The annual March for Life — which draws many thousands of pro-life people to the National Mall each January — has revealed the 2022 theme of this big event: “Equality Begins in the Womb.”

The new theme was announced Wednesday by March for Life president Jeanne Mancini at the Heritage Foundation, where she was joined by Kay Cole James, president of the organization; Carrie Severino, president of Judicial Crisis Network; Ryan Bomberger, co-founder of the Radiance Foundation; and Dr. Grazie Christie, a radiologist and policy advisor for The Catholic Association.

“The pro-life movement recognizes the immense responsibility this nation bears to restore equal rights to its most defenseless citizens in the womb. Since Roe v. Wade, scientific advances have undeniably confirmed the humanity of the unborn, and today most Americans agree there should be significant limits on abortion,” Ms. Mancini said.

The 49th annual March for Life, the world’s largest annual human rights demonstration, will be held on Jan. 21. Find the details at MarchforLife.org.

https://washingtontimes.com/news/2021/oct/27/inside-beltway-mandates-disrupt-talk-radio/
___________________________________________________________

2. Biden’s meeting with pope puts spotlight on Catholic Church rifts, President’s positions violate teachings, exacerbate tensions, By Jeff Mordock, The Washington Times, October 28, 2021, Pg. A5

President Biden‘s meeting with Pope Francis on Friday highlights a growing divide within the Catholic Church over the president’s policies that are out of step with the church doctrine.

…

Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote.org, a conservative advocacy group, said Mr. Biden is “overwhelmingly unpopular” among Catholics who regularly practice their faith and attend mass. However, Catholics who don’t subscribe to all the tenets of the church or attend mass regularly have a more favorable opinion of Mr. Biden, he noted.

“These people are less soured on him because he is one of them. Someone who includes all of the trappings but isn’t fully embracing the faith,” Mr. Burch said.

Mr. Biden‘s effort to walk the tightrope of openly displaying his faith while overlooking the church‘s teachings on abortion and other issues has already landed him in hot water with the Catholic bishops.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/oct/27/bidens-meeting-pope-francis-puts-spotlight-rifts-c/
___________________________________________________________

3. Standing up for life: Why America’s quest for equality should include unborn children, Equality is not a concept that can be applied only to certain groups of people; it belongs to everyone or to no one, By Jeanne Mancini, USA Today, October 27, 2021, Opinion

From the halls of Congress to dining room tables in the heartland, Americans have been discussing the meaning of equality. The term is often invoked but rarely defined in contemporary debates about the COVID-19 pandemic, racial justice protests and many other subjects.

Such discussions are crucial for the health of America, but they lack a critical element. While nearly everyone agrees that equality is important, there is little agreement on what it means and how it should be applied to important policy questions.

That is why March for Life has selected “Equality Begins in the Womb” as the theme for the 49th annual March for Life. We want to expand the debate about equality to include unborn babies, who are often overlooked because they cannot speak for themselves.

There is real value in creating a culture that recognizes the inherent dignity of every life. When it comes to this dignity, skin color doesn’t matter, disability status doesn’t matter, socioeconomic background doesn’t matter; what matters is the fact that every life is precious and should be protected. 

…

As a society, we won’t achieve true equality until we recognize abortion stands in the way.

Jeanne Mancini is president of March for Life.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/10/27/abortion-equality-must-include-unborn-children/6136660001/
___________________________________________________________

4. After my unborn son’s fatal diagnosis, doctors seemed determined to change my ‘choice’, I was in the dark shadows of the ultrasound room when I first heard the words ‘incompatible with life.’ I didn’t understand. He was already alive., By Monica Canetta, USA Today, October 28, 2021, 8:01 AM, Opinion

So many women facing a terminal diagnosis do so alone. They suffer greatly, unjustly deprived of a supportive community. Too often that injustice begins in the doctor’s office, where women are berated with so-called choices but in reality left feeling as if they only have one. I had to fight for respect for my choice to bring my terminally ill baby into the world, and until I found truly supportive medical care, the doctor’s office was the only place where I did not feel sustained.

Women deserve better than false choices shrouded in medicine. Matteo’s story is a testament to the truth that suffering and grief can deepen our love for one another. It only took one doctor willing to accompany me to open a world of love. It should not be the exception to the norm.

Monica Canetta is a high school Italian instructor in Boston and a former science teacher.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2021/10/28/abortion-medical-care-baby-pro-life/8565731002/
___________________________________________________________

5. Italian Senate blocks controversial ‘anti-homophobia’ bill, By Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency, October 28, 2021, 5:00 AM

A bill to introduce “anti-homophobia” legislation in Italy, harshly criticized by pro-family leaders and Catholics, failed in the Italian Senate on Wednesday.

The proposed law, known as “Ddl Zan,” was voted down 154 to 131, with two abstentions.

The legislation had been under examination by the senate for 11 months after the text received initial approval from the lower house of parliament in November last year.

Italy’s Catholic bishops had spoken out against the bill, which they said had the potential to infringe on the civil liberties of those opposed to same-sex unions.

…

Controversy erupted in June when the Vatican Secretariat of State raised concerns about parts of the proposed legislation’s text in a two-page letter leaked to the press.

…

The Vatican’s intervention was harshly criticized by Italian celebrities and politicians, including Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who commented on the note in a senate session on June 23.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249424/italian-senate-blocks-controversial-anti-homophobia-bill
___________________________________________________________

6. Taiwan says Vatican relations ‘open and smooth’ despite reports of China pressure, By The Pillar, October 27, 2021

A government official in Taiwan has said that diplomatic relations with the Holy See remain open and normal, after Italian media reported that the Vatican is under pressure from Beijing to sever ties with Taiwan, which it regards as a renegade Chinese province.

“The friendly relations between Taiwan and the Vatican remain solid, and two-way communication channels remain open and smooth,” said Joanne Ou, spokesperson for the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry, during a press conference Monday.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/oct/26/lgbtq-advocates-renew-challenges-religious-foster-/
___________________________________________________________

7. Chinese bishop who has resisted CPCA again disappears, By Michelle La Rosa, The Pillar, October 27, 2021

A Chinese bishop who has refused to register with the Communist-run Catholic Church in the country has disappeared, with local reports suggesting he has been kidnapped.

Bishop Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou was officially removed for a compulsory “vacation” according to International Christian Concern. However, local news outlets say the bishop has been kidnapped by authorities. The bishop has previously disappeared for weeks or months at a time, and has reportedly been subject to repeated brainwashing efforts by the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CPCA).

The latest disappearance comes just ahead of the month of November, which in Catholic tradition is a time of prayer for the dead. In past years, Communist authorities have barred the entrance to the local cemetery so Catholics are unable to pray there, AsiaNews reported.

…

Despite the 2018 Vatican-China deal – renewed in 2020 – that was intended to provide recognition and protection for members of the underground Church in China, some Catholic leaders in the country say their congregations have faced continued and even intensifying persecution in recent years.

The text of the deal has never been made public, but it involves the appointment of bishops. Despite the deal, Communist authorities have continued to detain underground Catholics and to bulldoze churches.

https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/chinese-bishop-who-has-resisted-cpca
___________________________________________________________

8. Vatican official: Bombs have not destroyed faith of Syria’s Christians, By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service, October 27, 2021

While much of the world has forgotten about the war in Syria and the extreme poverty plaguing most of its people, Pope Francis has not forgotten the Syrian people and the Christians there who continue to witness to the faith, said Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches.

At the end of a meeting with the country’s bishops in Damascus Oct. 26, the cardinal announced that Pope Francis had sent $10,000 for each of the nation’s bishops to use to meet the greatest needs in his diocese or eparchy, according to information released at the Vatican.

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-middle-east/2021/10/vatican-official-bombs-have-not-destroyed-faith-of-syrias-christians/
___________________________________________________________

9. Catholic Church in Germany releases first climate protection report, By Catholic News Service, October 27, 2021

The Catholic Church should take a leading role in protecting the environment and addressing climate change, said the bishop who is the commissioner for environmental and climate issues at the German bishops’ conference.

“We take our responsibility for creation seriously. As the Catholic Church, we should not sit at the back of the train but rather be at the front as far as possible,” Bishop Rolf Lohmann said during a presentation Oct. 25 in Bonn of the German Catholic Church’s first report on climate and environmental protection.

Lohmann said the report outlines progress on environmental protection as well as difficulties that individual parishes and other church entities face in responding to climate change, the German Catholic news agency KNA reported.

The 125-page study summarizes current climate protection measures being undertaken by individual dioceses, church organizations and aid agencies. Priorities cited include environmentally friendly building management, mobility and sustainable economics.

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2021/10/catholic-church-in-germany-releases-first-climate-protection-report/
___________________________________________________________