Year: 2018

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News Briefs

Washington archdiocese’s bus ad case heard by appeals court

March 27, 2018 CNA Daily News 2

Washington D.C., Mar 27, 2018 / 04:35 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Archdiocese of Washington was in court on Monday, arguing that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s ban on any religious-themed advertisements is unconstitutional.

The case was brought to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and argued March 26.

In October 2017, the WMATA rejected a series of ads from the archdiocese which featured a biblical scene and a message about attending Mass and donating to charity. The ads were intended to run during the Christmas season. The archdiocese filed suit in late November, alleging discrimination.

The ads read “Find the Perfect Gift,” and contained a link to a website containing content about Mass times and opportunities for charities. The website also stated that “JESUS is the perfect gift.”

In 2015, WMATA had banned all advertisements that concerned religion, including those both promoting or condemning a particular faith. This ban came after a group attempted to place anti-Muslim advertisements on busses and subway cars.

Despite the supposed ban on religious-themed advertisements, WMATA displayed an advertisement for the Salvation Army after it rejected the Archdiocese of Washington’s advertisements. The Salvation Army is an ecclesial community which has a large charity drive during the Christmas season.

Previously, a district court sided with WMATA and denied the archdiocese’s request for an injunction, saying the case would not likely succeedd on religious freedom or free speech grounds.

“The Archdiocese has consistently sought to protect and defend our constitutional right of free speech and expression of our faith in the public square,” said Ed McFadden, secretary of communications for the Archdiocese of Washington.

“We were pleased that our legal team had the opportunity to do just that in the appeals court, and are grateful for the court’s consideration of the matter.”

The Department of Justice filed an amicus brief in support of the Archdiocese of Washington in January.

“WMATA’s policy constitutes unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination. The policy directly contravenes Supreme Court precedents that preclude the government from disfavoring speech from a religious perspective,” wrote the Department of Justice.

“The result is that messages encouraging religious exercise—a right also protected by the First Amendment—are singled out as unacceptable.”

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News Briefs

March for Life in Argentina draws massive crowds

March 27, 2018 CNA Daily News 0

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mar 27, 2018 / 03:10 pm (ACI Prensa).- Marking the Day of the Unborn Child in much of Latin America, tens of thousands of Argentinians took to the streets throughout the country to demonstrate for the sanctity of all human life.

According to organizers, approximately 150,000 people marched from Plaza Italia down Sarmiento and Libertador avenues on March 25, ending up at the University of Buenos Aires Law School.

The main goal of the march was to reject abortion and to call for comprehensive solutions upholding the dignity of the mother and the unborn child.

Argentina was the first country in Latin America to mark a Day of the Unborn Child, declared Dec. 7, 1998 by then-president Carlos Saul Menem.

The 2018 March for Life took place simultaneously in 200 cities throughout the South American country in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Corrientes, Córdoba, Chubut, Mendoza, Entre Ríos, and others.

The Buenos Aires march was accompanied by Dr. Soledad Otazua, who explained the process of human development in the mother’s womb with a large-scale model of a baby at 12 weeks gestation.

A group of doctors also read a pro-life manifesto. “Harming a living human being in any way with the intention of ending its life under no conditions constitutes a medical act,” the text states.

“Neither the state nor anyone can force any agent or healthcare professional to engage in practices that go against their conscience,” the manifesto adds.

Pro-life activist Patricia Sandoval traveled to Argentina to participate in the event and share her life’s testimony. She explained that the she had undergone three abortions earlier in her life. Later, she worked with Planned Parenthood in California and assisted in an abortion, when she realized the humanity of the unborn child and underwent a powerful conversion.

 

This article was originally published by our sister agency, ACI Prensa. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

 

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News Briefs

Child pornography charges increasing in Japan

March 26, 2018 CNA Daily News 1

Tokyo, Japan, Mar 27, 2018 / 12:00 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Japan’s National Police Agency has reported that investigations for the possession and distribution of child pornography reached record levels in 2017, the result of a large database of porn… […]