Budapest, Ruse urged Hungary to put an end to its support of progressive EU positions on these issues. Especially in light of Hungary’s anti-abortion and anti-LGBT stance taken within its own borders.
Science Gone Mad
Surrogacy Gone Wrong: A recent story, shared with the Center for Culture and Bioethics (CCBN), showcased how badly a surrogacy situation can turn out when unforeseen circumstances arise. A surrogate mother, Brittany Pearson, was 24 weeks pregnant when she was diagnosed with aggressive metastatic breast cancer. While she wished for the child she was carrying to be born early and given all the necessary medical care, the two men who paid for the child wanted him to be “immediately terminated” and “erased.” Ultimately, Pearson delivered the child early, but despite medical care, he passed away soon afterward.
Pro-Life Around the World
It’s a Baby: In a 60-second commercial, Focus on the Family showed how using the word “fetus” instead of “baby” doesn’t change the truth. From conception, there is a human person growing and developing, no matter what they are labeled. The use of the word “fetus” to desensitize women and encourage termination is a tactic that falls apart when one realizes that fetus and baby carry the same meaning.
Indian Baby Saved: Last week, a high court in India saved the life of an unborn child. The mother of the child, a victim of rape, was already 28 weeks pregnant when her mother filed a petition for abortion. Citing the baby’s viability, along with the risks that late-term abortion carries for both the baby and mother, the Bombay High Court ruled that such an abortion was unnecessary and dangerous.
Abortion Education Expands: The House of Commons has passed regulations requiring abortion education for state schools in Northern Ireland. This new curriculum, which gives students details on abortion access, is aimed at students between 11 and 16 years old.
Pro-Life on the Home Front
The Reality of Failed Abortion: A medical resident sent a letter to the editor at Live Action News to share the reality of failed abortion. According to her account, in one case, a baby that survived an abortion was left to die by hospital staff. Despite only being ~23 weeks, the baby survived hours after her unfortunate delivery. The resident cared for the baby as best she could, but the child was already experiencing organ failure from hours without respiratory support.
Indiana Upholds Abortion: Indiana’s highest court has upheld the state law that bans abortion under most circumstances. This ruling struck down an earlier court’s injunction blocking enforcement of the pro-life law.
Almost 10K More Babies: According to new research, Texas’s six-week abortion ban led to 9,800 extra births between April and December 2022. Almost 10,000 babies were born that may have otherwise been aborted. In response, Texas boosted funding for its Alternatives to Abortion program, which offers support to women experiencing unexpected pregnancies.
“The overturning of Roe v. Wade, along with state-level legislation, has saved an estimate 36,000 babies across the United States so far,” says Mr. Mosher. “Trump’s Supreme Court judges are the gift that keeps on giving.”
Pillen Pushes for Ban: Nebraska Governor Jim Pullen is determined to end abortion in the state. During his two-day rural fly-around, Pullen shared his intentions to ban abortion at conception, with Nebraskans.
Plan B Vending Machines: College campuses around the nation have adopted a new way to distribute Plan B to their students: vending machines. So far, 39 universities in 17 states now provide emergency contraception, with 20 more schools considering them. The machines carry a generic form of the morning-after pill for as cheap as $7, alongside ibuprofen and pregnancy tests.
Good News
The Smallest Ring-Bearer: A premature baby played an important role in his parents’ wedding as the cutest, and youngest, ring-bearer ever. Yuriel Gonzalez Brock disrupted the original wedding plans with his early arrival. But with the help of the hospital staff and chaplain, a beautiful wedding was held with the baby boy in attendance.
Quote of the Week
“Many couples are unsure of the meaning of their relationship, and this causes them much turmoil and suffering. On the other hand, many other couples are stronger because, having overcome modern pressures, they exercise more fully that special love and responsibility of the marriage covenant which make them see children as God’s special gift to the[m] and to society. As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live.”
~ Pope Saint John Paul II, source
