Voice of the Family, a worldwide lay Catholic initiative, backs Cardinal Burke's clarion call to promote truth on marriage

The final report of last October's family synod at the Vatican is seriously flawed and contains grave omissions which represent a serious danger to our families, to the sanctity of human life, and to the pro-life movement worldwide, according to an analysis produced by Voice of the Family, a lay Catholic initiative.

This final report forms part of the "Lineamenta" - that is the text written for next October's general synod (2015) - on which there will be worldwide consultation.

Voice of the Family - an initiative of Catholic laity from 23 major pro-life/pro-family organisations on 6 continents - has produced an in-depth analysis of the final report (relatio synodi), which looks at the serious philosophical problems underlying the approach adopted in the report. It also considers the grave omissions. It is striking that the final report of a synod purportedly on the theme, “The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization”, fails to mention abortion, in-vitro fertilisation, embryo experimentation, gender theory, euthanasia, assisted suicide and threats to the freedom to live according to the moral law and the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Meanwhile, since the 2014 October Synod, Cardinal Burke has been tireless in his defence and explanation of Catholic doctrine on marriage. In an interview last week (19th December) in Le Figaro magazine, His Eminence says:

"I am ... very worried, and I call upon all Catholics, laymen, priests, and bishops, to involve themselves, from now up to the upcoming Synodal assembly, in order to highlight the truth on marriage."

Here is an extract from Le Figaro interview:

Were you shocked with what took place in the Synod?

The synod was a difficult experience. There was a line, that of Cardinal Kasper, we might say, behind which lined up those who had in their hands the direction of the synod. In fact, the intermediate document [relatio post disceptationem] seemed to have had already been written before the interventions of the Synodal Fathers! And according to a single line, in favor of the position of Cardinal Kasper... The homosexual question was also introduced, which has no relation with the question of marriage, by looking for positive elements in it. Another highly troubling point: the intermediate text made no reference to Scripture, nor to the Tradition of the Church, nor to the teaching of John Paul II on conjugal love. It was therefore highly off-putting. As also the fact that in the final report were kept paragraphs on homosexuality and the remarried divorcees that had not however been adopted by the requisite majority of bishops.

What are the stakes in what has become a controversy?

In an age filled with confusion, as we see with Gender Theory, we need the teaching of the Church on marriage. Yet, we are on the contrary pushed towards a direction for the admission to communion of divorced and remarried persons. Without mentioning this obsession with lightening the procedures of annulment of the marital bond. All this will lead de facto to a kind of "Catholic divorce", and to the weakening of the indissolubility of marriage, whose principle is nonetheless reaffirmed. However, the Church must defend marriage, and not weaken it. The indissolubility of marriage is not a penance, nor a suffering. It is a great beauty for those who live it, it is a source of joy. I am therefore very worried, and I call upon all Catholics, laymen, priests, and bishops, to involve themselves, from now up to the upcoming Synodal assembly, in order to highlight the truth on marriage.

Inspired by Cardinal Burke's clarion call to all Catholics to promote the truth about marriage, I urge you to read and act upon the Voice of the Family report - which concludes:

Action points

• Please join the Voice of the Family prayer campaign for the Cardinals and Bishops attending the Ordinary Synod in 2015; may they reaffirm the Catholic faith as taught by the Magisterium for twenty centuries
• Please write to your bishops and parish clergy and make them aware of the problems with the approach being adopted at the Synod and ask them reaffirm the Catholic faith

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SPUC branch puts the unborn child at centre of Christmas celebration

The Rutland and Melton branch of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children has, for many years, entered a tree in their town's Christmas Tree festival at St. Mary's C of E Church.

Frances Levett, SPUC's local leader in Melton, tells me:

"The festival, as usual, was supported by hundreds of local organisations and individuals who entered almost 1,000 trees in total, about 300 of which were large themed trees like our own.

"It is always a challenge to put anything pro-life in a public showcase without attracting accusations that we are causing offence. Round the tree was a ribbon asking visitors to question themselves, "When does life begin?"

"All credit must go to a new member, Ruth Escreet
Ruth also made silver bows with a tiny baby in the centre waving at us, and Sandra Ford made black and white baby photos. I hope you will agree that the result was elegant and tasteful, while making our pro-life point effectively. Perhaps a tribute to this may be found in the fact that the church included our tree as one in their children's quiz: "Find the tree with the baby on top". It's  interesting that they did not say, "The one with the foetus on top!"

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Glasgow midwives lose fight for conscientious objection

The Supreme Court has rejected the opportunity to uphold the right of conscientious objection for senior midwives who refuse to supervise abortions performed on a labour ward. Today's decision issued in the Supreme Court has been condemned by those who backed the Glasgow midwives' fight for their right to work in the NHS without being involved in abortions.

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) which paid the midwives’ legal expenses throughout the case has said that senior midwives who refuse to kill babies could be forced to leave the profession.

Mary Doogan and Connie Wood (pictured right), the midwives in the case, commented on the judgment:

“We are both saddened and extremely disappointed with today's verdict from the Supreme Court and can only imagine the subsequent detrimental consequences that will result from today's decision on staff of conscience throughout the UK.

“Despite it having been recognised that the number of abortions on the labour ward at our hospital is in fact a tiny percentage of the workload, which in turn could allow the accommodation of conscientious objection with minimal effort, this judgment, with its constraints and narrow interpretation, has resulted in the provision of a conscience clause which now in practice is meaningless for senior midwives on a labour ward.”

Paul Tully, general secretary of SPUC said:

“The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children acknowledges the great debt that the whole pro-life community owes to Mary Doogan and Connie Wood for fighting this battle over the past seven years. They have fought not only for their own careers, but for all current and future members of the profession who uphold the right to life of everyone, from the time of conception, without discrimination. We are bitterly disappointed for them.

“Today's decision sadly makes it likely that senior midwives who refuse to kill babies will be forced to leave the profession. Junior midwives might still be able to work in labour wards where abortions are performed but they will be restricted to 'staff midwife' status at best. They could easily be placed in an impossible situation by pro-abortion superiors, and would be unable to receive promotion to a more senior role without fear of being required to violate their consciences. This will affect anyone who objects to abortion, of any religion or none. It will create a second-class status in midwifery for those who only deliver babies and don't kill them.

“Furthermore, the court has used the opportunity of this case to decide that the conscience clause in the Abortion Act does not apply to General Practitioners and that hospital doctors asked to prescribe abortion drugs will not be covered by the conscience clause. We anticipate that this will lead to renewed efforts by health officials to force doctors who have a conscientious objection to abortion either to compromise their respect for human life or to leave the profession. SPUC will support and encourage doctors to resist any such bullying approach.

“The pro-abortion lobby has long argued that conscientious objectors should be required to refer women seeking legal abortion to other practitioners. Bodies such as the Department of Health have qualified this by saying that this only applies when the statutory grounds for a legal abortion apply, but the Supreme Court has said that any medical professional who refuses to provide an abortion should arrange for a referral to someone else who will do so. This seems to go far beyond the scope of the Abortion Act, and furthermore is not even an issue there was any need for the Court to decide in this case.

“The Court has nevertheless said that midwives and doctors with conscientious objections are obliged to refer abortion patients to colleagues who don't object to abortion. This goes further than the General Medical Council, for instance, whose current guidance Personal Belief and Medical Practice says that doctors should refer patients to another doctor, but does not require them to check their colleague's pro-abortion credentials.”

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