Abortion pill legal challenge defeated again
A pro-life group in Scotland has, for a second time, lost a legal challenge against the government’s decision last year to allow women to self-administer abortion pills at home.
“We are greatly saddened by this decision. We have been convinced all along that the policy decision by the Chief Medical Officer and Scottish Government was illegal, as well as detrimental to the well-being of women in our country,” said John Deighan, chief executive of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children Scotland.
A three-judge panel ruled against the pro-life group’s appeal last week, stating that a registered medical practitioner is still responsible for the treatment, whether it takes place in a clinic or in the home, and that even at home “control in the appropriate sense is maintained”.
Prelate police probe welcomed amid allegations
A court in western India has initiated an investigation into whether Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai and two of his auxiliary bishops failed to take action over the alleged sexual abuse of a minor. There has been a claim that the trio did not implement disciplinary measures or report the crime to police, according to ucanews.com.
On May 21, a special court dealing with such cases asked police to investigate the role of the cardinal and his auxiliaries, Bishops Dominic Savio Fernandes and John Rodrigues.
“We welcome the police probe,” said Father Nigel Barrett, archdiocesan spokesperson. “We have nothing to hide.”
He said Church authorities had been intending to report the matter to police but the victim’s parents did so first.
US church defaced with pro-choice graffiti
A Catholic church in Pennsylvania has been vandalised with pro-choice graffiti as the abortion debate escalates around the country, following the passage of a major abortion law in Alabama.
Parishioners at Notre Dame de Lourdes parish in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania were greeted at Sunday Mass by messages that had been spray-painted on the church’s doors and outside walls.
A message painted in black on the front doors read: “You do not have the right to decide how others live.” Another message on the side of the church read: “#ProChoice.”
Time to focus on rebuilding Sri Lanka – cardinal
One of the Vatican’s top officials has visited Sri Lanka to show solidarity with Catholics still reeling from the Easter suicide bombings that claimed more than 250 lives and injured more than 400. Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, said on May 22 that it was time to focus on rebuilding the nation.
The cardinal condemned the April 21 bombings on a handful of luxury hotels and churches in Colombo and Negombo by local extremists affiliated with the Islamic State group.
Catholics urged to oppose Confession reform bill
Church officials are urging Catholics to continue to oppose a California bill that would force priests to disclose information about child sexual abuse that they hear in the Sacrament of Confession.
The call came as the Senate measure, known as S.B. 360, advanced in the Legislature after lawmakers accepted several of the Church’s recommendations to strengthen mandated reporting requirements for clergy. However, despite the changes, the bill remains “an unacceptable violation of our religious freedoms that will do nothing to protect children”, Los Angeles archbishop Jose Gomez said.
As amended, the bill now protects the seal of the confessional – except in cases where a priest is hearing another priest’s Confession or in cases where a priest is hearing the Confession of a co-worker.
