Yet another haunting poem

                                 The Mother by Gwendolyn Brooks

Abortions will not let you forget.

You remember the children you got that you did not get,

The damp small pulps with a little or with no hair,

The singers and workers that never handled the air.

You will never neglect or beat

Them, or silence or buy with a sweet.

You will never wind up the sucking-thumb

Or scuttle off ghosts that come.

You will never leave them, controlling your luscious sigh,

Return for a snack of them, with gobbling mother-eye.

I have heard in the voices of the wind the voices of my dim killed

children.

I have contracted. I have eased

My dim dears at the breasts they could never suck.

I have said, Sweets, if I sinned, if I seized

Your luck

And your lives from your unfinished reach,

If I stole your births and your names,

Your straight baby tears and your games,

Your stilted or lovely loves, your tumults, your marriages, aches,

and your deaths,

If I poisoned the beginnings of your breaths,

Believe that even in my deliberateness I was not deliberate.

Though why should I whine,

Whine that the crime was other than mine?--

Since anyhow you are dead.

Or rather, or instead,

You were never made.

But that too, I am afraid,

Is faulty: oh, what shall I say, how is the truth to be said?

You were born, you had body, you died.

It is just that you never giggled or planned or cried.

Believe me, I loved you all.

Believe me, I knew you, though faintly, and I loved, I loved you

All.

Another poem on abortion

Courtesy of Counter Cultural Father and 'Uncomfortably Glum'



And a small tribute to St David of Wales (and, especially Pembrokeshire)

St David, Ora Pro Nobis

Mary the Mother of our God - Pray for Wales - Pray for us all

Our Lady of Cardigan - Ora Pro Nobis

Pray for Cardiff and, if you can....

......come and join the 40 Days vigil this Wednesday 20th February from 2pm onwards.

One of the founders of the movement, David Bereit, will be there and the forces of those who are for abortion are also planning to be there in force.

The organisers have asked, as always, that attendance is peaceful and prayerful.

Those pro abortionists have a Facebook entry that clearly shows their hatred. It also shows that they are planning to collect cash from the passing public to support the abortion clinics. This is, of course, illegal without a special licence.

The main activist appears to be a Hannah Austin, a feminist and activist on behalf of women's rights (but not as far as their physical and mental well being apparently) and I suggest that Rosaries are offered up on this woman's behalf.

Hannah and her friends have produced a banner stating 'Get your Rosaries off our ovaries'- that tells you the level of their debating abilities.

 Register beforehand if you are able, on the 40 Days for Life Cardiff website.


Our Lady of Wales, pray for us and those who oppose the right to life, especially life in the mother's womb.

"I quite like abortion"

Yesterday's 40 Days for Life Vigil in St Mary's Street, Cardiff was a lively affair (at least from 3pm onwards when we joined the little group who prayed so fervently outside the abortion clinic).

                                  Those against Life.....................

Mrs L and myself had booked in for a one hour slot from 3pm until 4pm. We sang the Salve Regina, prayed the Rosary, recited the Divine Mercy Chaplet and, in between, chatted and laughed among ourselves; after all, for the general public to see Christians keeping vigil with smiling faces, must be almost as good as praying.
We also got soaking wet from the incessant rain.

Being an inveterate people watcher I found the response of passers by fascinating.

Most expressed a look of disgust or even anger, a few gawped vacantly, some were obviously in mental tutting mode and one young man called out as he went past at pace: "God bless you all".
That was a most welcome blessing and may God bless him also.

And then, on the stroke of four, just as a sit down and a cup of hot coffee beckoned, a young woman appeared and entered into debate with Colleen the local organiser present and Mrs Linen. Due to traffice noise I could not hear all of what the young woman was saying but, apparently the gist was:

 " This is only the concern of the woman herself and it is her perfect right to choose abortion if she so wishes, and, what is more, she is only getting rid of a parasite"

A Parasite? - I have never heard that word used to describe an unborn child. In truth it shocked me.

Meanwhile, Mark from Perth came under fire from a couple of young men who then transferred their attention to me. They took a theological approach claiming that there was no such thing as a soul and then they went on to why the Holy Father was retiring ("because of his links to child abuse").

I try to avoid such debates because I have a very short fuse that becomes even shorter when faced with banal arguments. I tried hard to hold on to the fact that these young men were much loved by God, and it seemed to work as we entered into a bantering sort of debate with a great deal of smiling and laughter.

Finally, thet set up an impromptu counter vigil opposite proclaiming: "I quite like abortion" - but they lasted less than ten minutes before they moved on.

By then it was around 3.45pm but before we could take our leave an uproar broke out as gangs of homeless young men, with cans of extra strong lager in their hands, clashed violently and bloodily opposite.
An event unconnected with the vigil but somewhat unnerving nonetheless.

                                     .........and those for Life

How could we walk away with so much action taking place?
 By now, our numbers were down to four in total.
We held on until Mary arrived but then a middle aged woman began to harangue us in a most unpleasant fashion. As always, the organising representatives, were cool and, to all appearances, unconcerned, the prayers continued without pause; there are some that are beyond reason and this woman was one of them, please pray for her and the others who opposed the vigil and the cause.

Finally, at 5.40pm we broke off and limped away, determined to return to fight another day.

The Cardiff organisers have put out a call for male volunteers to register for the 4pm to 8pm slot on Saturday night - at present they only have women signed up and it looks like being a rough slot.

It would be a wonderful thing if a parish group could respond so that the numbers were into double figures, please pray that this will happen.

A "parasite"

                           

           

Training midwives in the dark art

The dark art being, of course, abortion.

It would seem unthinkable that a woman (most midwives are women) who has dedicated her career to aiding the safe delivery of a baby and the pre and post natal care of the mother, should even contemplate the act of abortion let alone become an abortionist.

But that is what an American organisation called Ipas is doing, recruiting and training midwives to become destroyers of life.

Here is their proud claim to fame:-

Is this the most evil computer game in the world?

Since 2001, Ipas has trained more than 10,000 midwives in abortion and 
postabortion care because we believe that midwives are an integral part of 
reproductive health care. From Nepal to Nigeria, these trained midwives contribute 
to better maternal health and fewer deaths from unsafe abortion

Ipas has also developed what they call an "innovative computer game" designed to guide a young woman through the stages beginning with a missed period and culminating in termination - end game!


If you have the stomach to read their glib copy, you can find out about the "game" HERE

It is only a question of time before such "initiatives" are made freely available in Britain.

BPAS has some guidance on the issue using what must be the most inappropriate wording possible, for example, when discussing manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) the process whereby, in the early stages of pregnancy, the infant is hoovered out of the womb, they describe as being a "gentle hand-operated" process. Weasel wording if ever was.

Here is part of their sales pitch:-

"Can appropriately-trained nurses safely carry out abortion procedures?
Yes. Forty years ago when the Abortion Act was drafted, today’s modern, less invasive early abortion methods were not available and the nursing role was much more restricted. Nurses already carry out several modern early abortion procedures including early medical abortion (the ‘abortion pill’ method), but can’t prescribe the medicine for this, due to the restrictions of the present law2. Manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) is a method of early surgical abortion (offered from 4 weeks’ to 12 weeks’ gestation), which removes the pregnancy using a gentle hand-operated suction pump3 and does not require full anaesthesia. The level of technical skill required to do this is of a similar level to fitting a contraceptive ‘coil’ (IUD/IUS) which BPAS’ and NHS family-planning trained nurses already routinely do, but because of the specifications of the 1967 law, appropriately-trained abortion nurses are not able to offer this to women".

The moves to train midwives to destroy rather than save may backfire on the likes of BPAS as, in general, I do believe that the British public have a rather traditional view of the midwife as a homely, maternal sort of character who orders up gallons of hot water before skilfully delivering a healthy baby and slapping it on the back.

The actress, Miranda Hart has aided this image of wholesome goodness in her series 'Call the midwife' - it would be hard to imagine the television viewing public being similarly enamoured if she was to start killing life in the womb rather than delivering a bonny baby.

Daily Telegraph readers vote to abort abortion

The Daily Telegraph's Science correspondent, Nick Collins, (no relation) reports on the Minister for Women and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Maria Miller's wish to reduce the 24 week abortion allowance to 20 weeks.
OK......yes, I can see that it's a step in the right direction and an important one.

                        
                                 Picture: 40 Days for Life

But, what is more telling is the Telegraph's informal poll on the various aspects of abortion that would be acceptable to the individual.

You may see the poll HERE and, indeed, add your vote if you so wish.

The bottom 'tick circle' is the one in favour of a total ban on abortion, the one we all are in favour of.

16.57% of voters wanted to maintain the 20 week status quo, 11.37% were in favour of a reduction down to 20 weeks but.....BUT........a staggering 54.18% have so far voted in favour of a complete ban.

Mr Cameron........David......Dave......please listen to the people for a change and forget all those trendy vote catchy type moves you are making and take a long, hard look at what abortion means.

What are the fruits of abortion?

Murder most foul of innocent babes, terrible psychological impacts on the women who undergo abortion and a society that loses all respect and charity for the sanctity of life.

If you have not already done so.....try to join A Forty Days' for Life prayer vigil from now until 4th November.

It is a profound and moving experience to bear witness to Jesus Christ in this way.

HERE is their website for full details.

Outside the abortuary - Report from Bath

Well done to the SPUC group who turned out in force in Bath last week despite media hype that suggested that the opposition was going to be "active".

Here's their account:-

"Small group turned up who tried to oppose us. We thwarted them by turning up an hour earlier.
 SPUC - Thirtyfive + seven children. Opposition - 12.
What a relief as it was imagined a 100 were coming to give us a drubbing after all the incitement in the local paper and radio publicity. Phew!

Grateful thanks to all who supported us with their prayers, time, and support and especially the priests of the Bath Deanery who were so encouraging in the face of the storm."

BPAS: Rattled as a Rattlesnake in Rattleshire

Abortionist advertisement by Marie Stopes in the BMJ

Courtesy of the Daily Mail

'New doctors will be put off from providing abortion services after recent pro-life protests at clinics around the UK, medical providers have warned.

Activists from groups such as '40 Days for Life' have been holding daily prayer vigils outside clinics run by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service in London.

Although the group claim their protests are peaceful some have accused them of intimidation. Last month one woman complained she was filmed leaving a BPAS clinic.

Abortion providers said trainee medics will also be put off from training as the service has recently come under intense political scrutiny. A spokesman for the BPAS said: 'Abortion is a vital yet stigmatised area of women's healthcare which few doctors train in. The current politicisation of abortion provision is likely to make it even harder to recruit a future generation of abortion doctors who are prepared to provide the care that a third of women will need in the course of their lifetimes.'

In other words: "Don't even think about 'turning the clock' back or of campaigning against what we do because otherwise doctors won't come forward to kill the unborn"...

A couple of things become apparent in this recent bit of media engineering by BPAS. Firstly, they are complaining of the current 'politicisation' of abortion provision. Well, back in 1967 and the years running up to that fateful year, I guess BPAS were not concerned about the 'politicisation' of the issue of abortion. After all, abortion was part of the 'women's liberation' and the 'sexual revolution' movement in general. There were banners, there were placards, there were demands for 'choice'. It was highly charged and a heavily politicised issue. If it hadn't been so 'politicised', I guess the Abortion Act wouldn't have passed.

BPAS and Marie Stopes continue to lobby the Government for wider access to be made available for abortion services in the United Kingdom. BPAS don't have a problem with politicising abortion. What they do have a problem with is not being in control of the debate. The activities of 40 Days for Life, The Telegraph's investigation, as well as the recent Care Quality Commission findings about illegal procedures taking place at clinics is throwing the spotlight on the abortion issue in a way that makes BPAS a little uncomfortable. And, uncomfortable, they most definitely should be. BPAS are upset not because the issue is politicised, but because they are no longer in control of the debate. In fact, they are uncomfotable because, suddenly, there is a debate.

There has been significant and more clamourous protests against abortion in the United States for a long time since Roe Vs Wade, but that has not stopped Planned Parenthood from extending its services all across the US. Similarly, however, Planned Parenthood is now worried because similarly illegal activities have been exposed in the US. Will pro-life campaigning, awareness-raising and prayer vigils impact on the number of doctors willing to become abortionists in the UK? It is hard to say, but then this is an issue of freedom of speech and until the day that it becomes illegal for people to bear witness to the unborn outside clinics, pro-lifers can surely only hope and pray that such vigils awaken the conscience of not just doctors performing abortion, nor just doctors thinking of applying for work as abortionists, but indeed that of the whole nation.

The BPAS statement also throws some light on whose choice an abortion really is: It is not the choice of the mother - the mother exercises choice in giving her consent - the real choice is that of the doctor who performs the procedure and the choice for that doctor is to hold life and death in his or her hands and to choose death for the unborn. The procedure is not carried out by the woman, but by the doctor. It is interesting to note, too, that actually, not many doctors want to go into this area of work. Now, why could that be?

Thanks to one of my readers for pointing out to me the Daily Mail's other interesting story today for pro-lifers. Apparently, babies are being medicated in the womb to prevent them from becoming obese. Whatever you think about that, because personally I think it is highly dubious, well done to the Mail for recognising the humanity of the pre-born. I suppose its better than killing them because they've inherited the 'fat gene'. Yes, that's right - incredible as it may appear to modern eyes and ears, babies in the womb really are babies and Robbie Williams already knows his unborn baby is a girl! Good for you, Robbie, good for you. All of these stories aren't good for BPAS. Ah well, too bad...

Kudos to Forty Days for Life!

This organisation and the others who took part in the crusade that has just ended are to be congratulated on their quiet but firm spiritual approach to campaigning against abortion and the effects that it carries with it to those who participate and especially to those women who undergo this treatment.
We were providentially fortunate in being able to join the Melbourne group but, it would have been a real spiritual challenge to face the venom of the demonic in Bedford Square when Bishop Alan Hopes led the group in prayer.

The location was the BPAS abortuary in London's Bedford Square.

And the acronym BPAS? What does it stand for?

British Pregnancy Abortion Service!!!!

The Back-Street Abortionists

The Back-Street Abortionists

There was a time you could go and see a back-street abortionist

A time you could go and see a back-street abortionist

Have your unborn baby killed by a back-street abortionist

But we left those 'dark days' behind!

There was a time you’d be imprisoned as a back-street abortionist

A time you’d be imprisoned as a back-street abortionist

Killin' babies was illegal while there were some who supported it

But we left those 'dark days' behind!

Lord Steele had an idea he said,

“Let’s move the abortionists!”

Said: “Here’s an idea! Let’s move the abortionists!”

So we moved the abortionists and for over 40 years

Let them kill babies noon, sunset, sunrise

Oh, whatever happened to those back-street abortionists?

Whatever happened to those back-street abortionists?

Maybe they just became the front-street abortionists

As they were told that they had ‘served their time’

Now you can go and see your front-street abortionist

You can go and see your front-street abortionist

Have your unborn babies killed by your front-street abortionist

 'Cos nothing’s sacred, not even your baby’s life!

Kill your babies at the front-street abortionists!

Kill your babies at the front-street abortionists!

Kill your babies at the front-street abortionists!

That’s the message of ‘Abortion Rights’!

Kill your babies at the front-street abortionists!

Say, “It’s my body!”

As they sling a bag of babies in!

Cry, "It's my body!"

As they sling another bag of babies in!

Into the bin outside!

Kill your babies at the front-street abortionists!

Kill your babies at the front-street abortionists!

Say, “It’s my choice!”

No, dear, its the choice of the abortionist

The one with the pills, hoover, knife

The one who takes your baby’s life

The ones who used to be 'inside'

In those 'dark days' when child murder was a crime

(Optional Extra Verse)

Lord Steele
Here's an idea!
Let's close the abortionists!
Here's an idea!
Let's move the abortionists!
Let's move the abortionists, back where they really oughta sit
In a prison cell for their crime
Until they've really 'served their time'
 Then we can say: 'We've left those dark days behind...'

Save a child, if you're near Brighton

This email came through this morning, it speaks for itself:

I just received this from Kym, one of the organisers of the 40 Days For Life vigil in Brighton.  please consider helping them out.  The clinic is closed at the weekend but they are keen to keep the vigil going as the aim is to see it closed all the time.    

Many thanks,

Andy

Dear ALL Fellow Pro-Lifers,

We are in need of filling quite a few hour slots this weekend PLEASE can you take a look at the vigil [contact on the email address below for details] & see if you can spare an hour to join us.

Caroline & I are going to leaflet Chatsworth Road in the afternoon to get to know our neighbours & give them information about 40 Days for Life & the present Abortion situation.

We will therefore not be free to stand outside the clinic.

Thanks for ALL your prayers & the hours you have already put in. This is a battle but we will win the war; God is on our side.

We hope to see as many of you as possible on Monday eve at 7:30pm outside the clinic to share what God is doing & encourage us for the last 20 days.

Please email: 40daysforlifebrighton@gmail.com

God Bless you

Kym Reeves

Monitoring the Monitor

Do these men believe abortion should be merely 'restricted' 'incrementally''?

As Catholics we are well aware that here in the United Kingdom, various laws established by Her Majesty's Government mean that we are as far from the St Augustine's vision of The City of God as we could possibly be. We know that this is no utopia.

We know that the scourge of abortion isn't simply going to end tomorrow. We know that there are too many vested interests involved in the abortion industry for that to take place. We know that because of Original Sin, our elected leaders continue to delude themselves that the choice of abortion that condemns thousands of innocent unborn children to death every year should continue to be made widely available. We know that mothers continue to choose death for their unborn child, over life, for many reasons, none of which are justifiable. We know that doctors and nurses continue to go against basic medical ethics in carrying out this evil, ghastly and monstrous procedure.

We know all of this. That doesn't, however, stop us wishing, hoping, writing, campaigning, petitioning and indeed praying for an immediate end to the grave and horrific injustice of abortion in the United Kingdom. As Catholics, we want abortion to end. When do we want it to end? Yesterday.

Unfortunately, the Catholic Voices Monitor blog, while making a really quite eloquent defense of the Catholic Society at the heart of a controversy involving the UCLU Student Union and its denial of the Society's freedom of speech, has suggested that, at least in the eyes of 'the Monitor', the Bishops of England and Wales take a more moderate and nuanced view on abortion and how it should be defeated.

'But in reality, Catholics on campus have nothing to fear. The motion contains no definition of "pro-choice"; if it means simply someone who accepts that abortion should be legal, most Catholics -- including the bishops of England and Wales, who advocate incremental restrictions, but not yet a total ban -- would fit that description.'

Now, I know that 'some Catholics' were hoping for a statement from the Archbishop of Westminster defending His Grace's flock at the UCLU, preferably in public. Unless someone can correct me, that has yet to happen. We know that the Catholic Voices project is not used as merely a PR operation for the Bishops of England and Wales, because that is what we are frequently told, so surely whoever wrote this anonymous Catholic Voices Monitor blog post either knows something about the Bishops' position on abortion which we hitherto did not, or he or she is presuming to know the minds of the Bishops of England and Wales without asking them and is, indeed, speaking on their behalf in a quite shocking and scandalous way.

I truly hope that whoever wrote that total misrepresentation of the Faith of the Church is sacked, because it is not just the mind of the Bishops that s/he is presuming to know, but indeed 'most Catholics'. Does the author of the blog post believe that the Holy Father, I wonder, falls into this category, because from what I have read of His Holiness's views on abortion, we can safely believe would be really rather happy for all Governments around the World to do what Hungary has just done and draw up a law protecting the rights of the unborn, I believe, without exception.

I don't accept that abortion should be legal. I do not believe that murder of the innocent unborn should be a 'right' in the United Kingdom. I do not favour 'incremental' restrictions, since who are we to decide who is worthy of living and who is worthy of dying at the hands of doctors and nurses? I advocate a total ban on abortion and I had always thought that nothing less than a total and immediate end to abortion in the United Kingdom would satisfy their Lordships because, as Successors of the Apostles, their Lordships are on the side of the defenseless unborn - on the side of Justice and on the side of Christ.

Neither the Catholic Voices project nor the Bishops Conference of England and Wales have been called to defend the Catholic Faith in the public square by promoting moral positions which are held by 'most Catholics', since if 99.999999999999% of all Catholics in the whole World believed that red was blue and the only Catholic in the whole World who believed that red was red was the Pope, the Pope would still be right and 99.99999999999% of all Catholics would still be wrong. Both Catholic Voices and the Bishops Conference of England and Wales have been called to defend the Faith of the Catholic Church and the Faith of the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church wants abortion to end yesterday. For the Bishops to desire anything else would be an insult to God, a shocking neglect of the innocent unborn, a source of confusion for the Faithful and a betrayal of their Apostolic mission to bring Salvation, rather than destruction and damnation to the World.

It would appear that the author of that 'Monitor' blog post believes that 'most Catholics' are Catholic in name only and that among them are the Bishops Conference of England and Wales. I hope and pray that whoever wrote what appeared on the Monitor blog does not speak for the Bishops of England and Wales. Whoever, wrote it, I tell you now, you don't speak for me and I, as you know, am a Catholic. It's no wonder that one of the co-ordinators of Catholic Voices wants John Smeaton's head on a silver platter.

The Diary of an Unborn Child

Who could fail to be touched by this post written by Fr Bernhard Speringer ORC. For British readers, substitute Mommy for Mummy etc.

October 5: Today my life began. My parents don’t know it yet, but I am here. I’m a girl; I’ll have blonde hair and blue eyes. All my genetic imprints are present, also that I will have a weakness for flowers.....


Read the diary in full here at KATH.NET and, of course, be ready for the shock.

Stand back! - I'm armed and will not hesitate to defend myself!

I have had a series of nasty communiques from someone representing the abortion lobby (not so much lobby as thuggish bloodthirsty mob).

At first I was a shade nonplussed. Why me? There are many more eloquent defenders of human life out there...what have I done to deserve this diatribe...and on a post totally unrelated to life and murder issues.

And then I became a little puffed up that "the mob" had deemed me worthy of such illiterate, unbalanced rants, but that soon disappeared.
There is no merit to being attacked in such an apparently harmless way; harmless because it was not a series of threats to my loved ones or a violent physical attack, just an unpleasant rant with horrific terms and phrases with regard to the child in the womb.
The only harm was to my privacy; the fact that unwholesome views and words had invaded my combox.

Then, of course, I realised that I was not in the way of harm.

I am well armed with lethal weapons.

In my right hand is my Rosary and to the left of my front door is a holy water stoup. Nothing can hurt me! God is my Father!

But a prayer or two on behalf of those "Anonymous" commentators will not go amiss.

I have deleted their comments and, sadly, from now on, will no longer publish 'Anonymous' entries. If you have to comment anonymously, please add your name or nom de plume at the end of the comment.
Thank you.

                            Pope Benedict's prayer for the unborn child

Lord Jesus,
You who faithfully visit and fulfill with your Presence
the Church and the history of men;
You who in the miraculous Sacrament of your Body and Blood
render us participants in divine Life
and allow us a foretaste of the joy of eternal Life;
We adore and bless you.

Prostrated before You, source and lover of Life,
truly present and alive among us, we beg you.

Reawaken in us respect for every unborn life,
make us capable of seeing in the fruit of the maternal womb
the miraculous work of the Creator,
open our hearts to generously welcoming every child
that comes into life.

Bless all families,
sanctify the union of spouses,
render fruitful their love.

Accompany the choices of legislative assemblies
with the light of your Spirit,
so that peoples and nations may recognize and respect
the sacred nature of life, of every human life.

Guide the work of scientists and doctors,
so that all progress contributes to the integral well-being of the person,
and no one endures suppression or injustice.

Give creative charity to administrators and economists,
so they may realize and promote sufficient conditions
so that young families can serenely embrace
the birth of new children.

Console the married couples who suffer
because they are unable to have children
and in Your goodness provide for them.

Teach us all to care for orphaned or abandoned children,
so they may experience the warmth of your Charity,
the consolation of your divine Heart.

Together with Mary, Your Mother, the great believer,
in whose womb you took on our human nature,
we wait to receive from You, our Only True God and Saviour,
the strength to love and serve life,
in anticipation of living forever in You,
in communion with the Blessed Trinity.



Let's join with the USA!

The historic and catastrophic Roe vs Wade case had its anniversary yesterday and, thanks to Fr Shelton I have learnt that it is now a national day of penance for American Catholics, dedicated to the preservation of life and against acts that violate the human body.

When the 22nd January falls on a Sunday, then the penitential day moves to the Monday. So today we mourn; and pray; and offer up our Masses if we are fortunate enough to be able to attend a weekday Mass.

It seems to me that the whole Catholic world needs to be mindful of today's anniversary and to join with America in offering up acts of mortification in reparation for the slaughter of the innocents.

I will not quote the numbers of infants murdered in their mother's womb - just one would be one too many.

But a prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe would not go amiss, along with whatever form of penance you are able to commit to.

        OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE - PROTECTRESS OF THE UNBORN

Holy Mother of God and of the Church, our Lady of Guadalupe, you were chosen by the Father for the Son through the Holy Spirit.

You are the Woman clothed with the sun who labours to give birth to Christ while Satan, the Red Dragon, waits to voraciously devour your child.

So too did Herod seek to destroy your Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and massacred many innocent children in the process.

So today does abortion, by killing many innocent unborn children and exploiting many mothers in its attack upon human life and upon the Church, the Body of Christ.

Mother of the Innocents, we praise God in you for His gifts to you of your Immaculate Conception, your freedom from actual sin; your fullness of grace, your Motherhood of God and the Church, your Perpetual Virginity and your Assumption in body and soul into heaven.

O Help of Christians, we beg you to protect all mothers of the unborn and the children within their wombs.

We plead with you for your help to end the holocaust of abortion. Melt hearts so that life may be revered!

Holy Mother, we pray to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart for all mothers and all unborn children that they may have life here on earth and by the most Precious Blood shed by your Son that they may have eternal life with Him in heaven. We also pray to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart for all abortionists and all abortion supporters that they may be converted and accept your Son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Saviour.

Defend all of your children in the battle against Satan and all of the evil spirits in this present darkness.

We desire that the innocent unborn children who die without Baptism should be baptized and saved. We ask that you obtain this grace for them and repentance, reconciliation and pardon from God for their parents and their killers.

Let there be revealed, once more, in the history of the world the infinite power of merciful love.

May it put an end to evil. May it transform consciences. May your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope.

May Christ the King reign over us, our families, cities, states, nations and the whole of humanity.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, hear our pleas and accept this cry from our hearts!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Protectress of the Unborn, Pray for us!

 

"Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything." (Words of Our Lady to Juan Diego)

Women Do Not Suffer Mentally After an Abortion Say Royal Colleges and NHS

According to a report today in The Guardian...

'Having an abortion does not increase a woman's chance of developing mental health problems, according to a large study that challenges anti-abortion groups' claims that termination causes trauma and depression.

The research, commissioned by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and funded by the Department of Health, should reassure women that they are at no greater risk than if they give birth, the authors said.'

For a compilation, a veritable litany of studies ignored by the Royal Colleges and the NHS, see John Smeaton's post.  For a cursory glance at what is now an open secret, since the internet has quite a few online support groups for women who suffer after an abortion, try PASS (Post Abortion Stress Syndrome), which wasn't even set up by someone who was 'pro-life'. The individual who set up the online group states, quite categorically, that the site is 'neutral' on abortion. They just recognise the often negative mental effects of it. Commending the site, one woman says...

'I found this site the day after I had my abortion--thank goodness! I was numb through all of the planning for the abortion and through the whole procedure itself, but as soon as it was over, I felt the world crash down around me and my heart deflate, and I started hyperventilating. I went to sleep for the rest of that day, and was hysterical the next day. To make it worse, I felt like nobody would understand my pain and that I wouldn't find any support because of the stigma involved in having an abortion. But then I found this site! I realized that all of my emotions had a name and were "normal" (the clinic I went to said women feel relief afterwards and didn't counsel me before or even after about PASS). The information about PASS, the individual recovery steps, the remembrance ideas, and especially the understanding and care from women on the message boards may have just saved my life. I don't know if I would have been able to work through my loss without this site, partly because I don't know if I would have thought that I was "allowed" to grieve after an abortion. And I sure wouldn't have known how to work through everything I felt in such positive, healing ways without everyone's advice. I feel like this is my stability--the thing that's always here and always understanding 24 hours a day. I browsed around other sites, but didn't find the non-judgmental and non-political environment I could get from here. Thanks to everything I've learned here, I've been able to work through the emotions I'm feeling. I still miss and love my baby and I always will, and I still have some ups and downs, especially on anniversaries or if something just triggers me, but I have many more good days than bad now. And I'm making happy plans for the future.'

Or, what about this concerned friend, who wrote to 'Net Doctor' asking for advice as to how she can help her friend who is suffering mentally after two abortions...

'My 21-year-old friend had her second abortion two months ago.

She's been seeing a psychiatrist for the past few years due to family problems and, because she didn't cope well with the first termination, she was put in a mental unit because she tried suicide this time around rather than have the abortion.

The abortion was the on the advice of her psychiatrist who, despite not diagnosing her with a mental illness, thought that she would not cope well with a baby.

Immediately after the termination, she discharged herself from hospital saying that the staff were trying to ruin her life.

She has had no support since, because she believes all the doctors are against her.

My concern is that for the two months since she left hospital she still believes that she's pregnant, going out and buying baby clothes and visiting the local maternity ward to try and see the babies there.

I've tried talking some sense into her, but she just says that everything will be okay once the 'baby' arrives in May and that I need to start coming to terms with her pregnancy.

I don't know what to do any more. I'm worried about what she'll do if this belief of hers doesn't go before May when the child doesn't come. Is there anyone I can talk to about this and get her some help?

She absolutely refuses to speak to anyone in the health sector about this because she's convinced they tried to ruin her life by putting her through the abortion.

In her eyes, the termination didn't work because she's meant to have a baby.'

Gosh. Well, that must be just an aberration. Poor lamb. Or alternatively, again on the Net Doctor site, in which GPs and psychologists receive complaints from women who have had an abortion of stress, depression, trauma and even thoughts of suicide. Take this question, as an example...

'I recently had a termination through British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) without consulting my GP.

However, I am racked with guilt over my actions and wish that I hadn’t gone ahead with this operation (I was 11-weeks pregnant).

It doesn’t help that I read that for a termination to be performed legally, two doctors must assess me. Only one doctor saw me for a few minutes a week before the operation.

I feel distraught over my actions and feel that I was not offered enough support with my decision. No one asked me if I was sure about my actions.

I realise that the above is of little concern now, but I feel my mental health is deteriorating rapidly.

Please could you let me know where I can receive some kind of help, support or counselling?'

But, of course, all these women or their friends who write into net forums desperately asking for help after their abortions are lying or mad or something, because the Academy of Royal Colleges and the NHS are totally impartial on abortion and completely trustworthy when it comes to undertaking research in this hotly disputed field. Why does the NHS spend so much money commissioning surveys and researches on such matters when a volunteer at their offices could have just looked it up on Google for free?

Homicide, Fratricide, Deicide, Regicide, Suicide, Patricide, Matricide, Feticide...

Rorate and Fr Tim have both drawn our attention to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynacologists and their frank admission that abortion amounts to murder because that's what descriptions of taking of life that end in '-cide' are.

Own goal? I would say so...

'Recommendation 6.21:

Feticide should be performed before medical abortion after 21 weeks and 6 days of gestation to ensure that there is no risk of a live birth [...] failure to perform feticide could result in a live birth and survival, which contradicts the intention of the abortion.'

Pelerin drew my attention to this article highlighted at Maria Stops Abortion which includes another horrific dimension to the horror that is abortion. Heaven help us all.

Smacking to become illegal in Wales - but go ahead and have an abortion

Is it a giant magic mushroom?
Or a nuclear explosion?
No, it's the Welsh Assembly version of
The Houses of Parliament!

Today's latest nonsense from the Welsh Assembly Government is a vote to introduce a law banning the smacking of children in Wales.
This follows on closely from yesterday's move to make it illegal to have body piercings below the age of sixteen whilst abortions may be carried out virtually regardless of age.

Now I am not advocating smacking one's child but I do believe that this sort of decision should be left in the hands of the parents rather than a bunch of, well you know what they are!
Equally, I abhor body piercings but, again, do not believe that legislation is a means of effective action. Lawmaking should be done with regard to public safety, national security, protection of goods and property and so on.

It should not involve itself with the colour of a woman's lipstick or the side a man parts his hair - that must be determined by the individual.

The hypocrisy is, of course, that young girls are being influenced and counselled into having abortions whilst the Assembly worries about how many piercings they have or whether they were smacked last night.

The people of Wales deserve much better than their current government. Much better.

You can have an abortion but no ear studs!

The good old Welsh Assembly is poised to commit yet another classical piece of hypocrisy as it starts to move towards making it illegal for under 16s to have body piercings. But, of course, you may have the ultimate body piercing of a baby removed from your womb - no problem! no laws broken, except for Almighty God's and who these days cares about that?

So,  we in Great Britain (and especially Wales) can congratulate ourselves that we have modelled a society that makes it illegal to buy fireworks, cigarettes and alcohol below the age of 18 and to have body piercings below the age of 16 but...wait for it.......you can get an abortion under the age of 16!

I guess not many people will have watched the Welsh Assembly in action on television......but, should you switch on at such a moment let me assure you that it is more dynamic and inspirational to watch stones move.

Taking steps to save life in the womb

                                                                       
David Aron is a young man setting out on a solo walk along the historic River Thames, 184 miles in total from 7th to 14th October - and all to raise funds for The Good Counsel Network, an organisation that works hard on behalf of the unborn and those considering abortion. David needs our prayers and....
....our money.
It is a most worthy cause; at first thought, I envied David the route that he is taking, along the beautiful Thames Valley (being TV, that's Thames Valley, raised myself) but then I remembered that, at the seaward end of the river, it becomes a tad bleaker and the riverside pubs disappear. And then I thought...184 miles? Stone the crows!......where's the sponsor button!

Here is the link for donations www.justgiving.com/davidaron and here is a Thames verse to speed him on his way...

Twenty Bridges from Tower to Kew -                                         Wanted to know what the River knew,                                       Twenty Bridges or twenty-two,                                  For they were young and the Thames was old                                        And this is the tale that the River told:-                                      "I walk my beat before London Town,                                        Five hours up and seven down.                                   Up I go till I end my run                                           At Tide-end-town, which is Teddington.                                         Down I come with the mud in my hands                                                   And plaster it over the Maplin Sands.                                        But I'd have you know that these waters of mine                                        Were once a branch of the River Rhine,                                      When hundreds of miles to the East I went                                            And England was joined to the Continent.                                     "I remember the bat-winged lizard-birds,                                         The Age of Ice and the mammoth herds,                                         And the giant tigers that stalked them down                                        Through Regent's Park into Camden Town.                                        And I remember like yesterday                                     The earliest Cockney who came my way,                                 When he pushed through the forest                                                                         that lined the Strand,                                         With paint on his face and a club in his hand.                                              He was death to feather and fin and fur.                                              He trapped my beavers at Westminster.                                                 He netted my salmon, he hunted my deer,                                                 He killed my heron off Lambeth Pier.                                         He fought his neighbour with axes and swords,                                  Flint or bronze, at my upper fords,                                             While down at Greenwich, for slaves and tin,                        The tall Phoenician ships stole in,                                             And North Sea war-boats, painted and gay,                                         Flashed like dragon-flies, Erith way;                                         And Norseman and Negro and Gaul and Greek                                      Drank with the Britons in Barking Creek,                                  And life was gay, and the world was new,                                   And I was a mile across at Kew!                                       But the Roman came with a heavy hand,                                         And bridged and roaded and ruled the land,                                         And the Roman left and the Danes blew in -                                         And that's where your history-books begin!" Rudyard Kipling