NEWS CLIPS
1. St. Joseph Remains Vital to the World
(OSV) - This Dec. 8 commemorates 150 years since Blessed Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph to be patron of the universal Church. At the time, Pius IX wrote that the Church was going through “most troublesome times … beset by enemies on every side, and … weighed down by calamities so heavy that ungodly men assert that the gates of hell have at length prevailed against her” and “besought his intercession in times of trouble.” Although it was 1870, the declaration could have been written today. Perhaps what is old is new again, or maybe it’s just that there is nothing new under the sun. Either way, St. Joseph is a patron for our times, and this anniversary should not go unmarked.
More important than marking the anniversary, however, is the opportunity to contemplate the ways in which St. Joseph’s witness and intercession can be most fruitful and effective at this point in our history. St. Joseph, as our patron, keeps us safe by showing us the way. Because our own cooperation with God’s will is necessary for our salvation, St. Joseph’s witness of his own cooperation with God is a model the Church needs right now. At a time when the domestic Church needs to be strengthened, the universal Church needs to be healed and reformed, and the coronavirus is plaguing the world, St. Joseph is here for us. Here’s how. MORE
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December 22, 2020
In this issue ...
News Clips
Headlines
Married and Family Life
Tidbits
About
Pope Francis
Has Declared
a Year Dedicated
to St. Joseph
Dec 8 2020
to
Dec 8 2021
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2. Vatican says COVID-19 vaccines ‘morally acceptable’ when no alternatives are available
(CNA) - The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith stated Monday that it is “morally acceptable” to receive COVID-19 vaccines produced using cell lines from aborted fetuses when no alternative is available. In a note issued Dec. 21, the CDF said that in countries where vaccines without ethical problems are unavailable to physicians and patients -- or where their distribution is more difficult due to special storage or transport conditions -- it is “morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process.” This does not in any way imply a legitimation of the grave evil of the practice of abortion or that there is a moral endorsement of the use of cell lines proceeding from aborted fetuses, the Vatican congregation said. As COVID-19 vaccines begin to be distributed in some countries, questions have arisen regarding the connection of these vaccines to aborted fetal cell lines.
The mRNA vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer are not produced with aborted fetal cell lines, although aborted fetal cells were used in tests during the early states of vaccine design. MORE
Related: The Facts about the COVID Vaccines and Fetal Cell Lines >>
3. Ohio bill banning telemedicine abortions heads to governor’s desk
(LiveAction) - In a 54-30 vote late Thursday evening, the Ohio House of Representatives passed SB 260, a bill that would effectively ban telemedicine abortions in the state. The bill’s next stop is the desk of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, whose signature would make it law. Although Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has not indicated his position on SB 260, the governor has supported high-profile pro-life legislation in Ohio, including the ‘heartbeat bill’ that he signed in 2019. The bill, also known as the Telemedicine Abortion Ban, would require that a physician be present when administering the first of the two drugs in the abortion pill regimen that induce an abortion (mifepristone). Failure to do so could result in a fourth-degree felony, and continued violations of the law result in suspension of the offending physician’s license. According to Planned Parenthood’s former research arm, the Guttmacher Institute, 19 states have enacted similar bans. Local physician and the bill’s sponsor, Senator Stephen Huffman, expressed concern about the effect increasing access to telemedicine abortion might have. MORE
4. UK High Court bans transgender puberty blockers for under-16s
(BioEdge) - Keira Bell, a 23-year-old activist, has won a stunning victory in the English courts over the conventional wisdom on gender dysphoria. Keira had a very bad start in life. Her father walked out when she was four, leaving her and her sister in the care of her alcoholic mother. At 14 she was a miserable tomboy who didn’t fit in with the girls or the guys. “I just stayed at home, locked in my room, playing video games,” she told the London Times. “And on the internet I read lesbian bloggers, but felt something else was wrong with me because I was so uncomfortable with my body and puberty and becoming a woman.” Then she discovered American trans activists on YouTube. “I thought, ‘That’s me. I need to do this, to medically transition to make myself better and live my life as I’m supposed to.’” At 16 she sought help from the only gender-identity development service (GIDS) in the United Kingdom, the government-funded Tavistock Centre. MORE
5. Trump Will Withhold $200 Million in Tax Dollars From California for Forcing Christians to Fund Abortions
(LifeNews) - President Donald Trump will withhold $200 million in Medicaid funds from the state of California because of its policy essentially forcing Christians to fund abortions. California requires private health insurance plans pay for abortions. The requirement essentially forces churches and Christian groups that are pro-life to fund killing babies in abortions in their health care plans. Churches across California have been battling the onerous abortion mandate for years with no relief. The troubling situation began in 2014 when the California Department of Managed Health Care reclassified abortion as a “basic health service” under the Affordable Care Act and ordered all insurance plans in the state to begin covering elective abortions immediately. Even churches are not exempt. Several churches in California have already filed suit against the mandate. MORE
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Catholic bioethicists form coalition to lobby against hard lockdowns >>
Colorado medical practice to offer specialized care to adults with Down syndrome >>
Mom chooses life for baby girl with Down syndrome after overcoming fear of the unknown >>
DOJ sues Vermont hospital for forcing nurse to participate in elective abortion >>
A “nudge from God” – one doctor’s journey to serving other women through Abortion Pill Rescue >>
Ohio governor: Lethal injection impermissible for executions >>
Religious schools must accept 'gender identity', LGBT activists tell Biden >>
Democratic congresswoman introduces abortion survivors' bill >>
40 Pro-Life Groups Oppose Joe Biden’s Radical Pro-Abortion HHS Pick Xavier Becerra >>
Federal Judge maintains injunction against rule protecting women undergoing chemical abortions >>
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When “the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” Isn’t So Wonderful
(MeekerParenting) - With COVID-19, the holidays look a little different this year. Many of us are grieving our gatherings, but there is hope even when the holidays hurt. As with most travel plans people made in 2020, COVID-19 is proving to disrupt Americans’ holiday plans this year. According to one survey, most Americans (54%) will not be traveling for the holidays this year, and 61% said they had to cancel or change existing plans due to COVID.
There is no doubt the holidays will look and feel different this year. This is to be expected and many of us are growing accustomed to holding plans loosely during this year of pandemic, but during the holidays, which can already be a difficult season for many, not being able to travel to see family and friends will make this a very difficult time of year. MORE
BONUS: Opening the Word - The mystery of family life >>
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The Road to Sexual Revolution: Carl Trueman and the Modern Self
(PublicDiscourse) - It is beyond doubt that the sexual revolution of the last sixty years has resulted in enormous social changes. Ideas that would have been judged preposterous just a decade ago are now normalized and enforced orthodoxy. Many religious and social conservatives rightly decry the terrible results for family, happiness, prosperity, and freedom, but far too many think the sexual revolution is primarily about sex, and insofar as they focus on sexual mores fail to understand the revolution adequately. MORE
Is the rare ‘Christmas Star’ visible this December the Star of Bethlehem?
( CNA) - The “Great Conjunction” of Jupiter and Saturn taking place this month -- dubbed the “Christmas Star” -- is a pretty sight, but it is impossible to know for sure if it has any connection to the Star of Bethlehem, a Vatican astronomer said. On Dec. 21, the planets Jupiter and Saturn will appear a tenth of a degree apart in the night sky, something called a “Great Conjunction.” MORE
Miscarriages remind us preborn children are human beings worthy of love
(LiveAction) - According to the American Pregnancy Association, at least 10-25% of pregnancies end in a miscarriage. Regardless of whether a child is lost at nine weeks, 13 weeks, 40 weeks, or sometime after birth, the grief parents experience after a miscarriage demonstrates how children are inherently precious to those who are tasked with raising them. MORE
The 27-year-old infant
(BioEdge) - When Molly Gibson celebrates her first birthday on October 26 next year, she will be 28 years old. That’s nearly the age of her mother, Tina. She was adopted as an embryo by her parents, Tina and Ben, through the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC), in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her genetic sibling Emma was born three years ago. Molly now holds the record for the longest life as a frozen embryo, 27 years. MORE
Pro-lifers aren’t helping people after they’re born?
(PHN) - When it comes to the topic of abortion, I often hear the claim that pro-lifers aren’t helping people after they’re born. The idea/objection is that pro-lifers are hypocritical and thus shouldn’t speak out against abortion. MORE
‘Crescendo’: The circumstances of Beethoven’s birth 250 years ago shows the value of all preborn children
(LiveAction) - December 17 is the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s baptism. Though his exact birth date is unknown, it was likely a few days before that. During her pregnancy with him, Beethoven’s mother Maria was tempted to have an abortion. The pro-life short film Crescendo [available on YouTube] is based on her diary. MORE
Bioethics on Air: Episode 49: Religious Liberty During COVID-19
(NCCB) - Michael Vacca of the Christ Medicus Foundation joins Joe Zalot to discuss how First Amendment religious liberty protections have been challenged during the coronavirus pandemic. LISTEN
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The Culture of Life Update is published monthly by the Office of Marriage, Family and Respect Life of the Diocese of Steubenville. Designed for busy people, the Culture of Life Update provides a once-a-month overview of news stories related to life, marriage and the family. It's a great and easy way to get informed.
The news provided in the Culture of Life Update is for information purposes only. The inclusion of any article is not meant to be an endorsement of a particular author’s viewpoint, nor it is meant to be an endorsement of the organization providing the information.
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