in Southeast Weld County, Colorado

Please visit the new Gabriel Project page

Committee on Divine Worship Introduces Roman Missal Formation Website

Pope’s Strong Witness to Marriage and the Family Is an Example for All

Bishops Offer Web Page to Clarify Health Reform

Please read, your health and faith are being tested

"No one in the world can change Truth. What we can do and should do is to seek truth and to serve it when we have found it. The real conflict is the inner conflict."
Saint Maximillian Kolbe

Weekly Denver Archdiocese Respect Life Office Update

Join our Networks!!

Office of Communications | Archdiocese of Denver

info@archden.org | www.archden.org

1300 South Steele Street, Denver CO 80210-2599

303.715.3230 |303.715.2045 fax

IMPORTANT ALERT

CALL Rep. Betsy Markey at (970) 221-7110 NOW
TO STOP ABORTION IN HEALTH CARE REFORM

Subject: Women the winners as U.S. House of Representatives decide women deserve better than abortion in health care reform.

Late Saturday night, Representatives Bart Stupak (D-MI), Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), Joe Pitts, (R-PA), Marcy Kaptur, (D-OH), Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA), Dan Lipinski (D-IL), and Chris Smith (R-NJ) successfully led an effort to protect women and children from abortion in health care reform.

During debate preceding the vote on the Stupak Amendment, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) declared, "Women deserve better than abortion."

The Stupak Amendment will maintain the current policy of preventing federal funding of abortion in health care reform, and any benefits packages that would otherwise include abortion.

FFL President Serrin M. Foster said, "Thanks to Members of Congress who led effort and the activism of thousands of FFL members, women will not have to face additional pressure to have abortion. We can refocus our efforts on meaningful, holistic solutions that everyone can support."

............................................

www.feministsforlife.org</ p>

............................................

"Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women. Women deserve better than abortion."
Say NO to the Status Quo^TM
REFUSE TO CHOOSE^® WOMEN DESERVE BETTER^®
............................................

Feminists for Life is a nonpartisan, nonsectarian, 501(c)3 organization.

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Speaker Pelosi has now unveiled the new pro-abortion House bill, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards (seen right) wrote to her supporters rejoicing that “every version of the bills out there right now is free of the dangerous amendments anti-choice members of Congress tried to attach to health care reform.” She claimed “more than 18,000 phone calls” from Planned Parenthood supporters contacted Congress.

Unfortunately, she’s right. The new health care bill explicitly allows federal funding of abortion and permits federal subsidies to go to private insurance plans that cover abortion. The bill also ensures that at least one health insurance plan in every area of the country covers abortion.

These provisions create a dramatic change in federal law -- currently NO federal dollars are used to pay for elective abortions or insurance plans that cover abortion.

In order to stop the bill, we need your help. We can do better than Planned Parenthood’s 18,000 calls, can’t we?

Help us stop Nancy Pelosi and the House leadership and their massive expansion of abortion in health care reform.

Call Rep. Betsy Markey at (970) 221-7110 right now and:

1. Insist that House leadership allow a vote on the Stupak/Pitts Amendment to prohibit abortion funding and no other watered-down substitution;

2. Vote “against the rule” (a procedural vote that determines whether a bill can receive a vote) if House leadership refuses to allow the Stupak/Pitts amendment to come up for a vote, and

3. Vote against the FINAL BILL in health care reform if it does not have the Stupak/Pitts amendment.

Encourage your Representative to take a stand today! And please ask your friends to do so too.

______________________

How do I call my Representative?

1. Call Rep. Betsy Markey at (970) 221-7110

2. When the office answers, tell them your name, that you live in the Representative’s district, and your message.

3. Tell the office that you would appreciate a reply by mail from the Representative.

4. If no one answers, leave a message in their voicemail box. Every message counts!

Friends, now is the time to make a stand. We must let Congress know that the pro-life movement is watching: we must have a pro-life amendment to explicitly exclude abortion funding and coverage. If you’re not contacting your Congressman, a pro-abortionist will be, so please take action NOW by contacting Congress TODAY!

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2009 - November 23 - RESPECT LIFE NEWS OF INTEREST

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ARTICLES SENT IN THIS E-MAIL ARE FOR YOUR INFORMATION ONLY AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE RESPECT LIFE OFFICE

Human Life Is a Gift, Not a Product *****HAPPY THANKSGIVING***** Thank Almighty God for the gift of Life

Unprecedented coalition of religious leaders call Americans to stand for sanctity of life, marriage, and religious freedom - Washington D.C., Nov 20, 2009 / 06:21 am (CNA).- Archbishop Chaput joins coalition of religious leaders, signs Manhattan Declaration - An unprecedented coalition of prominent Christian clergy, ministry leaders, and scholars has crafted a 4,700-word declaration addressing the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty. The declaration issues “a clarion call” to Christians to adhere to their convictions and informs civil authorities that the signers will not “under any circumstance” abandon their Christian consciences. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17774 The full document is available at http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/

*****HEALTH CARE REFORM*****

White House at Odds With Bishops Over Abortion - By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - Published: November 20, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/11/20/us/politics/AP-US-Health-Overhaul-Abortion.html?_r=3&scp=5&sq=Catholic&st=nyt

USCCB News Release - 09-247 - November 20, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. Bishops Voice Disappointment in Abortion-Funding Provisions in Senate Health Bill, Urge Better Care for Immigrants and Affordability http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-247.shtml

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Pursuing morally sound health care reform despite angry attacks - Nov. 18, 2009 - Archbishop Chaput's Nov. 18 newspaper column encourages Catholics to continue pursuing morally sound health care legislation, even in the face of bigotry and ugly threats. - - A reality check from the discipleship front http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/2961/Archbishop's-Column/

Catholic Bishops: Pro-Abortion Senate Health Care Bill "Worst We've Seen Yet" - Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A pro-life spokesman for the nation's Catholic bishops doesn't mince words today an interview about the new Harry Reid health care bill in the Senate that contains massive abortion funding. The bishops have taken a consistent pro-life stance against using government money for abortions and they say this bill is no exception when it comes to that problem.

MARRIAGE - REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY - ASSISTED NUTRITION & HYDRATION

USCCB News Release - 09-242 - November 18, 2009 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Bishops Approve Items on Marriage, Reproductive Technologies, Medically Assisted Nutrition and Hydration http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-242.shtml

Bishops approve revised directives on withdrawal of food, water - By Nancy Frazier O'Brien - Catholic News Service http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0905131.htm

Catholic bishops affirm stance on marriage - 'Pastoral letter' spells out church's traditional views - By Michelle Boorstein - Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/17/AR2009111704075.html?referrer=emailarticle

USCCB Approves Strongly-Worded Document Affirming Value of Natural Marriage - By James Tillman BALTIMORE, MD, November 18, 2009 http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/nov/09111802.html

Bishops OK marriage pastoral with many changes, some opposition - By Nancy Frazier O'Brien - http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0905121.htm

Document on Problems With In-Vitro Fertilization Gets Catholic Bishops Okay - by Steven Ertelt - LifeNews.com Editor, November 20, 2009 http://www.lifenews.com/bio3005.html

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Mexico anti-abortion fight moves to federal level - By MARK STEVENSON Associated Press Writer - MEXICO CITY—Lawmakers in Veracruz made it Mexico's 17th state to pass legislation declaring life begins at conception, then adopted a proposal that requires Congress to consider amending the constitution to outlaw abortion. View Full Story

Germany Faces Economic Downturn with Plummeting Birth Rate and Aging Population - By Hilary White ROME, November 20, 2009 - Germany, the juggernaut of the European economic scene, could be facing a critical downturn over the next five decades because of its dramatically shrinking birth rate and dropping population, a new government report has said. The falling and aging population will result in the eventual disintegration of Germany's generous social welfare programs, including old-age pensions, the report warns... http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/nov/09112010.html

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OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo to Become Head of Catholic Bishop's Pro-Life Office - by Steven Ertelt - LifeNews.com Editor - November 17, 2009 http://www.lifenews.com/nat5672.html

University of Nebraska weighs restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research - By The New York Times - In an unusual pushback against President Barack Obama's expansion of federal financing of human embryonic stem-cell research, the University of Nebraska is considering restricting its stem-cell experiments to cell lines approved by President George W. Bush. View Full Story

Oh, Be Unreasonable! - November 19th, 2009 by Christi Derr http://catholicexchange.com/2009/11/19/124193/

CDC Reverses Gardasil Vaccine Requirement for Immigrants - By Matt Anderson and Kathleen Gilbert WASHINGTON, D.C., November 20, 2009 - The U.S. Center for Disease Control announced Friday that starting December 14 it will no longer require female immigrants, ages 11 to 26 seeking permanent resident status, to receive the controversial human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil before entering the United States... http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/nov/09112009.html

Conscience and Public Policy - Catholic Institutions Under Pressure - By Father John Flynn, LCROME, NOV. 22, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The transition to a post-Christian society in many countries is bringing with it increasing pressure on believers who work in publicly funded institutions. One of the latest cases involves a same-sex marriage bill in Washington D.C. http://www.zenit.org/article-27630?l=english

Diane DeGette Blasted for Religious Discrimination, Says Abortion Debate Closed - Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Colorado Rep. Diane DeGette, the head of the pro-abortion caucus in the House, is coming under fire for comments saying that religious groups should be shut off from participating in the abortion debate in Congress. Detractors say she is fostering an environment of religious discrimination.

The National Catholic Bioetics Center (NCBC) Advises Caution Despite Pro-Life Protections in H.R. 3962 http://www.ncbcenter.org/details_news.asp?idOfEvent=448

Archbishop Chaput Offers His Advice on the CCHD Collection - By Mike Sullivan | November 19, 2009 http://www.cufblog.org/?p=571

Archbishops Nienstedt and Chaput defend CCHD as criticisms continue - http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17783

catholics-evangelicals-pledge-to-ignore-gay-rights-and-abortion-laws

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Word of Life Bulletin Briefs October 2009

“Concerns about health care costs and general financial uncertainty, along with serious discussions about limiting health care for the elderly, are currently reaching the boiling point. If assisted suicide is added to the cauldron, the final result can be doubly lethal. Making assisted suicide a medical treatment gives it the status of only one among many options for the treatment of certain conditions. In cost-effectiveness assisted suicide differs in a major way from other treatments. It is extremely affordable and can always be covered by health insurance. The force of economic gravity can lead to increased pressure on patients to request, and doctors to prescribe, assisted suicide.”

– Rita Marker, “Assisted Suicide: Death by ‘Choice’?”, pamphlet from 2009 Respect Life Program.

“The subtle lies of today’s culture of death are a plague of spiritual leprosy, reducing the value of human persons to some arbitrary standard that changes like fashions. … To the world around us, what matters is what we possess, but to the Lord, we matter because we are his beloved children, created in his image, for whom he died, and with whom he wants to live forever in heaven.”

– Rev. John Bartunek, LC, STL, “Why You Matter: A Reflection on Human Dignity,” pamphlet from 2009 Respect Life Program.

“Every child, at every age of development, brings us God’s smile and invites us to recognize that life is his gift, a gift to be welcomed with love and preserved with care always and at every moment.”

- Flyer for 2009 Respect Life Program.

“The bishops’ conference views health care as a basic right belong to all human beings, from conception to natural death…Much- needed reform must not become a vehicle for promoting an ‘abortion rights’ agenda or reversing longstanding current policies against federal abortion mandates and funding. In this sense, we urge you to make this legislation ‘abortion neutral’ by preserving longstanding federal policies that prevent government promotion of abortion and respect conscience rights.”

– Justin Cardinal Rigali, Letter to members of House Energy and Commerce Committee, July 29, 2009. Full letter at http://www.usccb.org/prolife/CardRigali-AbortionNeutralReform-7-29-09.pdf.

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SENATE COMMITTEE ADDRESSES SOME ISSUES ON AFFORDABILITY, FAILS TO CORRECT ABORTION PROBLEMS AND IMMIGRATION CONCERNS, SAY USCCB OFFICIALS

WASHINGTON— Officials of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) saw mixed results when the Senate Finance Committee completed voting on amendment to its proposed health care reform bill this week.

In a recent letter to the Senate, the USCCB had called for improvements in the bill to meet the bishops’ key criteria for genuine health care reform: protecting life and dignity, affordability, and inclusion of immigrants. For the text of this letter see www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/2009-09-30-healthcare-letter-senate.pdf.

The Committee rejected pro-life amendments offered by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) which the USCCB supported. One amendment would write into this bill the abortion funding policy that has long governed all federal health programs: no federal subsidies for benefits packages that cover abortion, with rare exceptions; insurers could offer supplemental abortion policies if they were funded solely by the private premiums of those choosing to purchase them. Another amendment would forbid federal agencies, and state and local governments receiving federal funds under this bill, to discriminate against health care providers that decline to perform, refer for, or pay for abortions.

“The bill remains deeply flawed on these issues and must be corrected,” said Richard Doerflinger, Associate Director of the USCCB’s Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. “It is especially disheartening that the Senate committee would not even support longstanding conscience language on abortion that has already been accepted as part of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s health care reform bill.”

The USCCB’s recent letter had said that “so far, the health reform bills considered in committee, including the new Senate Finance Committee bill, have not met President Obama’s challenge of barring use of federal dollars for abortion and maintaining current conscience laws.” Doerflinger said this remains true, so “these problems must be corrected on the House and Senate floor.”

On affordability, Kathy Saile, Director of Domestic Social Development for the USCCB, said the bill took some steps toward making health care more affordable, but that “many families are still vulnerable to high health care costs. As Congress continues to debate health care reform, it should take further steps to help at-risk poor and low-income families and implement access as soon as possible.” As an example, Saile said, “Expansion of access to programs such as Medicaid should be implemented as soon as possible.”

On inclusion of immigrants, the Committee defeated amendments opposed by the USCCB, which would have placed additional restrictions on legal immigrants and their families from accessing health-care, but failed to improve the access immigrants currently have.

“Legal immigrants, who work hard and pay taxes, should be treated equally with U.S. citizens,” said Kevin Appleby, director of Migration Policy and Public Affairs for the USCCB. “It is counterproductive to the general public health to leave them outside of the system, unable to access preventive treatment and dependent on emergency care. The U.S. bishops will continue to push for affordability grants to legal immigrants and their families and a removal of the five-year waiting period for legal immigrants to access Medicaid.”

For more information on the U.S. bishops’ position on health care reform, visit www.usccb.org/healthcare.---

Keywords: USCCB, U.S. Catholic bishops, Senate Finance Committee, pro-life, health care, health insurance, health care reform, abortion, abortion funding, conscience rights, immigrants, coverage, affordability

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Archdiocesan Respect Life Monthly Meeting

Monday, NOVEMBER 9, 2009

6:30 PM

Rosary, 6:30 PM

Meeting, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

John Paul II Center, 1300 South Steele Street, Denver

Contact the Respect Life Office at: Respectlife.Office@archden.org

Dear Friends,

Before a joint session of Congress and tens of millions of TV viewers and radio listeners, President Obama repeated his claim that, under his health care reform agenda, “no federal dollars will be used to fund abortion.” But, in fact, he is throwing his support behind legislation that will equate abortion with basic health care.

We reported on the President’s speech as it happened on the AUL Blog. Afterwards, we posted an official statement detailing the gap between Obama’s claims and the agenda his administration is pursuing in Congress, including this observation from AUL Action Staff Counsel Mary Harned:

“No matter how President Obama and Congress change the structure of the health care reform proposals — whether there is a public option, co-op, exchange, or the like — any legislation that provides government funding for health care must contain explicit language that excludes abortion.”

You can read the entire statement on our blog, and I encourage you to send it to your friends and family so that they’ll understand why it is so vital that the President take positive action to protect life.

Speaking of AUL Action Staff Counsel Mary Harned, she met with Capitol Hill legislative staff on Thursday to brief them on the abortion issues in the health care bills, as part of our “Back to the Hill” campaign. Mary is right at home on the Hill, having formerly served as Chief Counsel to U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla).

Mary Harned

I will have the opportunity to relay your concerns about health care reform directly to the White House in less than a week, when AUL Action meets with White House officials Melody Barnes and Tina Tchen. One of our most powerful means to show the President the strength and dedication of pro-life Americans is our Keep Abortion Out of Health Care petition, which I will personally deliver at that September 17 meeting. That’s why, if you haven’t already done so, I urgently ask you to join your name to the thousands who have already signed the petition at RealHealthCareRespectsLife.com.

Another important means of influencing Congress to include protections for life in health care legislation is the “Voided Check” campaign of the Stop the Abortion Mandate Coalition of which AUL is a proud member. Click on the “Voided Check” at StopTheAbortionMandate.com to contact your elected representatives and tell them you don’t want the government funding abortion.

Thank you for joining me in protecting and defending life!

For Life,

Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D.
President & CEO

P.S. Let me know what you think! You can follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and follow AUL on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. We're also reachable by e-mail at info@aul.org.

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Respect Life Information

Gabriel Project: 1-800-713-3021
Open Arms Pregnancy Center: 303-857-2112

In our own trials, and standing alongside others in their struggles, we glimpse the essence of our

humanity, we become, as it were, more human.

--Pope Benedict XVI, Address in Amman, Jordan, May 8, 2009

***ACTION ALERT***

During the month of August the United States Congress is in recess; legislators return home and many schedule town hall meetings for their constituents. These events are important opportunities at which to voice, in a respectful manner, concerns and opinions you may have about important issues facing our country.

One issue that we will continue to hear a great deal about is health care reform legislation. There is still a large amount of work to be done in regards to health care reform legislation; therefore it is vital that your elected representatives hear from you.

Health care reform legislation should include:

Include health care coverage for all people from conception until natural death;
Continue the federal ban on funding for abortions and reject any mandate for abortion coverage or access to abortion;
Include access for all with a special concern for the poor and vulnerable and support inclusion for legal immigrants;
Preserve pluralism, including freedom of conscience for providers, health care workers and patients; and
Restrain costs and apply costs equitably among payers.
f you are unable to attend a town hall meeting, or your elected representative is not holding a town hall meeting please call their office and voice your concerns. As Catholics and citizens we have an important role to play in the shaping of our nations policies – please don’t miss this opportunity to bring your voice and values to the public square.

August Congressional Recess Information (Local contact information and information concerning town hall meetings for your Congress people can be found here)

Catholics and Healthcare Reform (For more information concerning the Catholic position on healthcare reform please click

here)

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You are invited to a PRESENTATION ON STEM CELL RESEARCH, BY DR. MARILYN COORS, Thursday, September 17, 2009, 6:30 p.m. Ballard Hall, Christ the King parish, 830 Elm Street, Denver, CO. Dr. Coors holds a Ph.D. degree in ethics from the University of Denver, Colorado. She is an associate Professor of bioethics and genetics in the Department of Psychiatry.

Prayer to End Abortion

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,

And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.

I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,

Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death

by the Resurrection of Your Son.

I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.

Today I commit myself

Never to be silent,

Never to be passive,

Never to be forgetful of the unborn.

I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,

And never to stop defending life

Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,

And our nation once again becomes

A nation with liberty and justice

Not just for some, but for all,

Through Christ our Lord. Amen

For more info, please contact Brooke via brookeyork@hotmail.com.

If you have a Respect Life event you'd like us to publish, please send the information to respectlife.office@archden.org

Blessings,

Mary Haas

Assistant, Respect Life Office

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IMPORTANT ALERT

CALL Rep. Betsy Markey at (970) 221-7110 NOW TO STOP ABORTION IN HEALTH CARE REFORM

Oh, Be Unreasonable! - November 19th, 2009 by Christi Derr http://catholicexchange.com/2009/11/19/124193/

Archbishop Chaput Offers His Advice on the CCHD Collection - By Mike Sullivan | November 19, 2009 http://www.cufblog.org/?p=571

Catholics, evangelicals pledge to ignore gay rights and abortion laws - By John Tomasic 11/20/09 4:24 PM http://coloradoindependent.com/42791/catholics-evangelicals-pledge-to-ignore-gay-rights-and-abortion-laws

CALL Rep. Betsy Markey at (970) 221-7110 NOW
TO STOP ABORTION IN HEALTH CARE REFORM