Cardinal George: Two Lents from now, Catholics may be forced to give up their charitable institutions
What are you going to give up this Lent? by Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I, Catholic New World
The Lenten rules about fasting from food and abstaining from meat have been considerably reduced in the last forty years, but reminders of them remain in the fast days on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and in the abstinence from meat on all the Fridays of Lent. Beyond these common sacrifices that unite us spiritually to the passion of Christ, Catholics were and are encouraged to “give up” something voluntarily for the sake of others. Often this is money that could have been used for personal purposes and instead is given to help others, especially the poor.
This year, the Catholic Church in the United States is being told she must “give up” her health care institutions, her universities and many of her social service organizations. This is not a voluntary sacrifice. It is the consequence of the already much discussed Department of Health and Human Services regulations now filed and promulgated for implementation beginning Aug. 1 of this year. Continue reading
Action Reminder: Have you contacted your representatives about supporting the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act? If not, please click here. Senate Vote Expected Today! Visit prolifedallas.org/conscience for more info.
Action Alert – U.S. Government Forcing Planned Parenthood on Texas
During the last Texas legislative session, a law (Senate Bill 7) was passed that cut abortion providers and their affiliates from the Medicaid Women’s Health Program. The Obama Administration has threatened to withhold Medicaid funding for this program if Planned Parenthood facilities are excluded.* We need to encourage Texas leaders to stand strong against funding Planned Parenthood in Texas.
Click here to send a message to the Governor supporting the exclusion of Planned Parenthood from taxpayer funding. Sample message:
Thank you for insisting that abortion providers like Planned Parenthood and their affiliates do not receive taxpayer funds. Please stand firm and make sure my tax dollars do not go to support the abortion industry.
Thank your state legislators who supported defunding Planned Parenthood (list available here).
*Note: While the CPLC supports efforts to redirect taxpayer funds away from the abortion-giant Planned Parenthood, we have grave concerns about the Women’s Health Programin its current form, in particular the support and distribution of contraceptives by program providers. Efforts to include contraception in “preventive health care” is misleading and in contradiction to the truth we know as Catholics – that a woman’s fertility is a gift, not a disease. For more info, visit prolifedallas.org/contraception.
Upcoming Pro-Life Events
Bishop’s Pro-Life Dinner – Nominate Your Pro-Life Hero Today!
Date: April 14
Bishop Farrell invites you to celebrate the sacred gift of life at his 19th Annual Pro-Life Dinner. This spectacular event, benefiting the CPLC's nine life-saving ministries, will feature actor and singer John Schneider. For more info or to reserve your seat and purchase raffle tickets, visit prolifedallas.org/dinner or call 972-267-LIFE (5433).
**Through today, Mar. 1, we are accepting nominations for one special hero of the movement, who will receive The Father Edward Robinson, O.P., Pro-Life Person of the Year Award at the dinner. Click here to submit nomination.**
Project Life – After Abortion: Truth and Consequences
Date: Tuesday, March 6
Project Life is a new 8-week pro-life series, every Tuesday evening through Apr. 24 (excluding Mar. 27 and Apr. 3). This Tuesday's topic will be Abortion: Truth and Consequences. Light refreshments served. For more info and class schedule, visit prolifedallas.org/projectlife or contact Patty Sherrod, or 972-235-5554.
Learn how to effectively share your pro-life beliefs with others. The CPLC Speakers Bureau will train you to spread the pro-life message to both youth groups and adults. Learn the new and fun activities that we incorporate into our presentations! For more information and to register, contact Jan Storey, 972-986-5463 or .
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: St. Monica, Dallas, (Rm. 212, Family Ctr)
3 HOLY MASSES (8 PM, 3 AM, 7 AM) – ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT – CONFESSION – ROSARIES
Join in prayer for the protection of the sanctity of life. The Cloistered Carmelites will also be praying all night, and you may leave personal prayer requests with them. There will be food and drink available in the evening.
McKinney has joined cities nationwide in the largest-ever Spring 40 Days for Life campaign. The McKinney 40-day Prayer Vigil is from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. in the right of way outside the Planned Parenthood at the northeast corner of Medical Center Dr. and Eldorado Pkwy (map). For more info and to sign up to pray, visit 40daysforlife.com/mckinney.
New Movie Embraced By Pro-Life Community 'Doonby' Premiered In Metroplex Theaters This Weekend by Daniel Novick, CW 33 News
The movie 'Doonby' premiered [last] weekend in the Metroplex, but it has drawn a lot of attention because of a cameo by Norma McCorvey, better known as Jane Roe in the landmark abortion case Roe V. Wade. Roe is now pro-life, despite being on the pro-choice side of the Supreme Court case in 1973.
In fact, the entire movie has pro-life undertones. But the writer and director of the film told CW 33 News to not expect in your face anti-abortion scenes. Continue reading
Pope: Facing infertility with care and hope Vatican Radio, The Vatican Today
“The Church pays great attention to the suffering of couples with infertility, she cares for them and, precisely because of this, encourages medical research.”, said Pope Benedict XVI, in his address Saturday to members of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
Over the past week the Academy has gathered together experts from the world of medicine, scientific research, theology and philosophy to the Vatican to discuss infertility, how it is diagnosed, how it can be treated and how it impacts couples.
Pope Benedict said : “The human and Christian dignity of procreation, consists not in a "product", but in its connection with the conjugal act, an expression of love of the spouses, their union which is not only biological but also spiritual”. Continue reading
The CPLC depends on friends like you to partner with us to save lives. Please consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you and God bless you!
All together, let us build a culture of life!
Please pass this on to your friends and family!
For more information, call the CPLC at 972-267-LIFE (5433), or visit our web site: www.prolifedallas.org.
This message is brought to you by the Catholic Pro-Life Committee, the Respect Life Ministry of the Diocese of Dallas. The CPLC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tax-deductible donations to support the life-saving work of the CPLC may be mailed to: CPLC, P. O. Box 59852, Dallas, TX 75229, or make a secure donation online at www.prolifedallas.org/pages/donations.
To subscribe to the Catholic Pro-Life Committee E-alert list, please send your request to
with your name, contact information and e-mail address and the word SUBSCRIBE on separate lines in the body of the e-mail message.