Read more and get involved!💪

9th February 2024
View this email in your browser ([link removed])
In this Issue...

READ: Sad passing of John Bruton - a statesman and spirited defender of the right-to-life (#S345)

READ: National Women’s Council widely criticised for misleading post about St Brigid and abortion (#preemie)

READ: Heartwarming moment as Ireland’s Joe McCarthy hands his "player of the match" medal to his brother Andrew (#S3)

READ: Letter from Pro Life Campaign’s Eilís Mulroy in Irish Times (#steps)

REGISTER NOW (#S2) : PLC Internships Now Open - Apply Now! (#S2)

ACTION: Get involved in the Humanity Campaign – Communicate with your politicians (#Humanity) today (#Humanity)

ACTION (#history) : Do you have pro-life material which could be historically relevant? (#history)
Sad passing of John Bruton - a statesman and spirited defender of the right-to-life (http://)
Former Taoiseach John Bruton pictured in 2018 with his wife Finola, along with Eilís Mulroy and Senator Rónan Mullen at the annual Pro Life Campaign dinner in Dublin
Former Taoiseach John Bruton, who died earlier this week, was a sincere and spirited advocate for the right-to-life. In 2018, he campaigned publicly for a No vote in the abortion referendum.

He will be greatly missed and we extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Finola and all his family.

He was of course a much respected and distinguished statesman but there were other reasons why John Bruton stood apart and will be fondly remembered.

He displayed many qualities that are not often seen in leaders today. He was admired across the political divide as someone who didn’t seek the limelight or court popularity for himself but instead used his profile to advance the causes he cared passionately about, and as a voice for the most vulnerable and forgotten in society.

It was a great honour for the Pro Life Campaign to have the former Taoiseach as the keynote speaker in 2018 at Ceiliúradh Cois Life, the annual pro-life dinner in Dublin
. In his after-dinner address (which took place just a few months after the abortion referendum) Mr Bruton spoke about the heartbreak of the referendum loss and offered some words of encouragement to the pro-life movement, saying:

“It is unclear what the new shared values of Irish society are to be. The referendum did not end the debate. If life is not the primary value, what is? To fill that vacant space, and drawing on the most modern medical knowledge, the pro-life arguments will need to be made, over and over again, to the young people of Ireland and to the generations that will succeed them. These arguments, if repeated often and courageously, will remain in people’s minds, and will influence the private decisions that Irish women, their partners, and their loved ones will make in future, as to whether to accept a new person into their family circle, with all the responsibilities, joys and sacrifices that that entails. Notwithstanding the change in the law, the number of abortions can continue to be reduced, if people are convinced that there is a better and more just way. Lighting that way forward is the real route to a brighter Ireland.”

John Bruton was a courageous, compassionate and noble statesman. His passing is a great loss to the Irish nation.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilís.
National Women’s Council widely criticised for misleading post about St Brigid and abortion (http://)
The National Women’s Council, which is funded to the tune of €1,000,000 annually of taxpayers’ money, has been lobbying heavily to amend the current Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 to make it even more extreme and pervasive. Amongst their wish-list is to remove ‘rigid gestational limits’, thereby facilitating horrific late-term abortions; to scrap the three-day waiting period, despite statistical evidence which shows it has saved thousands of lives since 2019; and to remove ‘criminalisation’ from the law, meaning unscrupulous individuals could legally perform abortions with impunity.

On Monday, 5 February, the National Women’s Council stooped to a new low by posting a distasteful tweet which attempted to link its extreme pro-abortion campaigning with Saint Brigid. The post included a picture of a St Brigid’s Cross and included a call for the government to “take action on #abortionaccess”. It further claimed that the government policies force “women and pregnant people to travel abroad for abortion access”. The post was widely criticised. A tweet from the Pro Life Campaign noting that the post was deeply offensive to Christians received over 8,200 views.

Some pro-abortion activists have occasionally tried to depict St Brigid as a ‘pagan goddess’ who performed abortions. Despite being a complete falsification, this narrative is sometimes still used by the more extreme wings of the pro-abortion movement in Ireland. This false narrative is deeply offensive to Christians. It should be no surprise that the National Women’s Council is now indulging in this fringe historical distortion, because the campaigning group has become so ideologically extreme and it’s totally out of step with the mainstream of Irish opinion. But their radicalisation has not stopped them from being generously funded by the state and endlessly platformed in media and print to advocate on behalf of ‘women’, despite the group espousing views that most women would disagree with.

Government must now reassess the level of tax-payer money being awarded to the NWCI.
Heartwarming moment as Ireland’s Joe McCarthy hands his "player of the match" medal to his brother Andrew (http://)
Irish rugby player Joe McCarthy pictured with his brother Andrew and his parents after Ireland’s win against France in Marseille
Irish rugby player Joe McCarthy shared the joy of victory with his brother Andrew after Ireland’s 38-17 victory over France in the Six Nations Championship opener in Marseille last weekend.

As press photographers looked on, 22-year-old McCarthy walked towards his brother Andrew in the crowded stand and presented him with his Player of the Match medal.

Andrew, who has Down Syndrome, is a rugby player in his own right and a member of a club that trains tag rugby teams for young people with special needs.

Joe McCarthy's personal gesture after Ireland’s win was a heartwarming moment that reflects very well on the newcomer to international rugby. Not surprisingly, the photos that captured the moment featured prominently online and in the following day's newspaper coverage.

You can watch the special moment
here ([link removed])
READ: Letter from Pro Life Campaign’s Eilís Mulroy in Irish Times (http://)
The Irish Times journalist Jennifer Bray has been publishing stories arising from abortion-related information that has been leaked to her for approximately a year now. She was first out of the traps in April 2023 to report that the three-year review would propose ‘sweeping changes’ to the Irish abortion law days before the report was even published by the Department of Health.

However, her 22 November 2023 prediction that the Health Committee would unanimously sign off on all the changes proposed by the three-year review as a package failed to pan out. The eventual report form the Health Committee noted that there were concerns raised by individual committee members about the nature of the three-year review’s recommendations.

In a letter published in the Irish Times at the weekend, Pro Life Campaign spokesperson Eilís Mulroy pinpointed how the Health Committee’s eventual report contradicted Jennifer Bray’s report. The letter highlighted that concerns were raised that the abortion review either failed to conduct or use sufficient research to justify removing the life-saving three-day waiting period from the legislation. During the Health Committee hearing on 31 May, chairperson of the review Marie O’Shea admitted she hadn’t met with a single woman who may have considered an abortion but opted to proceed with her pregnancy. Similarly, attempts were made at the Health Committee meeting of 18 October by Ms O’Shea and her two colleagues to explain away why they hadn’t conducted this critical research.

The Health Committee’s report also contained criticism of the three-year review’s proposals, which were rightly considered to have far exceeded the mandate sought by the government and Yes campaign in the 2018 referendum. The letter concluded by encouraging the government to shelve the extreme three-year review report, which was a poor piece of research in the first instance and which made recommendations which are totally out of step with public opinion.
PLC Internships Now Open - Apply Now! (http://)
Explore the world of human rights with our internship programme! This is your chance to network, learn advocacy skills, and gain experience in campaign management and project planning.

This one-week internship is available starting every Monday from 15th January. It is suitable for TY and older, third-level students, and anyone interested in gaining experience in non-profit work!

Click below to learn more and apply now!
Learn More Here ([link removed])
Humanity Campaign - Action Alert! (http://)
[link removed]
It’s a really important time to approach your local TDs and Senators and urge them to reintroduce some humanity into the debate on abortion. The Three-Year Review, a seriously flawed process which produced a one-sided and extreme report, will be considered by politicians in the autumn. It’s important that we take action now.

We have produced a quick and easy Virtual Postcard for you to sign, which will automatically send an email to your local TDs. Use the button below to navigate into your county on our website and find your constituency.

It’s also important to have meetings with your TDs. These can be as simple as dropping into your local TD’s advice clinic to outline your concerns. Click below to register to lobby your local TDs. Don’t worry – we’ll help you every step of the way with advice on making the appointment to points you might consider raising.

We are heartened by the number of people actively involved and interested in meeting their politicians to express their views. The People Before Profit Bill which regrettably passed at 2nd stage of the Dáil on 31st May must also be countered. Even the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has said this Bill goes far beyond the recommendations of the Three-Year Review – which are already extreme in their own right.

It is crucial to engage with our politicians and remind them not to overlook the referendum promises. We need to fight to ensure our abortion policy is aimed at reducing the abortion rate.

Please take a moment to get involved in the
Humanity Campaign ([link removed]) . Remember even the smallest effort will make a big difference.

Thank you!
Send an instant email to your politicians here ([link removed])
Read more about the Humanity Campaign here ([link removed])
Do you have pro-life material which could be historically relevant? (http://)
We are putting out a call for anyone in possession of any documents, photographs, correspondence, etc. relevant to the Irish pro-life movement throughout the decades. We are particularly keen to receive anything in your possession related to periods such as the 1983 referendum. A comprehensive history of the pro-life movement is yet to be written, but the historians of the future will need primary sources. We are asking for people to get in touch with the Pro Life Campaign (mailto:[email protected]) if they possess such material (no matter how old or dusty!) to ensure it is preserved now and not lost to the ages.
Follow us on social media!
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
mailto:[email protected]
Join Now! ([link removed])
[link removed]
I want to support the life-changing work of the Pro Life Campaign ([link removed])

Vital Signs is the e-newsletter of the Pro Life Campaign. This email is to update you on what we have been working on recently, including news stories, project updates, and details of upcoming events. If you want to get in touch with us please do so by emailing [email protected]

============================================================
Copyright © 2024 Pro Life Campaign, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive updates from the Pro Life Campaign

Our mailing address is:
Pro Life Campaign
40 Mount Street Upper
Dublin 2
Dublin, Co. Dublin D02 R229
Ireland
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list ** here ([link removed])
This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
Pro Life Campaign . 40 Mount Street Upper . Dublin 2 . Dublin, Co. Dublin D02 R229 . Ireland