U.S. Bishops Launch Campaign Against FOCA (Update)

WASHINGTON, D. C. — Following up on a decision they made at their plenary meeting in November, the U. S. bishops have launched a postcard campaign to persuade Congress not to reintroduce Sen. Barbara Boxer’s FOCA ( Freedom of Choice Act) bill — a bill which President- elect Barack Obama once pledged to sign into law and which would nullify every bit of pro-life legislation enacted at the state and federal levels since the Supreme Court’s notorious Roe

and Doe decisions of January 1973.

The Bishops’ Committee on Pro- Life Activities has authorized a national pro- life postcard campaign to send that message to Congress. Launching on January 2425, 2009, this massive campaign is being coordinated by the USCCB’s Secretariat of Pro- Life Activities and the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment ( NCHLA).

The postcards, available in packages of 1,000, are designed for general use from constituents to their elected representatives. To order the postcards, at $ 12.00 per thousand, call 202- 393- 0703.

According to the Committee on Pro- Life Activities, as soon as the 111th Congress convenes, many pro- life laws and policies are subject to attack and reversal. The new Congress includes the largest number of pro- abortion members since 1993, who are under heavy pressure from the Planned Parenthood/ abortion lobby to overturn restrictions barring taxpayer- funded abortions, parental- consent laws, informed- consent laws, and waiting periods.

According to an analysis of FOCA by the USCCB’s legal department, under FOCA, abortion rights would actually expand beyond what Roe and Doe permitted. Abortion would actually advance from a “ right” to a “ federal entitlement” that the government must fund and promote.

A nationwide survey commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ( USCCB) has found that four out of five U.S. adults ( 82%) think abortion should either be illegal under all circumstances ( 11%) or would limit its legality. Thirty- eight percent would limit abortion to the narrow circumstances of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother; and an additional 33% would limit abortion to either the first three or first six months. Only 9% said abortion should be legal for any reason at any time during pregnancy.

“ These findings are remarkable,” said Deirdre McQuade, assistant director for Policy & Communications at the USCCB’s Secretariat of Pro- Life Activities. “ Fewer than one in ten Americans support legal abortion for any reason at any time during pregnancy. But that is precisely the current state of abortion law under

Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the 1973 U. S. Supreme Court decisions that made abortion legal throughout the nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason.”

The survey of 2,341 adults, conducted online December 1012, also found that laws limiting or regulating abortion enjoyed support as high as 95% among those expressing support or opposition to the six kinds of laws examined in the survey: • 95% favor laws ensuring that abortions be performed only by licensed physicians.

• 88% favor informed consent laws ( i. e., that require abortion providers to inform women of potential risks to their physical and psychological health and about alternatives to abortion).

• 76% favor laws that protect doctors and nurses from being forced to perform or refer for abortions against their will.

• 73% favor laws that require giving parents the chance to be involved in their minor daughter’s abortion decision.

• 68% favor laws against partial- birth abortion ( i. e., aborting a child already partly delivered from the mother), and 63% favor laws preventing the use of taxpayer funds for abortions.

“ Support for these measures cuts across ‘ pro- life’ and ‘ prochoice’ positions. Over a third ( 35%) of the small minority who said abortion should be legal for any reason throughout pregnancy nevertheless supported three or more of the six laws presented,” McQuade said.

“ This research indicates how out of touch pro- abortion groups are with mainstream America.

“ These same widely supported, constitutionally valid measures, some of which have been proven effective in reducing abortion rates, are now seriously threatened by abortion advocates and their allies in Congress,” McQuade said.

“ Pro- abortion groups have already sent a comprehensive 55page blueprint for their agenda to the incoming administration. But their agenda — including publicly funded abortions, passage of the so- called Freedom of Choice Act ( FOCA), and attacking the Hyde Amendment and other longstanding pro- life provisions in appropriations bills — won’t sell in the general public.”

Harris Interactive fielded the study on behalf of the USCCB via its QuickQuerySM online omnibus service, interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,341 U. S. adults aged 18 years and older.

Supporting the U. S. bishops’ campaign against FOCA is the Concerned Women for America. CWA is asking its members and supporters who come to the annual March for Life to lobby their congressman against FOCA.

“ Barack Obama promised that his first act as president would be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act, a radical bill that would nullify every pro- life law from parental notification laws to bans on federal funding of abortion,” stated Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America.

“ These commonsense regulations passed over the last 36 years enjoy a majority of support among Americans and save lives by reducing the number of abortions. Through CWA’s organized efforts, congressmen will hear from their constituents that they should oppose FOCA or any attempt to undo any pro- life laws.” The schedule of events can be found at www.cwfa.org.Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization.

Please pray for nine days to stop FOCA and abortion in the U. S.!

Novena request start Jan.11

If you are apposed to abortion then there is bad news on the horizon.

For those of you who do not know, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is set to be signed if congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009. The FOCA is the next sick chapter in the book of abortion. If made a law then all present limitations on abortion will be lifted which will result in the following:

1) All hospitals, including Catholic hospitals, will be required
to perform abortions upon request. If this happens, Bishops vow to close down all Catholic hospitals, which amounts to more then 30% of all hospitals in the United States.

2) Partial birth abortions would be legal and have no
limitations.

3) All U.S. tax payers would be funding abortions.

4) Parental notification will no longer be required.

5) The number of abortions will increase by a minimum of 100,000 annually.

Perhaps most importantly the government will now have control in the issue of abortion. This could result in a future amendment which may force women by law to have abortions in certain situations (rape, down syndrome babies, etc) and could even regulate how many children women are allowed to have.

Needless to say this information is disturbing, but sadly true.
As Catholics, as Christians, as anyone who is against the needless killing of innocent children, we must stand as one. We must stop this horrific act before it becomes a law.

The Plan :

Say a novena ( 9 days of prayer ) along with fasting starting
on January 11th. For Catholics, the prayer of choice will be the rosary with intentions to stop the FOCA. For non Catholics I encourage you to pray your strongest prayers with the same intentions, also for nine consecutive days.

The hope is that this will branch and blossom as to become a global effort with maximum impact. We have very little time so we all must act quickly. Just do three things:

1) Pass this letter to 5 or more people

2) Do it in three days or less

3) Start the novena on January 11th and pray for nine consecutive days.

(please also fast for at least two days during the novena)

Remember that with God all things are possible and the power of prayer is undeniable. If you are against the senseless killing of defenseless children then the time is now to do something about it!

May God bless you all!!

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