KnightsLifeline 2_11_KLL Feb2011 2/23/11 11:56 AM Page 1 A people of Life KNIGHT’S LIFELINE and for Life Published by the Knights of Columbus Office of Pro-life, Marriage and Family Values K OF C “DAY OF THE UNBORN CHILD” “WINNING WORDS OF LIFE” Thursday, March 25, the Feast of the FLYER NOW AVAILABLE Annunciation, is the date for this year’s observance A new flyer, “Winning Words of Life” (#2275), of the annual Knights of Columbus “Day of the suggests how to build a “Culture of Life” by Unborn Child.” Councils are encouraged to hold offering responses to common pro-abortion pro-life activities, such as a Rosary for Life, a arguments. The flyer may be ordered from the special Mass on behalf of the unborn, a baby-bottle Supply Department in reasonable quantities, at no campaign fund-raising drive on behalf of a charge, except for shipping. pregnancy care center, or other spiritual and service The four-page, full-color flyer describes how programs on behalf of unborn children and their the pro-life movement today has a distinct “women- mothers on March 25th. See the “Pro-life” pages in centered” approach that recognizes the unbreakable the “Service Programs” section of the website at bond between mother and child. www.kofc.org for more pro-life program ideas. The flyer tells about recent national polls that show the majority of the MARCH FOR LIFE - PHILIPPINES respondents now consider This year the Third Annual March for Life in themselves “pro-life.” It the Philippines, instead of being held on the same also tells how over 2,300 day, will be held on different days in the three pregnancy care centers are jurisdictions. The Marches in Visayas will be held open nationwide to not on Saturday, March 5, 2011, in Cebu City, Iloilo only save unborn lives, City, Tagbilaran City and Bacolod City. In but to help new mothers Mindanao, the Marches will be held on Sunday, make moral, informed March 20, 2011, in Davao City, Cagayan de Oro choices based on medical City, and Butuan City. In Luzon, the Marches will facts and real alternatives be on Saturday, March 26, 2011, in Manila, Baguio to abortion. City, Tuguegarao City, and in other major Luzon The flyer addresses why abortion is never the cities. answer, even in the so-called “hard” cases, where Knights, Squires, their families, and other the violence of rape and incest can never be undone parishioners, are encouraged to turn out in force in or healed by the additional violence of abortion, and support of building up the nation’s Culture of Life how in every pregnancy a doctor has at least two by defending existing pro-life laws. patients under his care and that he must always try For the past decade the Philippine bishops have to save the life of the mother and the life of her opposed various versions of a “reproductive health” unborn child. bill (RH bill) which would fund widespread Another section of the flyer describes how the distribution of contraceptives. In January, Order’s Ultrasound Initiative provides women with opposition to the RH Bill caused the government to a “window to the womb” to see the developing begin promoting a “responsible parenthood” bill. child and to hear the baby’s heartbeat. The flyer Church leaders want to know what “responsible tells how disabled children, such as those with parenthood” means in the bill. Secretary General Down Syndrome, can bring joy to a family as they Msgr. Juanito Figura of the Catholic Bishops learn to love without limit. It also holds up adoption Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said if the as a loving option to help a woman make a good life bill is simply “a rehash of the RH bill, then, for both herself and her child. definitely the Church will reject” it. Meanwhile, Finally, the flyer tells how Project Rachel offers Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Archbishop of Manila, post-abortive women, and men, compassionate is promoting training in natural family planning for assistance to aid in healing and invites them to married couples as the best moral alternative return home to the Church by telling them of the available to promote responsible parenthood. good news of God’s mercy and forgiveness. KnightsLifeline 2_11_KLL Feb2011 2/23/11 11:56 AM Page 2 MARCH FOR LIFE - CANADA estimates ranged from well over 100,000 to as many The National March for Life and associated as 400,000 marchers. pro-life events will be held in Ottawa, May 11-13. The Knights of Columbus emblem was visible on This annual event begins on Wednesday, May countless council banners, hats, and jackets 11th, with a noon pro-life prayer service at Christ the throughout the March, as well as on 10,000 “Defend Saviour Orthodox Church and a 7:30 PM Mass at Life” signs provided to marchers by Knights from St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish. At 9:00 PM the District of Columbia jurisdiction. Other Knights there will be a Candlelight Vigil at the Canadian served as marshals for the March, and, at the Tribute to Human Rights Monument followed at 10 Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate PM by all-night Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Conception the night before, served as ushers for up at St. Patrick’s Basilica. to 10,000 people attending the standing-room-only On May 12th at 10 a.m. there are Masses at both National Prayer Vigil for Life Mass, celebrated by Notre Dame Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Basilica. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, along with other Marchers will begin gathering at noon on cardinals, dozens of bishops, and scores of priests. Parliament Hill with the introduction of dignitaries Previously, on Saturday, January 22, 2011, in San and select speeches. The March begins at 1:30 PM. Francisco, an estimated 40,000 people joined the The Silent No More Awareness Campaign will make Walk for Life – West Coast. Immediately following a presentation on the Hill about 2:45 PM. At 4 PM the Eastern Catholic Chaplaincy of Ottawa will lead a closing Prayer Service. The Rose Dinner, at 6 PM, will feature David Beriet, national director of 40 Days for Life, as the keynote speaker. On Friday, May 13th, a Mass for Pro-Life Youth will begin at 7:30 AM at the Hampton Inn and Conference Center, followed by the Pro-life Youth Conference from 9 AM to 2:30 PM. Call 613-729-0379 or 800-730-5358 for more information, or go to www.marchforlife.ca. Book a seat on a bus now! No bus? Have your council reserve a bus to take a busload of Knights! the Walk for Life, about 3,000 youths participated Canadian Knights – “Defend Life!” in the first pro-life Youth Rally, of which the Knights of Columbus was the Grand Sponsor. MASSIVE PRO-LIFE CROWDS AT Other pro-life rallies and marches, large and WASHINGTON, D.C. MARCH FOR LIFE, small, were held at state capitols and cities and SAN FRANCISCO WALK FOR LIFE! towns throughout the United States. On Monday, January 24, 2011, the 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, pro-life activists from LEGISLATIVE UPDATE across the country, including thousands of Knights, U.S. CONGRESS crowded the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and Three major pro-life bills are currently pending walked up Capitol Hill to the U.S. Supreme Court in the United States Congress that would prohibit in the annual March for Life. federal funds for abortion and protect conscience Before the March, the Verizon Center and the rights of health care workers and institutions. D.C. Armory were both filled to capacity with a The first bill, the bipartisan Protect Life Act, total of about 30,000 pro-life youths for pre-March H.R. 358, introduced January 20th by Reps. Daniel Masses and rallies. At noon, these young people Lipinski (D-IL) and Joseph Pitts (R-PA) and 88 co- joined tens of thousands of other youths and adults sponsors, would apply to the new national health for the rally on the Mall, where Knights of care program Hyde-Amendment type funding Columbus Supreme Advocate John Marrella led the restrictions on abortion and conscience protections Pledge of Allegiance. Following the rally, the for health care workers. March for Life began, with marchers filling six The second bill is the No Taxpayer Funding of lanes of roadway from curb-to-curb, and taking Abortion Act, H.R. 3, introduced by Rep. Chris nearly two hours to pass a single point. Crowd Smith (R-NJ) with 160 co-sponsors, which would KnightsLifeline 2_11_KLL Feb2011 2/23/11 11:56 AM Page 3 permanently ban taxpayer funding of abortions Pregnancy Care Centers - There are over 2,300 throughout the federal government. Rather than pro-life pregnancy care centers across the country needing to apply Hyde-type spending restrictions that help pregnant women find positive alternatives annually to various spending bills, this bill would to abortion and provide women with free pregnancy permanently apply to all federal funding bills. This tests, maternity and baby clothes, furniture, diapers bill would also codify the Hyde/Weldon amendment and other services. that has ensured that federal agencies and state and Despite all the good that these centers do to local governments that receive federal funds do not support pregnant women and their babies (while discriminate against health care providers because also saving cash-starved states large sums of they do not perform or provide abortions. money), some cities and states have tried to hinder Also, Reps.