Over the Christmas holiday and Parliamentary recess, Prime Minister Stephen Harper asked the Governor General to prorogue Parliament. Whatever the politics of the situation (and it appears both sides are playing political games), there are two important fallouts from this action.

The first is that C-384, Francine Lalonde’s Private Member’s Bill to legalize euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide, is still alive. Some people might think that the Bill will die on the House floor but in fact, all Private Members business continues to advance in Parliament from the point they were at, while all Government business will have to be re-started. As Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, has noted, Lalonde has already traded back dates to put off a vote on her Bill because it will inevitably be defeated.

By Schadenberg’s count, the Bill was going to go down to a massive defeat with perhaps as many as 200 MPs voting against it. However, opposition to the Bill, especially in Quebec, has subsided. While C-384 will almost certainly be defeated, the margin might not be large enough to make the question “settled” in the immediate future and another, ostensibly less problematic bill might be brought to the House of Commons in a few years. It is imperative that voters contact their MPs and urge them to vote against C-384.

As a result, whether or not an election is called, we must be ready for one. This takes substantial resources. Our election team is scouring the country for nomination meetings, engaging candidates and local activists, sending questionnaires and following up on them to ensure they are answered. Many, many hours are spent to determine whether candidates are pro-life and assisting those who are. (The team is made up of numerous individuals who juggle many tasks and the vicious cycle is that the election-preparedness work takes them away from dealing with day-to-day issues and the day-to-day issues take them away from their political work.)

As always you can help by forwarding candidate information – names, contacts, press clippings or internet links on stories regarding life and family issues – to Jeff Gunnarson at jeff@lifesite.net or by calling 1-800-730-5358 or (416) 204-9749. Many of you have already provided this information and it has produced some very helpful leads.

If an election is called, C-384 (and all other Private Member’s bills) will die. This will rob Parliamentarians of the opportunity to defeat the euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide bill. We do not want this opportunity to be lost. If Parliament defeats euthanasia in a vote in the House of Commons, it will send a strong signal to the country that killing the vulnerable is not something Canada wants to be involved in.

On December 28 at the annual pro-life Mass, Vancouver Archbishop Michael Miller thanked pro-lifers for their “willingness not just to affirm the sacrosanct value of every human life but to work and pray that this value be recognized as absolutely necessary to the common good of society.” Many Catholic churches celebrate a Mass for the unborn on December 28, the feast of the Holy Innocents which commemorates the babies slain in Bethlehem as King Herod sought to kill the Christ child. Archbishop Miller said, “Herod distinguished himself by the cold-blooded murder of innocent babies, in a vain effort to secure his throne against any rivals.” He added: “We do not know their number, but they are venerated as martyrs because they died in the place of Christ.

In a similar way we can consider all the unborn who die in the womb as silent witnesses to Christ and his infinite power to save.” Archbishop Miller said that in Canada, “all too often ... crimes against life are supported by government, certain professions and public opinion,” and he juxtaposed this against Canada’s promotion of human rights in many other fields. He called upon this nation to embrace “the most basic human right, the right to life, [that] is being denied or trampled upon, especially at the more significant moments of existence: the moment of birth and the moment of death.” He urged pro-lifers not to give up hope because our society needs witnesses to the sanctity of all human life and the inspiring message that we are all gifts from God, made in His image – “unique, precious and unrepeatable.” He called us to be both humble and determined in spreading the pro-life message in love. Amen.

Archbishop Miller’s full homily can be read at: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/jan/10011210.html

More than a year and a half after Governor General Michaëlle Jean presented abortionist Henry Morgentaler with the country’s highest honour, the Order of Canada, news of numerous past recipients resigning their OC honours, continues to make news. On January 9, the Canada Gazette (the weekly registry of all Federal Government activity) noted that Jean has accepted the resignations of Father Lucien Larré and Mr. Renato Giuseppe Bosisio from the Order of Canada. Father Larré, a Catholic priest in British Columbia, returned his Order of Canada medal immediately following the controversial July 2008 appointment as a protest against Morgentaler’s appointment to the Order. Fr. Larré called the investiture of an abortionist into the Order a “terrible mistake.” Fr. Larré founded the Bosco Centers in Saskatchewan in the 1970s to help troubled teenagers.

Giuseppe Bosisio, an engineering professor at the University of Montreal, had not previously publicized that he returned his medal, but the Governor General’s office did confirm that Bosisio made it clear to them that he was returning his medal to protest Morgentaler’s appointment.

In total, nine Order of Canada medals have been publicly returned to the Governor General in protest over Morgentaler’s appointment while several others (such as Bosisio’s) were returned privately. In November, the Federal Court refused an application by Frank Chauvin, an Order of Canada recipient, for a judicial review into the Morgentaler award.

Chauvin, a retired police officer who worked to help orphans in Haiti, took issue with the secretive recommendation process of the Order’s Advisory Council that is chaired by Supreme Court Justice Beverley McLachlin. He also argued that the award was contrary to the purpose of the Order of Canada which includes uniting Canadians behind truly meritorious recipients. The backlash included petitions signed by tens of thousands of Canadians, more than 100 MPs publicly objecting to the appointment and numerous newspaper columns and radio talk shows condemning the move. Frank Chauvin has not publicized what his next move will be.

U.S. National Cancer Institute researcher Dr. Louise Brinton, who had previously denied any link between abortion and breast cancer, has reversed her position and now admits that abortion and oral contraceptives raise breast cancer risks. An April 2009 study led by Jessica Dolle of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center examined the relationship between oral contraceptives and triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of breast cancer associated with high mortality. Her published research includes an admission from Brinton and her colleagues that abortion raises breast cancer risk by 40%.

The study found that “a statistically significant 40% increased risk for women who have abortions” exists, and that a “ 270% increased risk of triple negative breast cancer … among those who used oral contraceptives while under age 18 and a 320% increased risk of triple negative breast cancer among recent users (within 1-5 years) of oral contraceptives,” also exists. The study was published in early 2009 but not widely publicized until December. “Although the study was published nine months ago,” stated Karen Malec, president of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, “the NCI, the American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and other cancer fundraising businesses have made no efforts to reduce breast cancer rates by issuing nationwide warnings to women.”

Several Canadian Parliamentarians, including Maurice Vellacott, Conservative (Saskatoon-Wanuskewin), have endeavoured to publicize the link between abortion and breast cancer. He has been lambasted for doing so by pro-abortion feminists within the Liberal and NDP caucuses, as well as some media outlets. The Globe and Mail covered the story on its website, although the story never made it to their print edition.

Under the headline “Was Maurice Vellacott right about abortion?” , reporter Gloria Galloway, noted the recent study and conceded that “Vellacott may be right.” It is too bad that this medical story is being covered from a political angle and that the widespread media cover-up of the link between abortion and breast cancer and oral contraceptives and breast cancer continues, thus jeopardizing the safety of women, especially those in their teens who are still developing. At the very least, abortionists must be required to divulge the full range of physical and emotional health risks. But the goal is not “informed choice” as the pro-abortionists sometimes talk about, but more abortion and suggesting that abortion is anything less than consequence-free gets in the way of women exercising their murderous “choice.”

In 1996, Dr. Joel Brind, professor of biology and endocrinology at Baruch College at the University of New York and Director of the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute, produced a meta-analysis on the link between abortion and breast cancer. Dr. Brind spoke at the World Conference on Breast Cancer in Kingston, Ontario in 1997 to the 650 breast cancer patients and their supporters. Although the pro-abortion organizers did their best to suppress the truth, the patients were anxious to receive the information (it is interesting to note that the only tape not made available for distribution was the one featuring the talk by Dr. Brind). Dr. Brind was a guest speaker in 2000 at the National Pro-life Conference hosted by Campaign Life Coalition. Everything Dr. Brind presented in his research is confirmed by Dr. Brinton.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced that the United States would provide massive funding over the next five years to promote “reproductive health care and family planning” as a “basic right” around the word. The plan includes potentially siphoning off funds currently directed towards fighting HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis and malaria – real health concerns that affect hundreds of millions of lives. Commemorating the 15th anniversary of the controversial International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Clinton said there were only five years left to achieve that conference’s goal that “all governments will make access to reproductive healthcare and family planning services a basic right.”

During testimony before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee last April, Clinton said that reproductive health includes abortion. However, in January Clinton went further, emphasizing the importance of abortion: “One of President Obama’s first actions in office was to overturn the Mexico City policy [which was a positive pro-life policy], which greatly limited our ability to fund family planning programs.” Since then, nearly $650 million has been appropriated by Congress to international family planning programs. With Clinton’s recent announcement that number is expected to increase substantially in the next few years.

The Ontario Ministry of Education has mandated that every school board in Ontario, Catholic and public, implement the new equity and inclusiveness policy by September 2010, and the Ministry has refused to say whether Catholic schools will be permitted to teach Catholic beliefs on homosexuality under their new Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy. The new strategy requires the Province’s boards to recognize special protections for homosexuals.

Under policies and curriculum designed to address and prevent discrimination, the EIES requires school boards to address areas such as religious accommodation and the prevention of discrimination, which includes combating “homophobia.” While the Ministry will allow school boards latitude in adapting their equity policy to account for “local needs and circumstances,” it is not clear to what extent school boards will be pressured to accept homosexuality at this point. It is also unclear whether Catholic separate schools will be allowed to provide instruction on Church moral teachings regarding homosexuality. Asked by LifeSiteNews.com whether Catholic schools would be allowed to continue to provide instruction according to the Church’s moral teaching on homosexuality, Ministry spokesman Patricia MacNeil, refused to explicitly confirm that they would.

We are concerned about not only Ontario’s Catholic schools but all students who will be subjected to homosexualist propaganda. Furthermore, we are worried that the new mandate will be imposed also on private Christian schools and on home-schooling parents. Also, what takes hold in Ontario will often be accepted elsewhere and it will only be a matter of time until Education Ministries and school boards across the country adopt similar programs.

Therefore, the engagement of Campaign Life Catholic with school board trustees and Catholic bishops is not merely to protect the ability of separate schools to uphold Catholic Church teaching, but prevent the expansion of a social agenda that violates the ability of all parents to raise their children according to their own moral values rather than have those of radical activists. For as Suresh Dominic, a spokesman for Campaign Life Catholic, says the Ministry “is claiming to fight homophobia, but they are really trying to make people accept homosexuality”. As a side note, teachers of the Ontario Catholic school system have begun contacting us with sample lesson plans from various subjects’ all of them incorporating solid Catholic teaching. The timing seems to be right on, so there will undoubtedly be more to come on this.

In a December 17th, 2009 letter to the Chairs of Catholic School Boards and Directors of Education, Bishop Paul Andre DuRocher, chair of the Education Commission, asserts that the “fundamental thrust” of the previously proposed Gender Studies curriculum “reflects an ideology which is at variance with Catholic anthropology and moral teaching” and that the Institute for Catholic Education is currently working on alternative courses for those secondary schools interested in a “wider array of grade 11 and 12 courses in the Social Sciences”, these upcoming courses, “Equity, Diversity & Social Justice” and “Equity and Social Justice Studies: From Theory to Practice” .

Action Item: If you or someone you know is a teacher within the Ontario Catholic School Board and would like to develop/share lesson plans with fellow Catholic school teachers, please call Dan DiRocco at 1-800-730-5358.

This year’s National March for Life, “Abortion: A Crime Against Humanity”, will be held on May 13th, 2010 at noon on Parliament Hill. The yearly candle-light prayer procession through the streets of downtown Ottawa to the Canadian Human Rights Monument will take place on May 12th, 2010 (the eve of the March). On the day of the March, Masses will be celebrated at various Catholic Churches in Ottawa with corresponding prayer services throughout the city for those of other denominations.

On May 14th, 2010, Campaign Life Coalition will be holding the day-long annual National March for Life Youth conference at the Hampton Inn. Some of the speakers for the youth conference include abortion survivor Melissa Ohden and Lila Rose of Live Action Films among many others. Please contact Yoli at 1-800-730-5358 for more information on getting to the National March for Life and/or registering for this year’s Youth Conference.

Provincial Marches for Life will be held across the country the same week. We encourage you to contact your local pro-life groups for more information. We also ask that you please consider helping to arrange buses for church, school and youth groups to the National March for Life and Provincial marches. Let’s ensure that all Canadians know that the abortion issue is not settled, the killing of babies continues and that pro-lifers will not rest until justice for the unborn is restored. Please consider taking a day off from work or school and take your relatives and friends with you. You will return home refreshed and re-energized for the battle.

It’s that time again! The Spring 2010 40 Days for Life campaign will be kicking off on February 17th, 2010. This campaign marks the 3rd such campaign here in Canada and those cities who have participated in the previous campaigns will testify to the grace unleashed by prayer, fasting and community outreach.

Toronto’s 40 Days for Life kick-off rally will be held on Tuesday, February 16th where Bryan Kemper, founder of Stand True Ministries (www.standtrue.com) will be travelling from Dayton, Ohio to address (and surely inspire) the 40 Days vigilers at the convent of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Toronto. Stand True ministries is a Christ-centered pro-life group determined to awaken youth and to share the message of life and the Gospel of Christ. Toronto’s 40 Days for Life vigil site will be located at the “Women’s Care Clinic” (960 Lawrence Ave West) from 7am to 9pm .

Other participating Canadian cities include Montreal, QC, Guelph, ON, Red Deer, AB, Edmonton, AB and Kelowna, BC. There will also be pro-life witnessing during the day throughout the duration of the 40 Days for Life Campaign at Ottawa’s “The Morgentaler Clinic” on Bank Street and in Toronto at the “Cabbagetown Women’s Clinic”

We have recently affirmed Vic Toews, MP (Provencher, MB) for his gutsy letter to the editor of the Hill Times in response to an article exalting “big media” as the only legitimate option for news. The original article, entitled “Now playing forever: the internet’s increasing role as a major player in politics”, suggests that the conventional media outlets should rightfully have primacy over the news for fear that the “jungle of bloggers” will “clog the system making it hard to see the difference between truth and lies and justified and unjustified accusations”.

The article went on to say that where political party websites are concerned, we need “more ‘adult’ and professional supervision”. In his letter to the editor, Vic Toews took the opportunity to acknowledge the condescending tone of the article while sarcastically making the point that the big media is often guilty of the very things of which bloggers and independent news outlets are being accused. “Wow! Imagine that: information that is faulty, incomplete and outright wrong, as well as malicious and some plain lies replacing our present web of all-knowing and forthright media communications.” Toews wrote, “Yes, please continue to provide us with these editors, producers, and responsible journalists to save us from this ‘jungle of bloggers’.”

In the January CLC National News we mistakenly reported that Jacqueline Owen and Jakki Jeffs received the Mother Teresa Award from the Saskatchewan Pro-Life Association. In fact, Mrs. Owen received the Dombowsky Award, which goes to a person in recognition of his or her dedicated service to promoting respect for all human life. We regret the error and confusion, and congratulate both of them on their separate awards.

In financially strapped times, we find ourselves becoming innovative in the attempt to be save our pennies. To this end, we invite anyone who may have an abundance of Air Miles to consider donating their redeemed value in the form of flights. Our work often requires our presence at various conferences throughout North America and abroad (i.e. International Right to Life Federation annual meetings) so your donation will directly help us in travel expenses. Please get in touch with us at the CLC office if you feel you would like to support the cause of life in this way.

An important fundraiser for The Interim and Campaign Life Coalition has been the sale of the Agenda for Life, a calendar/daily planner that helps you organize your time and appointments. It features inspirational quotes, humour, recipes and pro-life facts. Its content is both practical and uplifting.

Order yours today for just $9.95 plus S/H. Over the years, these agendas have proven to be quite valuable in helping people to organize their time and energies. There are bulk prices available where needed and due to the time of the year, significant discounts may apply. Contact us at (416) 204-9749 or 1-800-730-5358 to order yours.

Last year, Interim Publishing was notified by Heritage Canada that they would lose nearly $50,000 in postal subsidies, a big hit to their finances that threatened their future. (Campaign Life Coalition supports The Interim but as we are at our limits financially, there is only so much we can do to help.) That is why we asked you to subscribe to the paper if you receive it and have not paid for it. That would help them cover the costs of printing and mailing the paper.

The response was overwhelming and it put the paper back on a stable footing for now, but with increased postal costs and an advertising rut caused by the recession, they still need support. If you own a company or work for one in which you influence advertising decisions, please consider purchasing an advertisement. The advertising cost counts as a legitimate expense for your business and it will go a long way to helping ensure the long-term viability of the The Interim. Contact the advertising department of the paper by calling (416) 204-1687 or 1-800-730-5358 for rates. When you place an ad announcing a birth or death, please consider placing one in The Interim also.

From time to time, we have a need for a dependable used car for our Toronto staff. As you are well aware, salaries for full-time pro-life workers is below market average so, when the need arises, someone who no longer needs an extra auto, donates to the cause. In the past, due to a recent death in the family or someone elderly surrendering their driver’s license, autos have been offered and gratefully accepted. Please call us if you know that one is available.