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US Bishops’ org defends giving 25% of 2010 grants to pro-contraception group
July 25, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – Catholic Relief Services (CRS), “the official overseas relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops” is vociferously defending its 2010 grant of $5.3 million to CARE. LifeSiteNews reported July 17 that CARE is a major advocate of contraception and indeed also of legal abortion. The CRS strategy of persistent denial of obvious serious problems regarding its aid partner is not what one would expect from a Catholic agency. To date, CRS has produced three press releases and a high volume of tweets and emails defending the grant despite the oddity of the Bishops simultaneously fighting the Obama contraceptive mandate. In the first of the releases, CRS implied that the donation was approved by well-respected theologian Dr. John Haas of the National Catholic Bioethics Centre. However upon closer inspection, Dr. Haas’ assessment of the situation was submitted only this year on January 12, 2012 - not at all prior to the 2010 grant. Moreover, as LSN reported, Dr. Haas’ assessment of the grant was very negative. He told CRS about their donating to CARE: “In my opinion because CARE is so well known and so high profile and because the advocacy of abortion has been so strong and public and in such opposition to the position of the bishops, scandal would be unavoidable.” Beyond this LifeSiteNews has found that the CRS donation to CARE during 2008 and 2009 totaled an additional $3+ million. (2008: $1,802,709 and 2009: $1,399,534) CRS has taken to rather petty criticisms of LifeSiteNews’ report. For instance in one headline: “John Haas Refutes July 24 LifeSite News Headline: He Did NOT Advise Catholic Relief Services Not To Fund CARE.” Did Dr. Haas object to our original headline? Yes, but in his polite note, he added that “you quoted me correctly in the article.” What was the original headline? John Haas: I advised Catholic Relief Services NOT to fund CARE And naturally we were happy to comply with Dr. Haas’ wish that it be changed. It was changed to: John Haas warned Catholic Relief Services “scandal would be unavoidable” with grant to CARE In his email to LifeSiteNews Dr. Haas explained the reason for the desired change: “I don’t urge our ‘clients’ to do or not do anything. We give them our opinion as to whether the contemplated action would be moral or immoral. Our task is to do the moral analysis and share it with those in positions of authority who make the decisions and have to assume responsibility for them.” Various Catholic publications issued reports based on the CRS release defending their massive donation to CARE. Even the Baltimore Sun reported on it. The gang over at the gay-marriage-endorsing National Catholic Reporter are hopping mad at LifeSiteNews. Michael Sean Winters writes on his NCR blog: “The parallel magisterium over at LifeSiteNews has taken exception to Catholic Relief Services.” Winters calls the LifeSiteNews reports “obscene” and “witch hunts” and our writers he refers to as “self-appointed zealots.” One question many are likely asking is, if the head of CARE is so militantly pro-contraception and pro-abortion, what other negative CARE activities take place that the public is not aware of? Well, they, like NCR differ on the Christian position on homosexuality. On page 38 of another CARE document, they write: page 40: “Homosexuality is not an illness. Simply put, homosexuality is primary sexual attraction to or sexual activity among persons of the same sex. Homosexuality may make us feel uncomfortable because it's not something we see all the time. But the fact that it is uncommon does not mean that it is wrong. Homosexuals can have healthy, loving relationships just like anyone else.” Another question that many Catholics are probably still asking, regardless of the opinions on the CRS/CARE controversy, is this: Are there not other agencies, not requiring such ethical gymnastics to justify continued funding, that these millions of dollars of Catholic money should be going to? See the National Catholic Bioethics Centre response to this controversy, especially paragraphs 11 and 12. Unfortunately, since CRS remains determined to spin the news rather than handle the matter in a straightforward way, LifeSiteNews will continue to investigate and report on it’s problematic activities. And sadly, they don’t end with CARE. Back to Top | Print Article | Email Friend | View Story on LifeSiteNews.com | |||||
Spanish government plans to end abortions of handicapped babies, says justice minister
MADRID, Spain, July 25, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Spain’s justice minister, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, has announced that upcoming legislation reform of the country’s laws governing abortions will eliminate fetal deformity as a basis for killing the unborn. The legislation, which would eliminate abortion-on-demand during the first fourteen weeks of pregnancy as established by the previous administration, would return to a “law of conditions,” under which abortion would not be penalized in certain specified cases, Ruiz-Gallardón told the Spanish publication La Razón. However, Spain would not renew the old law in its entirety, said the justice minister, “because experience shows us that some of these aspects must be revised.” Asked which ones, he responded: “I anticipate one. I do not understand why the unborn are unprotected, permitting them to be aborted, because of the fact that they have some kind of handicap or deformity.” “It seems to me to be ethically inconceivable we have lived so long with this legislation, and I think that the same level of protection that is given to an unborn child without any type of handicap or deformity should be given to those that are verified as lacking some of the abilities that other unborn children have,” added Ruiz-Gallardón. The minister, who has been criticized for not acting to fulfill the People’s Party campaign promise to reform the abortion law, said that he anticipated introducing a bill on the matter by the end of the year. According to statistics published by La Razon, 90% of handicapped or deformed children in Spain are killed in their mothers’ wombs, a total of over 16,000 over the last five years. While Spain’s socialist left decried the proposed reform, an advocacy group for children with Down syndrome, Down Spain, hailed the proposal as a step towards recognizing the rights of the handicapped. The organization stated “its satisfaction over the declarations made yesterday by the minister of justice,” opining that by such a measure “a true social change will be achieved because, for the first time, the lives of everyone in equality of conditions will be made possible.” Ruiz-Gallardón, who has played the role of gadfly within the People’s Party in the past, in this case received the unequivocal support of the party’s current leader, Carlos Floriano. Calling Ruiz-Gallardón’s statements “absolutely impeccable,” Floriano added that “we are betting on the defense of the rights of the weakest, so what the minister said coincides with the ethical and political convictions and principles of the People’s Party.” Back to Top | Print Article | Email Friend | View Story on LifeSiteNews.com | |||||
Obama: Funding Planned Parenthood is important for my daughters
PORTLAND, Oregon, July 25, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – President Barack Obama again invoked his daughters as reasons to support the abortion industry in a campaign stop in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday. "Mr. Romney wants to get rid of funding for Planned Parenthood," the president told nearly 1,000 donors at the Oregon Convention Center. "I think that is a bad idea. I've got two daughters. I want them to control their own health care choices. We're not going backwards; we're going forwards." The reference echoes a comment he made in 2008 on the campaign trail. "I've got two daughters, 9 years old and 6 years old," he said. "If they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby." In yesterday’s remarks, the president applied the same phrase he used of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading abortion provider, to his health care law. "The Supreme Court has spoken. We are now implementing it," he said. "Thirty million people will have health insurance that didn't have it before. Women will have control of their health care choices." The comment drew a boisterous ovation. Critics of ObamaCare have long warned the health care law will provide for federal funding of abortions. His reference to his daughters came just after the president criticized Mitt Romney for not supporting his repeal of the military’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy. He had previously cited his daughters’ advice for his decision to support same-sex “marriage.” (Click “like” if you want to end abortion! ) President Obama later drew another contrast with Romney, saying, "I believe in bottom-up economics." He pledged to continue "investing in clean energy and making sure that solar panels and wind turbines are built here in the United States of America." At several points he punctuated the speech, which highlighted his support of a number of left-of-center positions, with the phrase, "We’re not going backwards; we’re going forwards." During the speech, he said he would be outspent. The 37-minute speech came before two additional fundraisers: A $5,000-a-plate fundraiser with 200 donors and a $38,500-a-plate fundraiser with 20 donors. The speech contained a notable reference, as the president cited the Declaration of Independence’s guarantee that "we were endowed with certain inalienable rights by our Creator, life and liberty and this pursuit of happiness." He has a history of omitting the words "by our Creator" in past speeches. Obama’s comments on abortion begin at 31:38.
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San Francisco library installs plastic screens for patrons to view online pornography
SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) - Rather than restrict access to pornography on its computers, the San Francisco Public Library has installed plastic privacy screens so visitors can view pornography more discreetly, according to a recent New York Times report. "It's for their privacy, and for ours," said library spokeswoman Michelle Jeffers. The move came in response to complaints from library patrons that some computer users were watching hard-core porn in full view of anyone who passed by. A woman who was exposed to pornography after she passed someone watching hard-core pornography suggested that the library create specific areas or rooms for internet pornography users. But library officials told her that nothing like that would be done, although the facility has designated rooms such as the James Hormel Gay and Lesbian Reading Center that caters to homosexual clientele. (Click “like” if you want to end abortion! ) Instead, the library addressed the issue by installing 18 computer monitors with plastic hoods so that only the person using the computer can see what is on the screen. Jeffers added that the library also intends to place signs near all its computers asking users to be “sensitive to other patrons,” a solution it prefers to placing network porn filtering software on its computers. “We’re always looking for any kind of elegant solution that strikes a balance between the right to privacy and folks that want to use the library for any other intended purpose,” said head librarian Luis Herrera to local media. Contact information: Back to Top | Print Article | Email Friend | View Story on LifeSiteNews.com | |||||
Rahm Emanuel: Chick-Fil-A should be banished for Christian marriage beliefs
BOSTON, July 25, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) - Chicago Mayor and former Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has backed calls to keep Chick-fil-A from doing business in his city, saying the restaurant chain’s Christian beliefs on marriage “are not Chicago values.” Meanwhile, the Boston Globe has come to the defense of Chick-fil-A leaders’ right to hold those beliefs in the wake of similar comments from that city’s mayor. Rahm Emanuel told the Chicago Tribune Wednesday that he agreed with Alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno’s effort to stop Chick-fil-A from opening a new restaurant in his area of the city based on president Dan Cathy’s “bigoted, homophobic” views. Cathy, who is famously outspoken in his Christian beliefs, had said last week that he was “guilty as charged” for supporting traditional marriage, saying that redefining the institution meant “inviting God’s judgment on our nation.” “Chick-fil-A values are not Chicago values,” Emanuel told the Tribune. “They disrespect our fellow neighbors and residents. This would be a bad investment, since it would be empty.” Meanwhile, the Boston Globe has come to the defense of Chick-fil-A after the mayor of the Massachusetts capital, Thomas Menino, also said the chicken eatery should be banished. (Click “like” if you want to end abortion! ) Although typically supportive of progressive causes, the editors of Globe responded critically on Wednesday, saying Menino’s comments did not respect Cathy’s right to his personal beliefs. “[W]hich part of the First Amendment does Menino not understand?” they wrote. “A business owner’s political or religious beliefs should not be a test for the worthiness of his or her application for a business license.” The case is different for privately-owned property such as Northeastern University, which blocked Chick-fil-A for similar reasons from its campus, wrote the Globe editors - but banishing a law-abiding business from city grounds for the same reason should not be tolerated. “[U]sing the power of government to freeze the company out of a city sends a disturbing message to all businesses. If the mayor of a conservative town tried to keep out gay-friendly Starbucks or Apple, it would be an outrage,” stated the editorial.
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Lesbian activist to decide Illinois ‘marriage’ lawsuit
CHICAGO, July 25, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – The struggle for Illinois' marriage law continues, as homosexual couples sue the state over the homosexual marriage ban. But according to the Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH), there is one fact that the media seems to have ignored: the ruling judge on the case is an openly homosexual and a gay rights activist. Although Illinois law allows for homosexual civil unions, it maintains that marriage is "between a man and a woman." On May 30, some 25 gay and lesbian couples filed a lawsuit against the state, claiming that the law upholding traditional marriage violated homosexuals' right to equal protection under the Illinois constitution. The ruling judge on the case is Sophia Hall. Hall is listed as a charter member on the website of the Alliance of Illinois Judges, an organization for gay and lesbian judges, which, according to AFTAH, actively promotes the LGBT agenda. Likewise, the July 2007 newsletter of the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association Chicago (LAGBAC) states that "LAGBAC hosted a reception to honor the lesbian and gay judges of Cook County," and listed Hall as one of the guests. In a 2010 speech, Hall stated that she has "focused on efforts to combat the injustice" of the "bias against gays and lesbians." Click “like” if you want to defend true marriage. Judge Hall's is in a similar position to that of Vaughan Walker, the federal judge who in August 2010 struck down California's constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. He was later discovered to have been in a gay relationship. But unlike Walker, there is no secrecy surrounding Hall's homosexuality. In an interview with AFTAH, Rena Lindevaldsen, professor of Law and Associate Director of the Liberty Center for Law and Policy, stated that Judge Hall should recuse herself from the case, because of "an obvious conflict of interest." “Judge Hall is presiding over a case that seeks to fundamentally alter the meaning of marriage in Illinois,” declared Lindevaldsen. "As a Charter Member of the Alliance of Illinois Judges, which is an organization dedicated to LGBT causes, she has an obvious conflict of interest. Pursuant to the Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct, a judge must disqualify herself in any case where her ‘impartiality might reasonably be questioned.’ (Rule 63-Cannon 3)." "Given the significance of the case before her, Judge Hall should take steps to avoid even the perception of a conflict of interest, and recuse herself,” Lindevaldsen said.
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Obama calls for Planned Parenthood funding in wake of botched abortion death
CHICAGO, Illinois, July 25, 2012 (OperationRescue.org) - Yesterday, in the wake of the tragic and avoidable botched abortion death of Tonya Reaves at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Chicago, Pres. Barack Obama disrespected Tonya with comments he made supporting Planned Parenthood during a campaign speech in Portland. "Mr. Romney wants to get rid of funding for Planned Parenthood. I think that's a bad idea," Obama said. "I've got two daughters. I want them to control their own health care choices." Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue and Pro-Life Nation responded to Mr. Obama's insensitive comments:
Operation Rescue encourages the public to call Obama and demand he withdraw support and Federal funding from Planned Parenthood. White House Comments Line: 202-456-1111 Back to Top | Print Article | Email Friend | View Story on LifeSiteNews.com | |||||
Obama gives $426,000 to North Carolina Planned Parenthood after state votes to defund
CHARLOTTE, July 25, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Obama administration has awarded nearly half-a-million dollars to Planned Parenthood in North Carolina, once again overriding elected representatives in a state that has chosen not to fund the nation’s leading provider of abortion. The Department of Health and Human Services has given $426,000 in Title X funding to Planned Parenthood. Earlier this month, North Carolina lawmakers voted to override a veto by Democratic Governor Beverly Perdue and end all family planning grants, effectively depriving Planned Parenthood of $125,000 in state taxpayer dollars. The group reacted by threatening to close a Durham clinic that does not provide abortions. It has dropped a lawsuit against the state after learning it received all the federal funds it has requested. Last year the state legislature passed a bill specifically defunding Planned Parenthood, which a judge later struck down. "It's indicative of the federal government playing politics with taxpayer money," said State Representative Nelson Dollar, R-Cary. "The fact that Planned Parenthood has been given additional money from the Obama administration sort of fits with the politics of the administration." The Obama administration has increasingly funded state Planned Parenthood affiliates directly in states that have stopped funding the organization. The administration gave Planned Parenthood in New Hampshire $1 million last September after the Granite State voted to withhold state funds. (Click “like” if you want to end abortion! ) Earlier this month, the administration awarded Planned Parenthood of Memphis $1.2 million in Title X funds, over several years, after Tennessee’s elected officials voted to fund alternate caregivers. "By funneling federal tax dollars to abortion providers in Tennessee, Barack Obama has proven once again why he needs to be defeated for a second term," said Tennessee’s Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey. "This money is a clear attempt to subvert the actions of state government and prop up a culture of death on the decline." Planned Parenthood has purchased $1.4 million in television advertisements attacking Obama’s opponent, Mitt Romney. The 2012 Democratic National Convention will take place this summer in Charlotte. Back to Top | Print Article | Email Friend | View Story on LifeSiteNews.com | |||||
Cardinal Burke: Catholic colleges should require mandatum from theologians
July 25, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Catholic families have a right to know which theology professors have the mandatum, and Catholic colleges and universities should require it as a condition for employment, affirmed the Vatican's chief judge Cardinal Raymond Burke in a new report prompted by recent concerns from Pope Benedict XVI. Cardinal Burke and several bishops, canon law experts, and theologians discussed the mandatum with The Cardinal Newman Society in an online report published today at CardinalNewmanSociety.org. The report, titled "A Mandate for Fidelity," follows upon a May 5th address by Pope Benedict to several American bishops during their ad limina visit to Rome. The Pope expressed concern that "much remains to be done" toward the renewal of Catholic identity in U.S. Catholic colleges and universities, "especially in such areas as compliance with the mandate laid down in Canon 812 for those who teach theological disciplines." He cited "the confusion created by instances of apparent dissidence between some representatives of Catholic institutions and the Church's pastoral leadership." Canon 812 of the Catholic Church's canon law states, "Those who teach theological disciplines in any institutes of higher studies whatsoever must have a mandate from the competent ecclesiastical authority." As implemented by the U.S. bishops, a theology professor requests a "mandate" (commonly identified by the Latin mandatum) from the bishop presiding over the diocese where the theologian is employed. The professor commits, in writing, "to teach authentic Catholic doctrine and to refrain from putting forth as Catholic teaching anything contrary to the Church's Magisterium," according to U.S. guidelines. But in the United States, many Catholic colleges and universities have not required theology professors to have the mandatum, or even to disclose to students and their families which professors have the bishop's recognition. The 1990s saw vigorous opposition to the mandatum by some theologians and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, but the controversy has since cooled down, largely because in practice the mandatum has not had much relevance to students and college leaders. Now Pope Benedict's concern about a lack of "compliance" with Canon 812 renews questions about Catholic colleges and universities' obligations relative to the mandatum. The Cardinal Newman Society asked several experts including Cardinal Burke, archbishop emeritus of St. Louis and prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican's highest canon law court, to explain what canon law requires. Citing Pope Benedict's description of the mandatum as "a tangible expression of ecclesial communion and solidarity," Cardinal Burke said:
"The fact that I teach in accord with the Magisterium is a public factor," added Cardinal Burke. "That's not some private, secret thing between myself and the Lord." Father Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap., executive director of the Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told The Cardinal Newman Society that theology professors ought to be proud of receiving the mandatum, which is an honor "recognizing that theologians have a true vocation in the Church."
Asked whether only theology professors with the mandatum should be employed at a Catholic college or university, Cardinal Burke responded "yes" and added:
In preparing the report, The Cardinal Newman Society consulted many other experts in theology and canon law, including Archbishop Emeritus Elden Curtiss of Omaha, Bishop Emeritus Joseph Martino of Scranton, Gregorian University canonist Fr. James Conn, SJ, canonist Robert Flummerfelt, and theologians Msgr. Stuart Swetland of Mount St. Mary's University, Fr. Edward O'Connor, CSC, of the University of Notre Dame, Fr. Matthew Lamb of Ave Maria University, Brian Benestad of the University of Scranton, Larry Chapp of DeSales University, Mark Lowery and Christopher Malloy of the University of Dallas, and Dennis Martin of Loyola University Chicago. The Cardinal Newman Society’s report, “A Mandate for Fidelity,” can be found here. Back to Top | Print Article | Email Friend | View Story on LifeSiteNews.com | |||||
Archbishop-elect: ‘I could see myself going to jail’ for standing up against same-sex ‘marriage’
GLASGOW, July 25, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – One day after his appointment was announced, the new archbishop-elect of Glasgow has already been attacked in the media for his opposition to same-sex "marriage." On the day the appointment was made public, Archbishop-elect Philip Tartaglia, a long-time and highly vocal opponent of the homosexualist political agenda, told journalists that he believed he could end up in prison for his views. (Click “like” if you want to end abortion! ) "Or worse, will we be driven to the margins of society, and perhaps denied the legal right to carry out our mission and to express our faith in public?" he asked.
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Nearly 250 human fetuses found dumped in Russian forest
NEVYANSK, Russia, July 25, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) - Police in the Sverdlovsk region of Russia have launched an investigation after local residents found four plastic barrels with the remains of 248 unborn children strewn in a wooded ravine. Investigators said the 50-liter containers appear to have been thrown out of a vehicle not far from a road leading to Nevyansk, a town on the slopes of the Ural Mountains, spilling their contents on the ground. Many of the fetal remains had labels attached to tiny hands or feet with names and numbers, which authorities suspect may refer to the names of the children’s mothers, and the date of their abortion or the hospital where the abortion was committed. Some of the dates indicate the children were aborted more than ten years ago. The mystery surrounding the source of the children’s bodies has led to conjecture by police and medical officials. (Click “like” if you want to end abortion! ) According to police, forensic examinations showed most of the children were aborted at 22-26 weeks of pregnancy, which has led investigators to believe they are dealing with criminal activity. Local authorities suspect the "biological waste" disposal company which services the three hospitals in Ekaterinburg, the region’s major city. "It appears a company responsible for disposal of the biomedical waste has failed to carry out its duties properly," remark Vladimir Vlasov, deputy head of the regional government, according to TV-Novosti. However, Lydia Lukutova of the Moscow Regional Research Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics disagreed, saying, "This case is simply impossible in normal gynecological clinics. All [aborted] fetuses must be disposed of immediately. I wouldn't rule out some sort of criminal activity." Lukutova pointed out that aborted fetal remains are considered Class B biological waste and required by law to be incinerated. Gynecologist Yuliana Abaeva said the fetal remains may have been intended to serve as the source of vaccines or for cosmetics. "It could be unused abortive material for vaccines or fetal therapy, which is a cell therapy, extremely popular in cosmetology," she said in a report by Russian News Service. Elena Mizulina, head of the State Duma Committee on Issues of Family, Women and Children, said she believes this incident is a case of mass illegal abortions, which are widespread in the country, and that the bodies may have been intended for the illegal trade in fetal tissue. "Such abortions are illegal," she told Izvestia news service, "because they are performed at stages when it's dangerous for the mother, and is the murder of a rather developed human being. What were found in those containers are not embryos – they are killed unborn human beings." Russian law allows abortion on demand up to the 12th week of pregnancy, prohibiting it in later stages unless doctors determine it is necessary to save the mother's life. However, health officials are aware that high numbers of illegal abortions - as many as several million - are committed every year in Russia. Mizulina stated that she believes the means of disposal itself – in a forest in the Ural Mountains, and not in a proper facility – shows the criminal intent of whoever was involved in this act, because fetuses at this stage of development are especially valued by pharmacologists and cosmetologists. "The demand for such ‘material’ is huge," Mizulina remarked. "This is probably an attempt to cover up a criminal activity. Whoever did this might have been expecting a visit from medical or law enforcement inspectors and wanted to get rid of incriminating evidence," Mizulina said. “I think that soon we will find out who has dropped the fetuses and all the guilty will be punished,” Vladimir Vlasov told Russian media.
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Open to life, even with a 25 percent chance of cystic fibrosis
ALASKA, July 25, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – Ken and Allison Howell were leading what they considered a "charmed life." The newly married couple were part of a Pentecostal church where the "preaching was fiery, the services long and emotional, and the music pulled one from the depths of weeping to the heights of dancing." But the Howell's first child Rees, born in 1994 — four years into their marriage — was about to turn their charmed life inside out, leading them on a difficult journey that would test their marriage, their faith, and the way they valued human life. Rees entered the world after a storybook pregnancy and birth. But by the time he was nine months old, he had contracted pneumonia twice, a rarity for a child who was breast-fed. Further testing revealed why. Rees was found to have cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease caused by two recessive genes passed on to him from his parents. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disorder which causers abnormally thick mucus to be produced, which often leads to serious respiratory infection. Havoc wreaked on the lungs by this disorder is the primary cause of CF-related deaths. The Howells were devastated by the news, not only because of concern for their son, but also because of their participation in what Allison refers to as the "divine health-and-wealth-teaching church." It was impressed upon members of that church that "divine healing is an integral part of the Gospel" and that "deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers." "Although we were scared silly, we assumed that there would be some grand miracle for Rees to showcase God’s power," said Allison who related her story to LifeSiteNews.com. The Howells brought their son to "prayer warriors and healing services," desperately clinging to the idea that his "sickness was from the Devil and that our faith in Jesus’ healing power was all that was necessary for his cystic fibrosis to go away." But the Howells had been set up for bitter disappointment. (Click “like” if you want to end abortion! ) When Rees' healing did not occur, the parents were led to believe that something was wrong with their prayers, their faith, their worship, or even with their trust in God. The leaders of the sect convinced the distraught couple they must be harboring a "secret sin" and that they "didn't love God enough, didn't love others enough, didn’t sing enough, and didn't speak in tongues enough." For the first time, Ken and Allison began to doubt each other. They began to doubt God. "The whole thing caused great harm to our marriage, as thoughts crept in of the other one being the hindrance to healing. Our relationships with God crashed." Ken and Allison ceased attending church services for a year, trying to sort out the spiritual mess which they found themselves in. "We were angry with each other, angry with God, angry with our pastors and college professors, and maybe even angry with Rees," she recounted. A Turning Point But the Howells did not want to give up so easily on their Christian roots. They returned to church services, wanting to pass Christian values on to their son. But troubles in their church's leadership led the couple to seriously question the matter of authority. What the couple discovered through reading and research led them to the door of the Catholic Church. "We decided to investigate the Catholic Church’s claim to be the church founded by Jesus Himself. We bought books, lots of them. We rose early to read and spent our evenings reading. We interrupted each other. We shook our heads. We were excited." One evening while pouring over some books, Allison remembers turning to Ken and saying: “My God, we’re going to have to become Catholic." “We already are in our hearts and minds,” Ken replied. The Howells were excited to discover the Catholic understanding of suffering as redemptive. They came to recognize that their son's illness was not a curse from God, but a calling for him and for them to bear fruit by becoming united to the mystery of Jesus' redemptive Passion. Along with St. Paul, the parents learned to think of suffering as "complet[ing] what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church" (Colossians 1:24). Ken and Allison desired to grow their family, but they were scared by the knowledge that a child born to them had a 25 percent chance of having CF. "I remember wanting someone to tell me, when all we had was Rees, that it was OK to have more children," Allison recounted. However, as the Howells progressed in their faith journey, they came to realize that each life is a gift. They discovered in themselves a new attitude toward life and became open to having more children, even if that meant children with CF. They realized that "no one is guaranteed tomorrow" and that health is not all what life is about. They recognized that every life, whether with CF or not, is imbued with a "spiritual component" that is "more real and lasting" than the elusive and ephemeral happy-healthy lifestyle that many people consider to be the reason for existing. "All life is of value and all life is in God’s Hands, no matter how long or short, how fancy or poor, how sick or healthy," they came to see. The couple's newly discovered openness to life was fruitful. John was born in 1997, followed by Clare in 2001, both without CF. Then came Ian, Ambrose, Luke, and Joseph, all without CF. Adah was born earlier this year and has CF. All Children are a Gift Some people think the Howells are irresponsible, or crazy, for being open to conceiving children who might have CF. But Ken and Allison simply smile and tell them that "every single life can have health problems, from the moment of conception and onward through all of life." "No one is guaranteed anything in life," they say. They tell people that CF is manageable and that there are ways to keep CF kids healthy. They also point out that a child with health problems, like a Tiny Tim, brings out the best in people. "They have 'something' you can’t put your finger on. They tend to be wiser. They charge into life, full-force. They make the world a better place and they want to be here." The most important lesson Ken and Allison say they have learned from their CF children is that "all life truly matters." They have seen how their own family has blossomed and grown more closer by ordering their family life around the lives of their children with CF. "We are very close, in part because of the necessary CF care which includes things like 'lung clapping,' where one must pat the CF person all over the chest and back to loosen the thick mucus in order for it to be coughed up." Up until Rees was 10, the Howells would "hop onto the couch" with Rees to do his lung clapping (pulmonary therapy) for 20 minutes, three times a day. "When more children came along, they would join us in the activity. Now that we have another baby with CF, the other kids argue over who gets to do 'lung clapping' for Adah." While Rees now uses a hand-held device for his pulmonary therapy, Allison is convinced that the years of hands-on therapy with her son has "forged an enviable closeness" that she says is now paying off in Rees' teenage years. Life is Normal with CF Kids Rees, now 17, recently graduated high school and is looking forward to beginning college this fall. Allison says that she cherishes her son's every accomplishment because she knows the struggle behind what he has done. When Rees achieved a black belt in marshal arts, Allison could hardly contain from shouting out to the crowd: "Do you people know that he has CF? Do you know that it took him a year longer to accomplish this than it took other kids? Do you know that he has lung troubles and hospitalizations?" Rees' recent graduation ceremony for homeschoolers had to be planned around one of his hospitalizations. He was given permission to attend the ceremony only if a nurse accompanied him. "We all met him in the city, he processed, walked, received, ate, visited, and headed back to the hospital. No one knew that under his gown was a taped-up IV tube in his arm." Now with little Adah following in the footsteps of her older brother, Allison says that she has the routine down pat. "The baby needs to swallow tiny pills that I mix with applesauce before each nursing session, and she needs her scheduled 'lung clapping.'” The Howell family likes to spend "as much time as possible" hiking and camping in their beautiful Alaska. On their family outings, Ken and Allison make sure to bring everything that their CF children require to take part in the adventure. "Pills, the flutter valve, and applesauce can easily be tucked into backpacks, and when a nebulizer is needed, we have an electrical converter that uses the cigarette lighter in the vehicle." At the end of each day, Ken and Allison rejoice in the lives of all their children. While they love their CF kids "exactly the way they are," they nonetheless "pray every day for the researchers who are working on a cure." "Every child suffers in some way, whether with CF or not," they say. "All parents can do is hold them, love them, and help them. There is an awesome mystery to life." The Howells have come to a simple conclusion: "Life is precious!"
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