Washington D.C., Apr 24, 2020 / 02:00 pm (CNA).- The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) covered up the spread of the new coronavirus within the country, suppressing the real rate of infection and violating the rights of its citizens as it did so, a Chinese … […]
CNA Staff, Apr 24, 2020 / 12:17 pm (CNA).- The president of the Scottish bishops’ conference wrote Friday to the Scottish health secretary, saying the permission for women to self-administer both stages of a medical abortion at home during coronavirus is born of ideology rather than true concern for women.
“I believe it is profoundly depressing that in the midst of this unprecedented global pandemic when the resources of almost every government on earth are being diverted towards the preservation of life, especially the lives of the weak and vulnerable, the Scottish Government continues to act to end the lives of the weakest and most vulnerable members of society, the unborn,” Bishop Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen wrote April 24 to Jeane Freeman, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport and a member of the Scottish National Party.
“It is more than disheartening that the Scottish Government should see fit to promote ‘abortion at home’ as though this were a trivial matter equivalent to taking any other medication at home. A position like this appears to be more a matter of ideology than of genuine and dispassionate concern for women’s wellbeing,” the bishop, a Benedictine, wrote.
The Scottish government has lifted restrictions on at-home medical abortions during coronavirus.
A medical abortion is a two-step process that involves the ingestion of mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone blocks the effects of the progesterone hormone, inducing a miscarriage. Misoprostol is taken up to two days later, and induces labor.
Women in Scotland have been able to self-administer misoprostol in their homes since 2018. However, until recently, they had to take mifepristone at a clinic.
The medications will be delivered by mail.
Because of coronavirus-related lockdowns, the Scottish government has allowed at-home self-administration of mifepristone as well, following a phone or video consultation with a doctor.
A similar permission was made in England last month, and Sinn Féin’s leader in Northern Ireland has pressed for a similar change in that region.
Bishop Gilbert said he found the Scottish government’s decision “deeply troubling.”
He said that while mifepristone and misoprostol “not only end the life of an unborn child,” they “are also a risk to the health of its mother,” noting that even in the best of circumstances – administration at a clinic with several hours of clinical observation – there is “a real risk of severe bleeding and sepsis in a small number, and a need for further surgery in a larger proportion, depending on the stage of the pregnancy.”
The bishop added that “vulnerable women in unsatisfactory domestic circumstances are particularly at risk.”
He asked whether, under the new policy, women are “receiving information on all available options including details of organisations which can offer support to both the mother and the baby,” if enough time is given to counselling during the consultation, and “is it appropriate for drugs which end the life of a human being to be sent by post, trivialising what is an extremely serious and life-changing procedure”.
“Aside from the Scottish Bishops’ Conference’s absolute opposition to abortion, there are also serious practical concerns involved here,” he said. “The decision to allow women to take potent abortifacient medications in a largely unsupervised manner at home is not only fatal for the innocent human beings in the womb but also constitutes a real risk to women’s present and longer term health and wellbeing.”
Bishop Gilbert added that “it is of particular concern that there is no way of establishing that a woman is not being coerced into an abortion in the context of a poorly safeguarded online consultation.”
“In the current situation, there is already an increase in complaints about domestic abuse since the Coronavirus restrictions were put in place. It is far from clear how the Scottish Government proposes to set in place the prudent support procedures which permit all the relevant factors in each individual case privately and without coercion.”
CNA Staff, Apr 24, 2020 / 11:31 am (CNA).- The bishops of Togo called for peace and respect for the rights of citizens after the violent arrest of an opposition leader from his home on Tuesday.
“[E]very citizen has the right and duty to express … […]
Vatican City, Apr 24, 2020 / 11:00 am (CNA).- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops, said Friday that the Church needs more women involved directly in priestly formation in seminaries.
“I believe that for… […]
CNA Staff, Apr 24, 2020 / 10:15 am (CNA).- A survey of the 2020 priestly ordination class was published by the U.S. Catholic bishops’ conference (USCCB) on Thursday, a slightly smaller class than in 2019.
Sponsored by the bishops’ Committe… […]
Perugia, Italy, Apr 24, 2020 / 08:30 am (CNA).- The president of the Italian bishops’ conference has written a letter calling for Sunday Mass to resume in Italy as the country begins to ease coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
“The time has… […]
Vatican City, Apr 24, 2020 / 05:00 am (CNA).- Pope Francis prayed that God would give pastors the courage to be close to their people as he celebrated Mass Friday.
The pope asked that the Lord would “above all teach us not to be afraid of God’s people, not to be afraid to be close to them.”
Speaking from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, his Vatican residence, April 24, he said that pastors must avoid becoming mere “pastoral business managers” as Jesus wants every priest to have a “shepherd’s heart”.
“The power of the pastor is service,” he said. “He has no other power. When you begin to make mistakes taking other powers your vocation is ruined.”
In his homily, Pope Francis reflected on the day’s Gospel, John 6:1-15, in which Jesus used five loaves and two fish to feed a large crowd. He noted that the disciples were tired and did not want the crowd to come between them and the Lord. By contrast, Jesus sought to be close to the people and to teach the disciples how to become true pastors.
Celebrating Mass before a small congregation due to the coronavirus pandemic, the pope said that the disciples saw themselves as “a privileged class, ‘an aristocracy,’ so to speak,” but that Jesus repeatedly corrected them.
He gave the examples of when the disciples tried to prevent children from approaching the Lord and he rebuked them (Matthew 19:13-15), and when people on the road to Jericho ordered a blind man to stop crying out “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:35-43).
The pope recalled “a great pastor from a simple, humble neighborhood” who once told him that he wished he could have some rest from his parishioners’ demands.
“But he realized he was a shepherd and had to be with people,” he said. “And Jesus … teaches the disciples, the apostles, this pastoral attitude that is closeness to the people of God.”
Pope Francis concluded the celebration with adoration and benediction, leading those following via livestream in an act of spiritual communion.
Those gathered in the chapel then sang the Easter Marian antiphon “Regina caeli.”
At the start of the Mass, the pope prayed for teachers and students adapting to the new circumstances created by the pandemic.
He said: “We pray today for teachers who have to work so hard to lead lessons via the internet and other media channels and we also pray for students who have to take exams in a way they are not used to. Let us accompany them with prayer.”
CNA Staff, Apr 24, 2020 / 03:00 am (CNA).- Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, at least 26 million people have filed for unemployment. Economists say the U.S. now has levels of unemployment close to those of the Great D… […]
CNA Staff, Apr 23, 2020 / 08:45 pm (CNA).- Three further Catholic dioceses have announced they will resume public celebration of Mass, subject to the requirements of public health orders and social distancing.
The Montana dioceses of Great Falls-… […]
Denver Newsroom, Apr 23, 2020 / 07:00 pm (CNA).- Franciscan University of Steubenville will be covering tuition costs for all incoming freshmen and transfer students in fall 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
President Father Dave Pivonka announced April 21 that the university would cover the remainder of incoming full-time undergraduates’ tuition costs, after scholarships and grants.
“We’ve heard from many students whose concerns over the pandemic are making the decision to leave home for college more difficult. Also, many families and students have seen their ability to pay for college evaporate due to the economic impact of the coronavirus,” Pivonka told CNA.
“We hope this unique response will help them to overcome these obstacles and uncertainties and step out in faith with us.”
Joel Recznik, Franciscan’s vice president for enrollment, told CNA that barring unforeseen circumstances, such as a second wave of the pandemic, the university is anticipating full enrollment and normal university operations in the fall.
The Ohio university uses a rolling admissions process throughout the year, and thus numbers may change as more students apply or enroll throughout the summer, he said.
“The idea was to really provide an opportunity for these new students— who are uncertain and their lives have been turned upside down— that they wouldn’t miss out because of the negative impact of this virus,” Recznik told CNA.
“We’ve talked to families who the parents have lost their jobs, and talked to people who have had the virus, and we don’t want that to be a barrier…So for every new student, we’re making sure that we cover 100% of tuition after scholarships and grants for the fall semester.”
The funds to cover the tuition costs will come from the university’s reserves. The university will be providing an additional $1,000 for returning undergraduates and $500 for graduating seniors.
Father Pivonka noted that although the additional financial assistance will be provided to all students regardless of their ability to pay, he encouraged those who are able to donate to the Step in Faith Fund to help to finance the aid.
“Our patron, St. Francis of Assisi, had a deep concern for those in need, and as a Franciscan university, we seek to follow his example in caring for those entrusted to us. While we always strive to keep our tuition affordable, we decided we needed to do more in light of the severe difficulties so many are facing this year,” he said.
Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas and the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. are two Catholic universities that have extended their application deadlines to June 1. Representatives for both schools told CNA that they, like Franciscan, are not anticipating a major drop in enrollment at this time.
Steve Johnson, a spokesman for Benedictine College, told CNA that before the pandemic, the university was expecting a record freshman class and record enrollment.
“Benedictine College was having the best recruiting year in history heading into March and our numbers have remained strong to this point,” Johnson told CNA in an email.
“So far we’re not seeing anyone falling off and we are anticipating opening in August with face-to-face classes as close to normal as possible…We are not expecting any major drop in enrollment.”
Christopher Lydon, who oversees enrollment at the Catholic University of America, told CNA that student registration for the fall semester has progressed in line with what he would normally expect to see.
“That’s obviously a good sign, that we’re not seeing the beginning of an exodus,” Lydon said.
Lydon did see that graduating high school seniors do seem to be deferring college decisions amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are behind on deposits, but we’ve also given families an additional month to make an enrollment decision,” Lydon told CNA.
“I’m appropriately worried, but it is a little soon to know for certain.”
© Catholic World Report