In This Issue:
- PRI in the Media
- Abortion Advocates Erase Their Victims
- Honduras Bans Morning-After Pill
- Deepening Depopulation
- “Importing” Brides Sparks Backlash
- France’s Letter to 29-Year-Olds
- Communist China
- China’s Religious Repression
- UN Misdeeds
- UN Targets Pro-Life Speech
- Science Gone Mad
- IVF Companies Sell “Better” Babies
- Pro-Life Around the World
- Chile Moves to Ban Surrogacy
- UK Moves Toward Abortion Up Till Birth
- Pro-Life on the Home Front
- Arizona Strikes Pro-Life Laws
- Iowa Targets Mail-Order Abortion Drugs
- Michigan Pro-Life Groups Sue State
- Good News
- Pro-Life Bills Sweep States
- PRI Research & Resources
- Catholic Relief Services
PRI in the Media
Abortion Advocates Erase Their Victims: This week, PRI President Steven Mosher and head of PRI’s Latin American office Carlos Polo co-authored a LifeSiteNews piece warning that a 2025 document from the Latin American Consortium Against Unsafe Abortion (CLACAI) urges governments not to record aborted babies as fetal deaths in official statistics. The proposal discourages civil registration or burial rites, effectively erasing any public record of their existence. Mr. Mosher and Mr. Polo argue that the guidance is part of a broader abortion network strategy to normalize abortion by dehumanizing the unborn.
Honduras Bans Morning-After Pill: Recently, Carlos Polo was featured on EWTN News commenting on Honduras’ new nationwide ban on the morning-after pill. The law prohibits the promotion, consumption, purchase, and distribution of the drug, citing its anti-implantation—or abortifacient—effect, a concern raised in a 2008 report by the Medical College of Honduras. Mr. Polo called the decision “a milestone for another Latin American country,” saying Honduras has freed itself from pressure by pharmaceutical companies and abortion advocates promoting what he described as a harmful and misleading practice.
Deepening Depopulation
“Importing” Brides Sparks Backlash: South Korea’s demographic crisis sparked controversy after Jindo county governor Kim Hee-soo suggested “importing” young women from countries such as Vietnam or Sri Lanka to marry rural Korean men to help raise the birth rate. With fertility at just 0.75—far below replacement—and projections showing the population could fall from 52 million to 26.8 million by 2100, lawmakers are scrambling for solutions. Kim has since been expelled from South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party after suggesting such a plan.
France’s Letter to 29-Year-Olds: France plans to send a letter to all 29-year-olds urging them to consider having children—or freezing their eggs—before it is “too late.” The initiative is part of a 16-point plan aimed at reversing the country’s declining birth rate, as officials warn infertility affects one in eight couples. France’s social security system covers egg freezing for women ages 29–37, and fertility centers will expand from 40 to 70.
“Telling 29-year-old women to freeze their eggs ‘before it is too late’ will not boost France’s fertility,” says Mr. Mosher. “It is an unethical ‘hi-tech’ solution to a problem—low birth rates—that is primarily cultural. The French government should be encouraging young couples to marry and have children, but of course is too ‘progressive’ to even consider proposing this. And so France will die, leaving behind millions of frozen eggs.”
Communist China
China’s Religious Repression: A new report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom identifies 16 “countries of particular concern” for “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations” of religious freedom. The report spotlights China’s repression of Uyghur Muslims, noting that between 800,000 and 2 million—roughly 10% of their population—have been detained in “re-education camps.” It also warns that repression of underground Christians intensified despite the Vatican’s provisional agreement with Beijing.
UN Misdeeds
UN Targets Pro-Life Speech: A new paper from the World Health Organization’s Human Reproduction Program urges digital platforms to police so-called abortion “misinformation,” effectively labeling pro-life speech as harmful falsehoods. UN agencies are promoting abortion access as a binding human right under “sexual and reproductive health and rights”—a term never adopted in any negotiated UN agreement. The effort could pave the way for governments to censor pro-life and religious voices worldwide.
Science Gone Mad
IVF Companies Sell “Better” Babies: U.S. companies are marketing IVF embryo screening that claims to predict up to 2,000 traits—including IQ, height, eye color, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease—urging parents to “have your best baby.” Researchers warn the benefits are vanishingly small, perhaps just a few IQ points or 1–3 centimeters in height, while the risks are real. Polygenic risk scores are highly uncertain and create ethical problems. In the process, human embryos are reduced to products graded for desirability.
Pro-Life Around the World
Chile Moves to Ban Surrogacy: Chile has taken a major step toward banning surrogacy nationwide after its Chamber of Deputies’ Family Commission approved the proposal unanimously, with nine deputies voting in favor. The bipartisan legislation would criminalize surrogacy arrangements, as well as their promotion, intermediation, and commercialization, with potential prison sentences and fines—especially where vulnerable women are exploited. Lawmakers argue surrogacy commodifies pregnancy and separates children from their mothers by design. If approved by both chambers, Chile would join several European nations prohibiting the practice.
“Surrogacy should be banned in the United States as well,” says Mr. Mosher. “The Chinese Communists, especially, have used surrogate mothers in the U.S. for years to have additional children, with one Chinese billionaire reportedly having over 100 children by surrogates. Surrogacy is banned in China, and regulated by some states, but commercial surrogacy is a big business in decadent California.”
UK Moves Toward Abortion Up Till Birth: A proposed legislation in the UK would decriminalize a woman ending her own pregnancy at any stage, including up to birth. Clause 191, added to a Crime and Policing Bill after just 46 minutes of debate in the House of Commons, would remove remaining legal safeguards while retaining penalties for others performing unlawful abortions. Baroness Rosa Monckton has called the measure “terrifying” and a “barbaric step,” warning it could allow late-term abortions at home—even beyond the current 24-week limit.
“The fact that abortion is child sacrifice is becoming more and more apparent,” says Mr. Mosher. “Post-Christian England is on the verge of legalizing abortion up to birth in the most dangerous way, by allowing self-abortions of viable unborn children up to the point of birth. The imagination shies away from the gruesome scenes of dead children and hemorrhaging mothers that will result from this medical malpractice.”
Pro-Life on the Home Front
Arizona Strikes Pro-Life Laws: An Arizona judge has struck down three pro-life laws following the 2024 passage of Proposition 139, which enshrined a constitutional “right” to abortion. Judge Gregory Como overturned laws on telemedicine distribution of abortion pills, a 24-hour waiting period with mandatory ultrasound, and protections against discriminatory abortions based on gender, race, or disability. Citing the amendment’s broad “viability” standard—generally around 24 weeks—he ruled the laws unconstitutional. Republican lawmakers say they plan to appeal the decision.
Iowa Targets Mail-Order Abortion Drugs: An Iowa Senate subcommittee has advanced a bill requiring abortion pills such as mifepristone and misoprostol to be prescribed and administered in person, limiting telehealth and mail-order distribution. The proposal comes as abortions in Iowa are banned once cardiac activity is detected, around six weeks of gestation. The measure would curb growing “black market” suppliers and be a step forward to protect women from these harmful drugs. The bill now moves forward for further legislative debate.
“With more than half of all abortions now taking place by abortion pill, restricting the mailing of such a dangerous drug is long overdue,” says Mr. Mosher. “The abortion pill should be banned.”
Michigan Pro-Life Groups Sue State: Two Michigan pro-life organizations have filed suit in federal court challenging a state employment law that redefines sex discrimination to include “termination of a pregnancy.” Right to Life of Michigan and Pregnancy Resource Center argue the law bars them from hiring only staff who share and can communicate their pro-life mission, prohibits asking applicants about abortion views, and requires abortion coverage in employee insurance plans. Backed by Alliance Defending Freedom, the groups say the mandate violates their First Amendment rights.
Good News
Pro-Life Bills Sweep States: State legislatures continue what observers call an “unprecedented” surge of pro-life activity. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 536 pro-life bills were introduced in 46 states in 2021, with 61 new laws enacted. Recent measures include Idaho’s “heartbeat” bill, banning most abortions once a child’s heartbeat can be detected—usually around six weeks—Montana’s 20-week “pain-capable” ban, and Arizona’s prohibition on abortions for nonlethal genetic abnormalities. Lawmakers say the wave reflects growing momentum to protect unborn children nationwide.
PRI Research & Resources
Catholic Relief Services: This week, we highlight PRI’s joint field investigation with the Lepanto Institute into Catholic Relief Services’ implementation of the DREAMS program in Cameroon, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho. Over the course of a year, investigators gathered thousands of pages of documents, recorded conversations, and photographs. The report details CRS’s role in referral networks that included abortion and contraception providers, as well as the promotion of condoms and contraceptives to girls as young as 10.
Quote of the Week
“In the eyes of God we are all inherently considered to be persons prior to our actual birthdate.”
~ Bradley W. Shumaker
