In This Issue:
- PRI in the Media
- Pope Approves CCP-Chosen Bishop
- Deepening Depopulation
- Australia’s Fertility Hits Record Low
- Korea’s Late Motherhood Crisis
- Communist China
- Faith Subjugated to Party Rule
- UN Misdeeds
- Euros Bring Abortion to UN
- Science Gone Mad
- No Age Limit for Transition
- Pro-Life Around the World
- Spain Blacklists Pro-Life Doctors
- Euthanasia Oversight Fails in Canada
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- Senators Condemn Abortion Subsidies
- California Targets Pro-Life Free Speech
- Louisiana Takes FDA to Court
- Senators Demand Mifepristone Safeguards
- Good News
- Miracle Baby Defies the Odds
PRI in the Media
Pope Approves CCP-Chosen Bishop: This week, PRI President Steven Mosher was quoted condemning China’s tightening control over the Catholic Church, warning that Bishop Joseph Shen Bin—now central to the Vatican-China deal—is “a faithful and trusted servant of the Chinese Communist Party.” China has consecrated a new auxiliary bishop of Shanghai, Father Wu Jianlin, under the deal approved by Pope Leo XIV. The 2018 agreement gives the CCP authority to appoint bishops through its state-run Patriotic Catholic Association, while the Vatican’s role remains largely symbolic. The arrangement exposes the Vatican’s growing submission to Beijing and endangers faithful Catholics across China.
Deepening Depopulation
Australia’s Fertility Hits Record Low: According to a new report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia’s fertility rate has fallen to a record low of 1.48 births per woman in 2024, sparking warnings that the nation is nearing a “point of no return.” Women aged 30–34 recorded the highest fertility rate—106 births per 1,000 women, a slight rise from the previous year. Researchers claim the decline isn’t due to selfishness but to soaring housing costs, job insecurity, gender inequality, and climate fears, making family life feel out of reach. Experts warn that no cash incentive or “baby bonus” can reverse the decline without addressing these deeper crises.
“The continued decline in total fertility rates is leading to a human apocalypse,” says Mr. Mosher. “It’s broadly driven by the declining economic value of children to their parents, ever lower rates of family formation, and declining religiosity. The economic value of children to their parents has, in the developed countries, been below zero for a half century now. Modernity—by creating societies where parents bear the cost of raising and educating children but receive over fewer benefits from doing so—is turning out to be a collective suicide pact.”
Korea’s Late Motherhood Crisis: South Korea’s fertility crisis continues to deepen as more women delay childbirth. New government data show that over one in three mothers (35.9%) gave birth at age 35 or older in 2024, up from 26.4% in 2016. The average age of first-time mothers rose to 33.7, while births among women 40 and older nearly doubled to 9.5%. Older pregnancies are fueling rising health issues and medical costs—premature birth care alone has surged 43% since 2018—underscoring the demographic strain facing one of the world’s fastest-aging nations.
Communist China
Faith Subjugated to Party Rule: The Chinese Communist Party has released a new White Paper declaring ideological victory in Xinjiang. Issued during Xi Jinping’s September visit marking the region’s 70th anniversary, the document abandons past “counterterrorism” rhetoric and instead portrays Xinjiang as a model of “ethnic unity.” It praises economic growth and cultural “integration” while celebrating the Sinicization of religion—requiring all faiths to conform to socialist ideology. Religious venues must display the national flag and Party slogans, and leaders are urged to promote patriotism and suppress “extremism.”
UN Misdeeds
Euros Bring Abortion to UN: At the UN Security Council, European and Nordic nations vowed to make abortion and “gender ideology” central to global security policy through the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda. Denmark called abortion rights “non-negotiable,” while Ireland urged “transgender-specific programming.” Nordic countries praised the UN for promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian programs—an agenda openly embraced by UN leadership. Secretary-General António Guterres and UN Women chief Sima Bahous called for binding quotas and global funding for feminist groups worldwide. The Trump administration is expected to resist these efforts, reaffirming America’s past opposition to inserting abortion into UN peace and aid initiatives.
Science Gone Mad
No Age Limit for Transition: The European Union has unveiled a sweeping new policy that would allow children to legally change their gender at any age—without medical evaluations or therapy. The plan promotes “self-determination that is free from age restrictions” and threatens to cut funding from countries that refuse to comply. It would also punish therapists who question a child’s chosen identity, banning “talking therapy” even for minors uncertain about transitioning. Women’s rights advocate Maya Forstater called the proposal “sinister,” warning that Brussels is embedding radical gender ideology into EU law at the expense of children’s wellbeing.
Pro-Life Around the World
Spain Blacklists Pro-Life Doctors: Spain’s government is demanding that all public healthcare systems compile registries of doctors who refuse to perform abortions, essentially blacklisting pro-life physicians. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has ordered regional administrations to submit lists of “conscientious objectors” within three months or face legal action. The government claims the database will ensure access to abortion services, but medical and pro-life leaders know it violates constitutional rights of conscience. The National Association for the Defense of the Right to Conscientious Objection (ANDOC) denounced the plan as “unconstitutional” and “a professional blacklist” targeting doctors who refuse to take unborn life.
Euthanasia Oversight Fails in Canada: A new report obtained through a freedom of information request has exposed major failures in British Columbia’s assisted suicide and euthanasia program. In 2023 alone, nearly 3,000 deaths were recorded—and nearly 5% had eligibility errors. Despite 2,833 reporting mistakes, only 24 cases were investigated. Officials were even told not to be “too strict” so doctors wouldn’t be discouraged from performing euthanasia. Experts called the findings “staggering” and “alarming,” warning that weak oversight has turned supposed safeguards into a deadly formality.
Pro-Life on the Home Front
Senators Condemn Abortion Subsidies: Pro-life senators are condemning Democrats for pushing to extend Obamacare subsidies that fund abortions and gender transitions. Sen. Ron Johnson accused Democrats of using taxpayer dollars to “kill babies in the womb,” while Sen. Rick Scott called the move “disgusting.” The subsidies, originally a temporary COVID-era measure, lack Hyde Amendment protections and channel federal funds to insurance plans covering abortions. Pro-life groups have urged Congress to reject any bill that continues abortion subsidies without Hyde safeguards.
California Targets Pro-Life Free Speech: Attorneys from the Thomas More Society and Alliance Defending Freedom appeared before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last week to defend California pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) from state censorship. In 2023, Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the centers for sharing information about abortion pill reversal (APR), calling it “misleading.” The PRCs argue this violates their First Amendment rights, noting they gain nothing financially and simply offer women a second chance at choosing life. APR has saved more than 6,000 babies and remains a lawful, medically supervised treatment for women who regret chemical abortions.
Louisiana Takes FDA to Court: Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has filed a lawsuit against the FDA, demanding it reinstate in-person safety rules for the abortion drug Mifepristone. The Biden administration removed these safeguards, allowing abortion pills to be mailed nationwide—even to pro-life states where the drug is illegal. Murrill called the mail-order system “flat out drug dealing,” warning it enables coerced abortions. Pro-life leaders praised Louisiana’s action, saying it defends women and the unborn from dangerous, unsupervised chemical abortions and challenges federal overreach that violates state pro-life protections.
Senators Demand Mifepristone Safeguards: Fifty-one Republican senators have called on the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA to revoke mail-order access to the abortion drug mifepristone, citing serious safety risks to women and violations of pro-life state laws. In their joint letter, the senators warned that removing in-person medical safeguards has allowed “abusers, traffickers, and even minors” to obtain abortion pills unsupervised. They urged the FDA to halt all generic approvals, reinstate in-person requirements, and classify mifepristone as an “imminent hazard.”
Good News
Miracle Baby Defies the Odds: After 350 days in intensive care, baby Gabriel James Golden—born at just 22 weeks and weighing one pound—has finally gone home. Doctors gave him little chance of survival, but his parents’ faith and prayer carried him through pneumonia, lung disease, and countless near-death moments. His mother called him a “warrior” and a living testimony of God’s strength. Gabriel’s story shows that babies born as early as 21 weeks can survive with proper care—proving that abortion is never necessary, even when a mother’s water breaks prematurely.
Quote of the Week
“I would like to emphasize the importance of ensuring all families the essential support of dignified employment, under fair conditions and with attention to the needs of motherhood and fatherhood. Let us do everything we can to give confidence to families, especially young families, so that they can look to the future with serenity and grow in harmony.”
~ Pope Leo XIV
