Catholic Fire

By Austin Ruse NEW YORK, February 14 (C-FAM) C-FAM and the Alliance Defending Freedom are hosting a conference in Rome to explore and celebrate the contribution of Pope John Paul II to the pro-life debate at the UN and his work in establishing a global pro-life movement. The conference comes during the weekend of the canonization of John Paul II as a saint in the Catholic Church, expected to bring more than one million people to Rome. Invited speakers include Blessed John Paul II’s close collaborators during the seminal UN conferences in Cairo, Beijing, Rio and many others: papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls, Under-Secretary of State Louis Cardinal Tauran, and Secretary of State Angelo Cardinal Sodano. Confirmed speakers include Papal biographer George Weigel, US Ambassador to the Holy See Raymond Flynn, chief Holy See negotiator John Klink, and Apostolic Nuncio to the UN Renato Cardinal Martino. Continue reading.

By Austin Ruse ROME, May 16 (C-FAM) Pro-lifers held their breath the day the world received a new Pope. They did not question his pro-life credentials but wondered if he would speak forcefully. An old quote soon surfaced and concerns faded. “Defend the unborn against abortion even if they persecute you, calumniate you, set traps for you, take you to court or kill you. No child should be deprived of the right to be born, the right to be fed, the right to go to school.” This June the Pope also will play a central role in the Vatican’s annual celebration of the Gospel of Life, the papal teaching published by Pope John Paul II in 1995. His successor, Benedict XVI, started the annual celebration a few years ago that features a papal mass for pro-life leaders. The new Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, established by Benedict to encourage a reawakening of the faith in traditionally Christian countries, leads an expanded celebration this year. This year’s three-day c...

Pro-life leaders will join physicians, ethicists and experts in family life and social justice issues for a July convocation in Camden, New Jersey to discuss new ways to promote human life and dignity. A press release for the convocation, which is titled "Life, Justice & Family: Partners in the New Evangelization," says the meeting will "take up John Paul II's call for creativity and deeper unity in crafting a 'new evangelization' — new in ardor, methods and expression." The three-day convocation, which is open to the public, will begin on July 28, 2008, the fortieth anniversary of Pope Paul VI's encyclical "Humanae Vitae." Plenary sessions at the convocation, which is the first national gathering of its kind, will explore human rights, the environment, bioethics, family life, and the relationships between science, technology, and religion. Speakers include Bishop Joseph A. Galante of the Diocese of Camden, Bishop William E. Lori of the...