In This Issue:
- PRI in the Media
- Trump Pressures China
- Iran Conflict Pressures China
- Honoring Nigeria’s Martyred Faithful
- Deepening Depopulation
- Japan Pays Singles to Date
- EU Faces Population Collapse
- Fewer Dutch Want Kids
- Egg Freezing Won’t Fix Fertility
- Communist China
- China’s Pressure on Catholics Escalates
- UN Misdeeds
- Pro-Lifers Win at UN Again
- Pro-Life Around the World
- UK Pushes “Lunch-Hour” Abortions
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- Mississippi Bans Abortion Pills
- America’s Abortion Crisis Deepens
- Hawley Targets Abortion Pill Maker
- Good News
- Premature Baby Defies Odds
PRI in the Media
Trump Pressures China: This week, PRI President Steven Mosher was featured in the New York Post, where he argued that President Trump is leveraging U.S. energy dominance to counter China’s global influence. Amid tensions involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, Mr. Mosher notes that China purchases an estimated 90% of Iran’s oil and relies on the Gulf for about 50% of its imports. These pressures, he explains, threaten Beijing’s energy security and may force China to push Iran toward negotiations—what Mr. Mosher describes as a strategic “energy chokehold.”
Iran Conflict Pressures China: Recently, Steven Mosher appeared on NTD, where he outlined how mounting energy pressures may force the Chinese Communist Party to distance itself from Iran rather than prolong conflict. Mr. Mosher emphasized that President Trump’s decisive actions—from restricting Iranian access to the Strait of Hormuz to leveraging tariffs and energy dominance—have placed Beijing in a weakened position. He noted China’s heavy reliance on imported oil and growing economic vulnerabilities, arguing that U.S. strategy is reshaping global power dynamics and pressuring China to change course.
Honoring Nigeria’s Martyred Faithful: In this week’s article for LifeSite, Mr. Mosher argues that Pope Leo should canonize the thousands of Catholics killed by Islamic terrorists, particularly in Nigeria, where deaths are estimated in the tens of thousands. Drawing on the example of the 813 Martyrs of Otranto, he contends these victims were killed in odium fidei—out of hatred for the faith—and deserve recognition as martyr-saints. Mr. Mosher believes that such a move would strengthen persecuted Christians and affirm the Church’s witness amid ongoing violence.
Deepening Depopulation
Japan Pays Singles to Date: In an effort to combat its deepening demographic crisis, Japan’s Kochi Prefecture is offering subsidies of up to 20,000 yen (roughly $125) to singles ages 20–39 to use dating and matchmaking services. The move comes as births fell to a record low of 705,809 in 2025, marking a 10th consecutive year of decline. Meanwhile, the elderly now make up 29.3% of the population, underscoring the growing imbalance as officials struggle to reverse the nation’s collapsing birth rate.
EU Faces Population Collapse: New projections show the European Union’s population will fall by 53 million by 2100, dropping from 451.8 million to 398.9 million as fertility declines. The EU birth rate has hit a record low of 1.3 children per woman. At the same time, aging is accelerating, with one in six Europeans expected to be over 80 by century’s end—underscoring a deepening demographic crisis with serious economic and social consequences.
Fewer Dutch Want Kids: New survey data show that more than 53% of Dutch adults ages 18–35 do not want children or are unsure. The country’s fertility rate has fallen from 1.8 in 2010 to 1.4 in 2024. Experts warn that if current trends continue, the population could be cut in half within 75 years, intensifying labor shortages and straining social systems—creating what analysts call a “double pressure on the economy.”
Egg Freezing Won’t Fix Fertility: A newly published paper examined the long-term outcomes of egg freezing in the United States. While use has surged—from 4,153 patients in 2014 to 16,436 in 2021—very few women ultimately benefit. Among the thousands of women who froze their eggs, only 852 (5.7%) returned to use them, resulting in just 248 births—a live birth rate of 1.6%. The data suggest that egg freezing is not a meaningful solution to America’s fertility crisis.
Communist China
China’s Pressure on Catholics Escalates: A new report finds Beijing is intensifying pressure on China’s estimated 12 million Catholics, particularly those in underground churches who refuse to join the state-controlled Patriotic Association. Under Xi Jinping’s “Sinicization” campaign, authorities have increased surveillance, imposed ideological training, and restricted worship, travel, and religious education. The 2018 Vatican-China agreement on bishops, renewed through 2028, is cited as enabling greater control and has facilitated a broader crackdown on religious freedom.
UN Misdeeds
Pro-Lifers Win at UN Again: Pro-life advocates secured another victory at the UN as the Commission on Population and Development failed to adopt a final agreement after European governments pushed to insert abortion and gender ideology into the text. Ambassador Zéphyrin Maniratanga of Burundi withdrew the draft rather than force through controversial language. The U.S., Egypt, Nigeria, and others supported the move. The commission has now failed to reach agreement in seven of the last ten sessions, highlighting growing resistance to pro-abortion pressure at the UN.
Pro-Life Around the World
UK Pushes “Lunch-Hour” Abortions: The UK government plans to financially incentivize abortion providers to offer “same-day” or “lunch-hour” abortions by bundling payments for consultations, scans, and procedures. This measure would pressure women into rushed decisions with little time for reflection. The move comes as abortion numbers have already reached nearly 300,000 annually in the UK, raising concerns that expanded access and financial incentives could further increase abortions and reduce safeguards for women.
Pro-Life on the Home Front
Mississippi Bans Abortion Pills: Mississippi has enacted a new law banning the prescription and distribution of abortion drugs, with violators facing 1–10 years in prison, in an effort to protect unborn life and curb mail-order abortions. The move comes as abortion pills now account for a majority of abortions nationwide, including 91,000 obtained in pro-life states. Safety concerns are mounting, with reports showing 11.5% of women experienced adverse events, highlighting the risks these drugs pose to both mothers and their babies.
PRI Pushes Back on SPLC Label: The Population Research Institute (PRI) has responded to criticism from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which has labeled PRI an “anti-choice and anti-LGBT organization” due to its pro-life and pro-family advocacy. PRI has long worked to expose coercive population control policies, including forced abortion in China. We at PRI reject the characterization as a politically motivated smear aimed at discrediting our human rights mission.
“SPLC has been accused in a Grand Jury indictment of secretly paying millions to activists inside extremist groups—with the obvious intent of fostering the same kinds of extremist activities that they claim to be fighting. But they have attacked many pro-life, pro-family grounds as well, including PRI which it smears as ‘anti-choice,’” says Mr. Mosher. “We at PRI are proudly pro-life. We also believe that there are only two genders. The real hate group is the SPLC.”
America’s Abortion Crisis Deepens: New estimates show more than 1.126 million abortions occurred in the U.S. in 2025—a 21% increase from 2020—with the true total likely even higher due to unreported cases. The rise is driven in part by expanded access to abortion pills, including 91,000 telehealth abortions in states with bans, while interstate travel declined to 142,000. The lack of federal reporting and the growth of “self-managed abortions” obscure the full scale of what remains a growing loss of unborn life.
Hawley Targets Abortion Pill Maker: Sen. Josh Hawley is urging the Department of Justice to investigate Danco Laboratories, the manufacturer of mifepristone, citing serious concerns over safety and regulatory compliance. Hawley notes that abortion pills now account for over 70% of U.S. abortions and warns that women are being harmed at far higher rates than reported. He is calling for a full review of the drug’s approval, marketing, and distribution as scrutiny grows over the abortion pill industry.
Good News
Premature Baby Defies Odds: A baby born 13 weeks premature and placed in a simple sandwich bag to regulate his temperature is now thriving at age 13—highlighting the resilience of every baby, no matter how early the stage of development. Blake spent four months in intensive care and overcame serious complications, including chronic lung disease. Despite this difficult start, he has grown into a healthy teenager. His story underscores the humanity and survival of premature infants, even at stages often dismissed as nonviable.
Quote of the Week
“One of the most wonderful expressions of the love of God is the love that is poured out by mothers, especially to their children and grandchildren.”
~ Pope Leo XIV
