In This Issue:
- A Message from PRI’s President
- Merry Christmas!
- PRI in the Media
- Christian Pop Shrinks
- Jimmy Lai’s Trial Begins
- Deepening Depopulation
- First Pro-Natal Conference
- Communist China
- Rent-a-Womb Industry
- Useless Laws
- Science Gone Mad
- Waits Lead to Suicide
- IVF Raises Risks
- Pro-life Around the World
- Support Family, Limit Abortion
- Pro-Life Statues Stand
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- Build Strong Families
- Abortion Pill Outcomes
- Good News
- 350M in Pro-Life Efforts
A Message from PRI’s President
In many ways, this past year has been both the best of times and the worst of times.
We celebrate the tens of thousands of babies saved in the U.S. by the end of Roe v. Wade. At the same time, we continue to mourn the loss of hundreds of thousands more.
We celebrate victories over the culture of death in a number of states and Latin American countries. At the same time we wrestle with the most abortion-obsessed administration in American history.
But as Christmas approaches, and love incarnate comes into the world, we can only marvel at the hope that is ours in Jesus Christ.
~ PRI President Steven Mosher
PRI in the Media
Christian Pop Shrinks: In the 1980s and 1990s, the Christian population rose dramatically in China. Between 1982 and 1997, the number of Christians more than doubled, from 6 million to 14 million. However, this growth has leveled off in recent years with the crackdown on religion in general. A survey conducted this month confirmed that growth is at a “virtual standstill.” From 2010 to 2018 the number of adults identifying as Christian remained at 2%, but in 2021 fell to 1%. It may have fallen even further since then, but this has not been confirmed. Either way, the cause is clear. Xi Jinping’s Sinicization campaign has persecuted the Christian population and prevented conversion. The Catholic News Agency requested comments from Mr. Mosher regarding this situation.
In his response, he stated, “Communist Party leader Xi Jinping made clear in a December 2021 speech that he intends to bring every religion in China — Catholic, Christian, Muslim, Taoist, and Buddhist — under the direct control of the CCP and make them serve its purposes… Any religion that does not teach its members to love the party and socialism is a ‘backward’ religion engaged in ‘illegal religious activities,’ Xi said, and will be stamped out.”
Jimmy Lai’s Trial Begins: The much-awaited trial for Catholic Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai began this week. The trial is expected to last for about 80 days and has been described as “public torture” by China observers. Jimmy Lai was initially arrested in 2020 for allegedly violating the National Security Law through “collusion with foreign forces.” In reality, Lai’s actions were described by the prestigious law firm Doughty Street Chambers as, “peaceful pro-democracy campaigning.” Lai’s lawyers opened the trial by arguing that his case was outside the statute of limitations. Whether this will make a difference remains to be seen. The CCP operates by its own rules, or lack thereof, and will have little care for this argument.
Deepening Depopulation
First Pro-Natal Conference: The first-ever international pro-natal conference was held in Austin, Texas at the beginning of December. The event received little media coverage despite its pertinence to today’s major issue: global demographic collapse. The conference’s speakers and participants discussed all possible solutions to this issue. They also explored, within the many talks, “every conceivable issue pertinent to demographic collapse, ranging from environmental factors (such as endocrine disruptors), social priorities, popular culture, financial challenges, and ideology.”
“PRI warned of the economic and social dangers of falling fertility over three decades ago,” says Mr. Mosher. “So the danger is not new. What is new is that ‘futurists’ and entrepreneurs like Elon Musk are now sitting up and taking notice because of the dollars and cents impact of shrinking populations. The difference is that we do not view Man as merely an instrument of production, but as created in the image and likeness of God. The first commandment given to our first parents, ‘Be fruitful and multiply,’ has never been rescinded.”
Communist China
Rent-a-Womb Industry: A new report revealed that Chinese nationals hold the highest percentage of foreign surrogacy contracts in the United States. The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System published a report that compares the demographics of domestic and international intended parents. Chinese nationals fall into the latter category and make up 13.4% of the rent-a-womb industry. The next closest is France at 2.9%. Chinese couples resort to surrogates in the U.S. because of the laws in China banning surrogacy arrangements. These permissive legal structures, along with advanced reproductive tech in the U.S., are the main motivators. However, birthright citizenship, enabled by the 14th Amendment, is an added bonus for Chinese couples. Any babies born in the states are automatically granted citizenship and, when the children turn 21, serve as their parents’ gateway to a green card.
“Wealthy Chinese are renting wombs in the U.S. for two reasons,” says Mr. Mosher. “This practice began as a way of getting around the one-child policy. More recently, however, it is a way for wealthy Chinese to claim ‘birthright’ citizenship for their child and, over time, bring other family members over.”
Useless Laws: The CCP has issued new rules targeting the illegal organ trafficking trade in the country. Set to be enforced starting May 1, 2024, the rules are supposed to “strengthen penalties for ‘malpractice’ and tighten requirements for medical institutions performing transplants.” But analysts revealed how useless these rules will be, calling them a “smokescreen.” They will not prevent the ongoing procurement of organs in military hospitals for the political and financial elite. As with many promises made by the CCP, the rules look good on the surface but will yield no results. All show, no substance.
“Pardon my cynicism, but the Chinese Communist Party has a long, long history of promulgating laws and regulations, and signing international agreements, that it has absolutely no intention of honoring,” says Mr. Mosher. “Chinese military hospitals and police organizations are heavily involved in illegal executions of prisoners for their organs. The organs from a single victim–heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, etc–are worth over a million dollars.”
Science Gone Mad
Waits Lead to Suicide: Canadian hospitals are struggling to keep up with the number of cancer patients seeking treatment. Immensely backlogged, patients wait for weeks, or even months, for treatment that they may give up on before receiving. Canadian hospitals have even resorted to sending patients to hospitals in the United States. But instead of holding out for treatment, some patients turn to assisted suicide for an end to the pain. This is exactly what happened to loveable grandfather, Dan Quayle, who died at 52 by medically assisted death after 10 weeks in the hospital waiting for chemotherapy. His family mourns his loss and truly believes that he would still be with them, for at least another year, if he had received treatment sooner.
“Socialized medicine may be free, but it’s not cheap,” says Mr. Mosher. “The wait times alone can kill you. Not to mention that Canadians are now being encouraged to commit suicide as a cost-saving measure by the government.”
IVF Raises Risks: A new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that pregnancies resulting from IVF are riskier than naturally occurring pregnancies. Their research examined 106,000 births resulting from IVF with over 34 million births of babies conceived naturally. Mothers who conceive via IVF are at higher risk of kidney failure. There is a 65% higher risk of irregular heartbeat and 57% greater likelihood of suffering a placental abruption. There is even an increase in both the chance of needing a cesarean section and a premature birth. The research team leader clarified that “assisted reproductive technology was independently associated with these complications, instead of only being associated with the existence of pre-existing health conditions or only among older women undergoing infertility treatment.”
Pro-Life Around the World
Support Family, Limit Abortion: Catholic bishops in New Zealand issued a report urging the government to ease stressors on young families, in hopes of decreasing the number of abortions performed annually. The Abortion Legislation Act eased access to the procedure in 2020, contributing to the slow annual increase that has been underway since 2016. To reverse this course, the bishops suggested addressing the “underlying societal issues that can become key factors in shaping an abortion trajectory.” These issues include “poverty, lack of community support, lack of employer support, lack of state support, prejudice and/or lack of knowledge about disabilities and coercion from a partner, family or friends.”
Pro-Life Statues Stand: One of the world’s greatest pieces of pro-life artwork just marked its tenth anniversary. “The Miraculous Journey” by Damien Hirst stands in Doha, Qatar, and shows the development of a baby from conception to birth in fourteen bronze sculptures. The commissioned pieces stand in front of the Sidra Medical and Research Center, which is a facility that specializes in women’s and children’s health. Hirst was inspired by the birth of his own three children. Both an artist and a father, Hirst shared, “Everyone talks about our life’s journey, but we have a whole journey before you’re born.”
Pro-Life on the Home Front
Build Strong Families: When it comes to abortion, the focus is on the mother and child, but there is often no attention paid to the father. Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio introduced a bill to address this issue. Rubio’s proposed legislation would require fathers to provide 50% of the costs associated with pregnancy and delivery. While this is a step in the right direction and will help many vulnerable women, further efforts are necessary to spread how important fathers are in the lives of their children. Fathers are not just needed for economic reasons, but also for their social, emotional, and moral responsibilities. A cultural change is needed to reaffirm the necessity of fathers and the importance of the family, consisting of a father, mother, and their biological, or adopted, children.
Abortion Pill Outcomes: In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to take on the abortion pill case, pro-life and pro-abortion groups are looking at how the case may proceed. Pro-abortion groups are–unsurprisingly–upset at what they see as Supreme Court interference in the states’ affairs. While we hope that the Court will be able to limit chemical abortions, as pro-abortion groups fear it will, it could also go the other way. The Supreme Court could decide to “greenlight” abortifacients, which will set back the fight for unborn lives. It is too early to tell, but we pray for an outcome that helps us save the unborn.
Good News
350M in Pro-Life Efforts: The Charlotte Lozier Institute conducted a robust survey of pregnancy centers in America and the difference that these organizations make. The study, Hope for a New Generation, looked at the resources provided by these centers in 2022. In one year, pregnancy centers met with clients over 16 million times, 97% of which self-reported a positive experience. There were around 975,000 new clients in 2022, who were given support and access to services. The centers provide pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting education programs, baby diapers, wipes, formula, outfits, and more, at no cost to the mothers in crisis. These vital services are directly helping the additional 32,000 babies born annually since the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
“Crisis pregnancy centers serve a vital function,” says Mr. Mosher. “I serve on the boards of several of the most successful organizations in the country, organizations that are saving lives every day. Overseas, PRI carries out similar work, providing ultrasound machines to Catholic clinics to convince women to carry their pregnancies to term.”
Quote of the Week
“At the first coming he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. At his second coming he will be clothed in light as in a garment. In the first coming he endured the cross, despising the shame; in the second coming he will be in glory, escorted by an army of angels. We look then beyond the first coming and await the second.”
~St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Instructions to Catechumens
