Priests for Life is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. We participate in meetings at the United Nations and collaborate with the Holy See and numerous pro-family NGOs to foster international policies protecting the dignity of human life at all stages.

RECENT UPDATES

April 7, 2011 - Priests for Life participated in the Holy See’s kick-off side event marking the start of the 44th Session of the Commission on Population and Development at the United Nations in NY with a panel discussion on Secure Human Development: Marriage, Family, Community. H.E. Archbishop Francis A. Chullikatt, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations gave the opening remarks reaffirming Church teaching that “…for integral human development to take place, we must put people first. We must respect the inherent dignity of each and every person, and we must recognize that the true measure of authentic development in any society is how much it protects, respects and promotes all human life including the unborn, the disabled, the elderly, and all who are suffering.” Full statement here (pdf).

Expert panelists included Yuri Mantilla, L.L.M., Director of International Government Affairs for Focus on the Family who addressed the important topic of “The Right to Life and Development: A Latin American Perspective”. Yuri was followed by Susan Yoshihara, Ph.D., Vice President of Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute who dealt with the strategic importance of "Demography and Development: How Falling Fertility Affects Global Security" and Wendy Wright, President, Concerned Women for America “Human Sexuality, Marriage, and Family from a Woman’s Perspective.”

Priests for Life is an accredited Non Governmental Organization and will be sending its delegation to the 44th Commission on Population and Development to participate, monitor, and report on events taking place April 11-15. This year’s theme is “Fertility, reproductive health, and development.” More on the conference here.

March 3, 2011 – Priests for Life statement to the Commission on the Status of Women's panel on Elimination of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and the empowerment of women.

Progress is being made in eliminating maternal mortality and morbidity, but the lives of women continue to be jeopardized by a lack of access to health care. As the UN advances a new integrated approach to health care, Priests for Life recognizes the critical role of faith based organizations and urges respect and protection of the right of conscience.

The World Health Organization estimates that faith based organizations provide as much as well over half of all health care services in countries in Africa. Faith based organizations are critical partners in the global effort to eliminate maternal mortality and their continued delivery of maternal health care must be ensured. Attempts to impose induced abortion and other programs that conflict with religious values and beliefs interferes with fundamental rights and will detrimentally impact faith based organizations. The protection of rights of conscience, belief and religion, are enshrined in all international treaties and bodies, beginning with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Belief in the sanctity of life and respect for the dignity for all human beings - regardless of condition of dependency or disability or stage of development - is the foundation that inspires and motivates most organizations based on faith to deliver compassionate and competent health care. Evidence shows that the provision of basic life-affirming maternal health care - which necessarily excludes abortion - enables greater reduction in maternal deaths and thus better protection of women and children.

The intrinsic dignity of life is also the foundation of human rights. Our commitment to human rights springs from our commitment to the protection, affirmation, and defense of all human persons – those born and those residing in the womb –as the Convention on the Rights of Child explicitly reminds us. The provision of health care services that respect and affirm the dignity of each and every human being are essential to continued progress in reducing both maternal and child mortality. Nearly nine million children - including 4 million newborns - die each year from preventable causes. Efforts to save and promote the dignity and well-being of women must also save and protect all children’s lives, both in and out of the womb. Life at all stages of the life cycle must be valued and respected.

International organizations which perform illegal abortions, which advise women on how to procure illegal abortions and which advocate for the overturning of national laws on abortion are irreconcilable with the United Nations, which exists to affirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person.

It is our hope that the new Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health will result in greater transparency and accountability, will truly assist women to successfully and safely complete their pregnancies and will ensure respect for sovereign laws which protect the lives of vulnerable children in the womb.

March 2 – 2011 - Holy See Representative Professor Jane Adolphe addresses Women’s issues at CSW saying “The elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against the girl child”, she stated that “all States must enact and enforce legislation to protect girls from all forms of violence and exploitation, from conception onwards, including abortion, especially sex-selective abortion, female infanticide.” Full statement here.

February 28, 2011 - Fr. Pavone dispatches representatives to UN Commission on the Status of Women to make the point that “the lives of women need to be valued and respected”. Priests for Life, a registered non-governmental organization (NGO) at the United Nations (UN) since 2003, is actively taking part in the fifty-fifth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) currently underway at the UN Headquarters in New York City. CSW is a yearly meeting of representatives of the 192 UN Member States who gather to discuss issues related to women’s equality and advancement. Following the session, CSW submits recommendations to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Regrettably, many have often used CSW to advance the pro-abortion agenda, especially in the areas of women’s health, equality and empowerment.

This theme of this year’s session is the “access and participation of women and girls in education, training, science and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work”. Janet Morana, Executive Director for Priests for Life and representative to the UN, submitted a statement to CSW which highlighted the fact that “the lives of women need to be valued and respected,” particularly with respect to their ability to bear children.

The PFL statement called for the availability of education and employment for pregnant women and girls: “Woman-centered initiatives for empowerment which include abortion are unacceptable and distract from meeting the real needs of women. Our energies must focus on the daily struggles women face not only in accessing education and employment but also to ensure: access to clean water and adequate nutrition, access to life-affirming health care, the provision of skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric care, protection of children, aid to those suffering from HIV/AIDS, support for victims of violence, the rescuing of women trapped in trafficking, laws to allow women to own and inherit land, and enforcement of child support laws.”

Bob Lalonde, International Director and PFL UN representative, took part in a related CSW Holy See side event on February 24 entitled "Women's reproductive health as a gender, development and human rights issue: regaining perspective”. The event, which was presided over by Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the UN, was standing-room only. The session was moderated by the Deputy Permanent Representative of St. Lucia to the UN, Sarah Flood- Beaubrun, and included an expert panel that addressed issues of women’s health from pro-woman pro-life perspective.

Additionally, PFL UN representative Marie Smith, Founder and Director of the Parliamentary Network for Critical Issues, a global outreach of Gospel of Life Ministries/Priests for Life, was selected to participate in an official CSW event on maternal mortality —Interactive Panel 5, “Elimination of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and the empowerment of women.” This event takes place on March 1 from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. CSW session runs through March 4th.

February 16, 2011 - Fr. Frank Pavone dispatched PFL’s UN Delegate Bob Lalonde to participate, as an observer, to the forty-ninth session of the Commission for Social Development taking place at the United Nations in New York February 9 to 18 and help defend the rights of the unborn, “the poorest of the poor”. PFL strongly supports the statement made by Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations “that “the deepest needs of the human person” go far beyond food, water and shelter. Authentic social development hinges on respect for the dignity of each human person.” The Holy See’s delegate to the conference added “The Holy See delegate cited “the procreative and educational mission of parents” and the consequent psychological and spiritual benefits enjoyed by children who grow up in a healthy family. “The institution of the family, which is a sine qua non for preparing the future generation, is being challenged by many factors in the modern world and the family needs to be defended and safeguarded.” The Holy See’s full statement can be found on its website.

The Commission on Social Development is a subsidiary body of the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) which meets on an annual basis. The priority theme for thus year’s 49th Session of the Commission on Social Development (CSocD) is poverty eradication. The Commission reports that “since the World Summit for Social Development, in 1995, poverty eradication has become the overarching objective of development. Despite the crisis, the world is still on track to halve the proportion of the population living on less than $1.25 a day by 2015.... Close to 900 million people will still be living in extreme poverty by 2015, even if the global target is reached.” More information on the Commission and the conference can be found on its website.

November 11, 2010 - Janet Morana, Executive Director, Priests for Life registered a written statement with the fifty-fifth session of the Commission on the Status of Women to be held February 22 to March 4 2011 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The statement is below:

We would like to thank the Commission on the Status of Women for focusing on the critical areas which impact women’s lives around the world and recognize that advancements in the basic areas of education, job training and access to technology are ways to improve the impoverished lives of women. Employment helps women to improve their lives and rise from poverty. The astounding success of micro-credit loans across the developing world amply illustrates the benefits of giving women the chance to use their skills and economic empowerment results from access to vocational training and job opportunities.

A woman who has a source of income is able to put food on the table, educate her children and afford health care. She receives respect from others in the community who look to her for leadership resulting in political involvement and opportunities to help others in her community and beyond. It is the currently accepted wisdom across the spectrum of ideologies that when women and girls have access to education, it is not only their lives that improve, but the lives of their children and community. Education needs to be available to all girls and women to reduce the unacceptably high female illiteracy rate. Education not only empowers women with reading, writing skills and math skills but results in self-confidence and empowerment which helps women assume leadership roles in their communities. Education provides the most effective path out of poverty.

Women who receive educational opportunities are healthier and their children are healthier. Educated women have healthier pregnancies and safer deliveries resulting in healthier newborns and in reductions in both maternal and child mortality. Educated women are able to make better decisions for themselves and their children. The areas of education and employment are critical to improving lives and programs in these areas must provide for the unique child-bearing capacity of women. Pregnant girls must be allowed to receive an education and pregnant women must not be threatened with job loss. Women must be allowed to fulfill their innate capacity to bear children without penalty.

Abortion is not an acceptable solution to meeting the educational and employment needs of women. The destruction of a woman’s child through the violence of the abortion act does not result in true empowerment. Rather, any so-called “reproductive freedom” gained through abortion only anesthetizes and deadens the nurturing souls of women, forcing them to accept oppression of their procreative lives. Abortion does little to affirm the dignity of women – instead it separates their sexuality from the intrinsic act of procreation and reduces them to mere machines to satisfy male pleasure, with no connection to the emotional and spiritual forces that are intrinsic to women’s identity.

Abortion can be emotionally crippling. Increasingly, women who suffer the repercussions of abortion often describe it as violent and brutal. There is grief, sadness, shame and anger. They resort to self-destructive behaviors and numb themselves with alcohol and drugs. Some re-enact their trauma through promiscuity and repeat abortions, trapped in a cycle of abandonment, rejection, a sense of helplessness, and abuse. The Alan Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, recently revealed that 50 percent of all women who have an abortion will go on to have another. Others attempt to repress their feelings through eating disorders, depression, anxiety and attempted suicide.

True women’s rights and freedom will never exist until women’s reproductive capacity is valued and their children are cherished by society and the men who father them. Violence against women will never end until society recognizes the benefits of fashioning life, instead of insisting upon its necessary destruction. Health care in any form, including maternal health or reproductive health, that includes access to abortion is not really health care at all. Abortion ends the life of one patient and may injure the other physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

The dualistic rhetoric of abortion rights splits mind from body, sexuality from procreation, pleasure from loving passion, and mother from child. Health care that includes abortion threatens women and their children with violence and abandonment. Abortion on demand has created a mindset that killing is the solution to unwanted responsibility – not just for the baby, but for the woman who won’t exercise her “freedom of choice”. Men who refuse to accept their responsibility are enabled by abortion to abandon women and treat them with disrespect and contempt often leading to acts of violence and abuse.

Gender violence plagues the lives of women around the world as far too many women suffer abuse and violence on a daily basis. Cultural practices which de-value the life of the girl-child and deny her an education must be stopped. Employment practices which discriminate against women must end. Initiatives which seek to deny or destroy the inherent procreative ability of women do not advance or empower women. Rather, programs which include access to abortion treat women’s unique capabilities as a problem rather than recognizing the universally valued role of women as the bearers of a country’s future, its children.

Woman-centered initiatives for empowerment which include abortion are unacceptable and distract from meeting the real needs of women. Our energies must focus on the daily struggles women face not only in accessing education and employment but also to ensure: access to clean water and adequate nutrition, access to life-affirming health care, the provision of skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric care, protection of children, aid to those suffering from HIV/AIDS, support for victims of violence, the rescuing of women trapped in trafficking, laws to allow women to own and inherit land, and enforcement of child support laws.

Progress in these areas would do infinitely more for women than insisting on universal access to abortion. The lives of women need to be valued and respected. Women should not have to deny their feminine nature, be made to feel second class to men, or be penalized for their unique procreative capacity. Women should be affirmed for their female nature; their lives should be respected throughout the life cycle and they should be assisted in the critical role of mother. Education and employment should be available to women and girls while affirming and providing for—and not penalizing—their unique role and capacity.

October 20, 2010 – Reception for Archbishop Francis Chullikatt Apostolic Nuncio to the United Nations, was hosted by Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) and Focus on the Family and Fr. Frank Pavone sent Bob Lalonde, Priests for Life UN Delegate to represent Priests for Life. Archbishop Chullikatt was appointed by the Holy Father on July 17 and arrived in New York in September. C-FAM commented “The prolife community is so pleased Archbishop Chullikatt has been chosen by Pope Benedict XVI to head Holy See diplomatic efforts at the United Nations. Archbishop Chullikatt comes to us from Iraq where for many years he served heroically as Apostolic Nuncio to that war torn country”.

September 28, 2010 - Cardinal Renato Martino, former Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations (1986 to 2002) and President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace paid a visit to Fr. Frank Pavone and the pastoral team at PFL’s Headquarters. To read more about his important visit please see On The Frontlines.

May 19, 2010 - Fr. Frank Pavone sent PFL UN Delegate Bob Lalonde as an observer to the UN’s Sixty-third session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva. At this session, the Health Assembly discussed a number of public health issues, including monitoring of the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals. Bob also met with Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Apostolic Nuncio to the UN in Geneva.

March 8, 2010 - Dr. Alveda King addressed the United Nations on the topic of Motherhood on the occasion of International Woman's Day. Dr King spoke to a full assembly and said “No matter what great accomplishments women achieve, there simply is no more important role for us than motherhood—loving, nurturing, and raising the next generation. To ensure a brighter tomorrow, we must affirm and support motherhood in whatever policies or programs we devise.” For Dr. King’s complete statement and pictures of the event please see On The Frontlines.

September 2, 2009 - Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations received PFL Associate Director Fr. Denis Wilde, OSA, and Special Advisor to the Director, Bob Lalonde at the Mission in mid-town Manhattan. The three met for an hour to explore channels of collaboration between Priests for Life and the Holy See's chief executive to the international body in matters relating to the dignity and defense of human life. See a picture of the meeting at On The Frontlines.

June 9, 2009 - Priests for Life Participates in Successful gathering of over 400 at the Vatican sponsored UN Path to Peace Foundation –

Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and President of the Path to Peace Foundation presided over the gathering of over 400 world leaders at its 17th Path to Peace Award. Cardinal Renato R. Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and former head of the Path to Peace Foundation was also in attendance. A posthumous award was given to Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho from Iraq who was kidnapped in Mosul and later killed. Fox commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano also received the Servitor Pacis Award and made remarks about the importance of defending sacred life in the womb.

Bob Lalonde and Michele Velasco, who assist Fr. Pavone in directing the international growth of Priests for Life, were present at the event. Click here for photos

March 2009 - Status of Woman (CSW) The Obama administration was pushing its “sexual and reproductive health” agenda at the United Nation’s Annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) March 2- 13 in New York. (See C-FAM’s article.) As usual, C-FAM and its allies played an important role educating participants on the sanctity of life in the deliberations. PFL was present for some of the deliberations and helped sponsor lunches for the courageous army of 50 students from Ave Maria Law School, St. Thomas Moore Law School, Christendom College and Overbrook Academy.

February 2008 - Status of Woman (CSW) –While Priests for Life works within the United Nations, our ministries raise awareness about abortion’s negative impact outside UN meetings. During the United Nations’ February 2008 Commission on the Status of Women Conference, "Financing For Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women", our Silent No More Awareness Campaign held an event near UN headquarters. Many women held signs “I regret my abortion” for UN delegates to witness and spoke publicly about the emotional and physical pain inflicted by abortion.

Important Statements from the UN Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Committee

Typically referred to as the Third Committee, the Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Committee has been meeting throughout October 2008 at the UN in New York. PFL was there to support C-FAM and other international pro life groups such as SPUC (Society for the Protection of the Unborn) actively participating and reporting on all the events.

Read C-FAM’s report and the two important life affirming statements from the ambassadors of Malta and Fiji.

LEARN MORE

To learn more about the role of NGOs, visit the official website for the United Nations - Department of Economic and Social Affairs - NGO Section. Also available is a calendar of meetings and events.

The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See To the United Nations website offers background on the Holy See’s involvement at the UN, statements from the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, position papers, and magisterial texts on the Catholic Church’s social agenda.

Click here to read the Statement of the Holy See to the United Nations, the Address of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on April 18, 2008.

Additionally, the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) is an organization dedicated to the research and dissemination of information related to United Nations activities and publications to the broader society, including the media. Read about their activities, and receive their weekly update.

Click here to read Fr. Frank’s column on The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948-2008 marking the occasion of its 60th anniversary.

Also read the Press Release: The United Nations Grants Priests for Life NGO Status

Source: http://www.priestsforlife.org/generalpfl/ngo.htm

Reprinted with permission from Priests for Life