Project Rachel praised at USCCB conference

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo emphasized Nov. 15 how important the Church’s post-abortion counseling ministry Project Rachel is and said that it must play a role in the New Evangelization.

“Project Rachel Ministry is at the heart of the Church’s mission at this time in her history,” Cardinal DiNardo said at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ fall general assembly, which is being held in Baltimore Nov. 14-16.

Cardinal DiNardo, who is chairman of the bishops' pro-life committee, told the gathering that he believes Project Rachel must play a central role in the New Evangelization.

He explained that many women who have had abortions despair of ever being forgiven by God, and consider abortion an unforgiveable sin.

The Church must reach out to these discouraged women and encourage them to seek forgiveness, he said.

Vicki Thorn, founder of Project Rachel, said that the report shows the bishops’ commitment to working towards healing for those who are suffering from a past abortion.

She told CNA that the U.S. bishops worked closely with her from the time that she initially began Project Rachel in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 1984.

The involvement of the bishops grew as the ministry rapidly expanded, she said.

Several years ago, Thorn turned over Project Rachel’s service mark—a trademark used for services—to the bishops, who had greater resources to continue its work. The ministry is now available in more than 110 dioceses across the country.

continue at CNA

Satanism on Milwaukee's east side

Milwaukee police are investigating a bizarre stabbing incident in which a Milwaukee woman allegedly stabbed an 18-year-old Arizona man more than 300 times when their sexual relations got "out of hand."

According to an affidavit accompanying a search warrant, the man was bleeding from the neck, arms and back when he called police to the intersection of E. Knapp St. and N. Astor St. shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday. The man told police he met the woman online and took a bus from Phoenix to meet her.

"Once he got to the residence, he was bound and stabbed numerous times over a time frame of what he described as two days," the affidavit states.

The man suffered more than 300 puncture wounds to his back, face, arms, legs and neck and was taken to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, according to the document.

Near the intersection of E. Knapp St. and N. Astor St., police found bloody duct tape "fashioned in a manner that appeared to be a restraint, as well as a bloody length of rope," the affidavit says.

Officers followed a blood trail to an apartment in the 900 block of E. Knapp St, where the door to one of the units was open. Inside, there was blood on the floor and on bedding in a bedroom as well as duct tape that appeared to be a restraint, according to the affidavit.

A 22-year-old woman introduced herself to officers, saying, "I think you are here looking for me."

She said she'd been having sexual relations with the man and that the cutting was consensual but quickly got out of hand.

After she was arrested, the woman told police her roommate, who's "possibly involved in satanic or occult activities," had done the majority of the cutting.

When police searched the apartment, they found a book entitled "Werewolf's Guide to Life," a necromantic ritual book; and a black folder called "Intro to Sigilborne Spirits." According to various websites, Sigilborne spirits include female werewolf spirits who engage in sexual acts.

The 22-year-old woman is being held in the Milwaukee County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.

MJS
 

Affiliated Medical Services, Milwaukee's number one abortion provider is only a few blocks away....

Mississippi fails to pass Personhood amendment

In a highly anticipated race last night, Mississippi’s Amendment 26 failed to garner sufficient votes to extend the definition of ‘person’ to every human being from the moment of fertilization. Voters rejected the amendment by a margin of 58 to 42 percent.

“Personhood USA understands that changing a culture - and changing a country - will not happen with one election, and so it is not unexpected. We thank the over one quarter of a million Mississippians who voted for Amendment 26,” said Keith Mason, president of Personhood USA, after the vote.

Personhood Mississippi had hoped that their efforts would work to erode the 38 year death grip that Roe v. Wade has held on human life in the womb through legalized abortion.

“Personhood is the key to all human rights,” Mason had said prior to the vote.

To put the amendment on last night’s ballot, Personhood Mississippi was required to collect and certify 89,285 signatures from registered voters. They exceeded that requirement by over 40,000 signatures.

A legal memorandum on the Mississippi Personhood Amendment prepared by Liberty Counsel stated that the term “fertilization” was used in the Amendment instead of the more familiar term “conception” to avoid “confusion and varying interpretations by some in the scientific, medical, and/or bioethics fields.”

The initiative was controversial even among pro-life leaders, some of whom were skeptical that the amendment would do any good for the pro-life cause, saying that it was not the right legislative vehicle to end abortion.

continue at LifeSiteNews

Don't be that disappointed.  42% voted for this thing!  I hope you do understand how significant that is.  Half the pro-life bureaucracy opposes Personhood and it still despite all their efforts (not to mention the abortion community's push) got 42%.  That tells me Personhood really can be passed.  It is not just a pipe dream anymore, it is the movement that could define this country for the next 100 years. 

Arizona abortion nun awarded at Milwaukee Call to Action conference

Okay I'm behind a bit with a funeral in the family last week.  A group in love with abortion, Call to Action, has their annual conference in Milwaukee every year.  I still have to confirm this, but I believe the infamous Puppet Mass was part of the ... celebration.  This year, they invited the nun who approved of a direct abortion for a woman as a cure for hypertension in an Arizona Catholic hospital. 

From Creative Minority Report:

Excommunicated Sister of Mercy Margaret McBride received the 2011 Call To Action Leadership Award at their annual conference precisely for her role in a decision at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix to abort an 11 week old unborn baby.

She gives a short speech accepting the award where she talks of mercy and forgiveness and bashes the Church in the same breath. Pretty darn disgusting.

FatherZ has more.

The face of "choice": Young girl forced into abortion facility in Milwaukee

Earlier today, we posted a comment on our PLW Facebook page asking for prayers for a young girl dragged into Affiliated Medical Services against her will.

The awesome folks at LifeSiteNews saw the post and wrote an article, below.

Pro-life sidewalk counselors outside a Milwaukee abortion clinic Thursday morning say that a preteen girl asking pro-lifers for help was forced into the clinic by escorts and a guardian, and that police have responded saying that they could do nothing.

Tobey Neuberger, a sidewalk counselor from Cedarburgh, said the incident occurred just before 10 a.m. outside Affiliated Medical Services, where she and two other female pro-life counselors gave a “very young” African-American girl literature as she entered the clinic, and told her that she could get more information at a pro-life center across the street. Witnesses said the girl looked anywhere between 11 and 14 years old.

Neuberger says she and her companions were “just incredulous” as they watched the girl come back out and ask for help from the counselors, only to be physically blocked by the escort staff.

Read the rest here.

Please keep this dear girl, a child herself, in your prayers tonight. +JMJ+

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin rakes in $26 million from taxpayers for birth control

From Pro-Life Wisconsin:

Recently-obtained figures from the state of Wisconsin show that from 2007-2010, Planned Parenthood received $26 million from taxpayers for providing “family planning” services under the Medicaid Family Planning Waiver Program. Graph, below, breaks it down by county. Planned Parenthood operates 27 facilities across Wisconsin; two of those provide surgical abortions.


As you can see from the final total, $81.5+ million was paid out across the state from 2007-2010 under the Medicaid FPW program.

Read the rest here.

WRTL: "do not co-sponsor or support personhood"

TO: State lawmakers
FROM: Susan Armacost, Legislative Director
RE: Please do not co-sponsor or support personhood bill (LRB 2859/1)

Wisconsin Right to Life has been forthright in our opposition to legislation to declare unborn children persons under the State Constitution. We appreciate the fact the author and the organizations that support his legislation want to protect the lives of unborn children. However, the personhood proposal is not only unnecessary, it would also put efforts to protect Wisconsin unborn children at extreme risk.

In a few weeks, we will be presenting you with an extensive legal white paper pointing out the pitfalls of the personhood legislation. The white paper will be signed by numerous constitutional legal experts on the state and national levels.

In the meantime, we would like to make the following points:

A prominent Wisconsin attorney who works with Wisconsin Right to Life was quoted out of context by supporters of the personhood bill, giving the impression that this attorney does not support Wisconsin Right to Life's position on personhood. This is inaccurate.

The impression was given by supporters of the personhood bill that a different constitutional expert who works with Wisconsin Right to Life has changed his mind on the personhood issue. This is also inaccurate.

Wisconsin Right to Life and its multiple legal advisors disagree with the legal analyses circulated to date by supporters of the personhood bill. The Wisconsin Right to Life legal white paper that will be sent to you will be signed by numerous legal experts and will outline the legal concerns with the personhood legislation.


We continue to ask legislators not to co-sponsor or support this legislation.

Thank you.

It will be interesting to see if WRTL ever brings up the whole might infringe on contraceptive rights argument.  The whole hypothetical argument that we end up worse off than we are today that has no legal precedent isn't convincing anybody on either side in this state so far.  National Right to Life has a vested interest.  If things get "bad" I would expect them to start sending more people in to scare people away from voting for it.  This state passed the marriage amendment 60-40... the hardest part of the battle is likely getting it on the ballot with pro-abort Republicans eager to be "sensible."

Milwaukee abortion workers dance in street after botched abortion

via Pro-Life Wisconsin

This past Friday, October 21, an ambulance rolled up to Affiliated Medical Services to take away yet another woman to a nearby hospital after a botched abortion. Abortionist Bernie Smith was reportedly on duty.

AMS staff can be seen laughing, dancing and doing the limbo as the woman was taken away. One AMS staffer even threatened vigilers, saying, “You’re lucky it isn’t you in the hospital.”

AMS’s consent forms (available publicly on their website, snippet below)  state, in part, “Complications, including death, may occur.”

Those who lobby for abortion’s legality claim that if abortion were made illegal, women would have to resort to dirty, back-alley abortions. But the reverse has actually happened — as was sadly illustrated with Kermit Gosnell’s “House of Horrors” abortuary in Philadelphia, the dirty, back-alley abortions are legal and no one is watching.

This is at least the third time this year an ambulance has arrived at AMS after a botched abortion; sidewalk counselors recorded two separate ambulance visits on April 8. Abortion facilities in Milwaukee are not subject to health inspections. Some days the smell of death — blood and flesh — can be smelled wafting out of AMS when the staff open the doors.

AMS has been the site of 40 Days for Life for three years now. Sidewalk counselors and prayer warriors are present at AMS year-round as well. 40 Days vigilers were in front of AMS when this occurred.

Women have been taken to Columbia St. Mary’s after botched abortions, forcing a Catholic hospital and staff to clean up the abortionist’s mess.

Wisconsin Catholic hospitals partner with abortion-training medical college

The Medical College of Wisconsin, as of this fall, is now training ob/gyn medical residents in abortion procedures. MCW has partnered with the Ryan Residency Program, a George Soros-funded “initiative” to push abortion training into medical schools. A 2010 New York Times article revealed that the new frontier was training ob/gyn medical students in abortions, to bring abortion into every doctor’s office in the U.S.

We already know that MCW uses aborted fetal body parts in research and uses embryonic stem cells in research.

MCW is a private college (unlike UW-Madison, which is state-funded), so state laws regarding the use of state funds in abortions do not apply.

MCW partners with Columbia St. Mary’s and St. Joe’s Hospital in Waukesha for its family residency program. It is disappointing these hospitals have not withdrawn from the MCW program, as both the hospitals and the Archdiocese have been made aware of what is occurring at MCW.

HT PLW

Wisconsin Personhood seeks co-sponsorship in state assembly

On Wednesday State Representative Andre Jacque (R-Green Bay) began circulating for co-sponsorship the Wisconsin Personhood Amendment, legislation that would amend the Wisconsin Constitution to apply personhood rights to preborn children at all stages of development. Click here to read the amendment language, and click here to view PLW’s legislative memo.

From a pro-life perspective, the Wisconsin Constitution contains a glaring error at its outset. In specifying the beneficiaries of its human rights, our state constitution leaves out the preborn. It applies rights to only those people who are “born.”

Representative Jacque is proposing a minimal but absolutely essential correction, a personhood amendment, to make the Wisconsin Constitution cover all people, every person, at any stage of development. The amendment seeks to extend the inalienable right to life found in the Wisconsin Constitution to all preborn children from the beginning of their lives. 

Should Roe v. Wade be overturned someday and the abortion issue remanded to the states, an activist Wisconsin Supreme Court could use the word “born” in our current state constitution to deny the right to life of the preborn by interpreting an independent right to abortion in that document. In so doing, the court could nullify any present or future pro-life laws in our state. The changing makeup of the Wisconsin Legislature could also jeopardize any pro-life laws in our state. Every two years our state election process determines the majority party in Madison. Legal protection of the preborn should not (and must not) be contingent upon which party controls the state legislature. The right to life should not be subject to the whims of a politicized supreme court or an ever-changing legislature. 

The introduction of the Wisconsin Personhood Amendment is a watershed moment in the history of the pro-life movement in our state. It seeks to end abortion in Wisconsin, not to regulate or restrict it. We have been working toward the introduction of such an amendment for the last five years, and we thank Representative Jacque for demonstrating the courage of his convictions in finally making it a reality.

The personhood amendment will face stiff opposition from the pro-abortion industry.  Shockingly, the strongest opposition to the bill at this point is coming from Wisconsin Right to Life (WRL). In February WRL published a position paper vowing to oppose any effort to grant Wisconsin’s pre-born babies full constitutional rights as persons, labeling such efforts a “threat to [the] protection of Wisconsin unborn children.” They worked hard to ensure a personhood amendment was never introduced. Having failed in that effort, they are now calling every state legislator demanding that they not sign on to the bill. WRL admits that their legal reasoning for opposing a state personhood amendment is speculative. WRL offers no case law to back up their asserted problems, admitting that they are only “probable”. Pro-Life Wisconsin, on the other hand, offers recent Wisconsin case law clearly demonstrating that the proposed amendment is not a risk to our current, pre-Roe abortion law (Section 940.04, Wisconsin Statutes) by “implied repeal” or otherwise. Click here for PLW’s legal analysis rebutting their misguided objections.

The pro-life movement is founded on the bedrock principle that all human beings, at all stages of their development, deserve full protection under the law. Why oppose proactive people of good will endeavoring to provide full and lasting legal protection for preborn children? Pro-Life Wisconsin remains committed to constitutionally protecting Wisconsin’s preborn children, regardless of opposition from the abortion industry or from within the right to life movement. 

 how you can help at Pro-Life Wisconsin

WRTL urges Wis. Legislature not to support Personhood

From: Barbara Lyons [mailto:BLyons@wrtl.org]
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 11:43 AM
To: 'Wisconsin Right To Life'
Subject: Memo

Dear Members of the Wisconsin Legislature,

Wisconsin Right to Life urges you not to co-sponsor LRB 2859/1 [Personhood Amendment - she decided not to use the word Personhood in the email...], a proposed amendment to the State Constitution being circulated by Rep. Andre Jacque. Despite Rep. Jacque’s sincere intentions, the language of the amendment does not rectify the inherent problems with such an approach in Wisconsin.

1. There is no way that Rep. Jacque can prevent a legal challenge to this amendment and it will be struck down under Roe v. Wade.

2. Implied repeal of s.940.04 is not the major problem created by the amendment. The amendment would be viewed as in conflict with s. 940.04 and the latter law passed, the amendment, will be the prevailing law negating the effect of s. 940.04. Prosecutors will be left with no means to bring charges against a person who performs an abortion because the amendment does not create a crime or apply penalties. A future legislature, if it is willing, would have to pass a new law prohibiting abortion, having negated the one we already have.

More extensive information can be found at http://www.wrtl.org/pa/index.html. Please do not hesitate to call if you have questions.

Barbara L. Lyons

Executive Director

Wisconsin Right to Life

www.wrtl.org/blog

Pro-lifers, read the arguments on both sides.  But what is telling is that WRTL does not offer any alternative, nothing, as to how we could grant the unborn legal protection under law.  I think the WRTL argument is weak, and saying that it would "cost too much" to enact?  If it worked, ....wouldn't the money be worth it? 

I've said it before, I'm on the outside looking in, but from where I sit, the "Right to Life" organizations in the US seem to be more worried about the fact Personhood could infringe on contraceptive methods which also cause abortions. 

The short explaination:

Our proposed personhood amendment is not intended, or worded, as a challenge to Roe, or as an attempt to define personhood under the 14th Amendment. It seeks only to bring into the Wisconsin constitution a true definition of human life as endorsed by Wisconsin citizens speaking through the amendment process. We recognize that its protections cannot be fully effective as long as Roe remains law, but we believe a proper definition of personhood should be in place should Wisconsin be freed from the effects of that noxious decision.

PLW does not believe, nor does it expect legislators to believe, that an amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution can remedy the federal tyranny of Roe v. Wade and its pernicious progeny. Still, Wisconsin can honestly state its intention to guard the humanity of all its citizens, including the pre-born, should that be made possible by the reversal of Roe. That is the purpose of our personhood amendment. The foregoing speculations are based on the inapplicable assumption that a personhood amendment challenges or conflicts with existing federal law based on Roe v. Wade. Again, PLW’s personhood amendment accepts Roe as a given, so its definition of personhood cannot be viewed as contravening Roe. No one could attack the amendment based on their rights under Roe.

 For more details check out this Pro-Life Wisconsin doc, or check out the new Personhood Wisconsin website.

Bishop Morlino leads 100 people in prayer at Madison Planned Parenthood

From Pro-Life Wisconsin:
Last night, Bishop Morlino led 100 people in prayer and pro-life reflection (photo, top) in observance of the mid-way point of 40 Days for Life. As the sun set behind him on Planned Parenthood (literally and figuratively, we pray!), Bishop Morlino discussed how the pro-life cause is ultimately in God’s hands; God is asking us to pray and act, and trust in Him.

Bishop Morlino was joined by two priests — Father Jim Murphy of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception parish in Portage, and Father John Putzer (second photo, with one of the Knights of Columbus) of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary parish in Sun Prairie. Thank you to all the clergy who join us in praying for an end to abortion!

Reversal of forced contraception indoctrination proposed

The Senate Committee on Education has scheduled a public hearing for Senate Bill (SB) 237, the “Strong Communities…Healthy Kids Act,” on Wednesday, October 19, at 12:00 p.m. in Room 201 Southeast of the State Capitol building in Madison.

Please consider attending the hearing and registering for or testifying in favor of this critically important legislation.

Senate Bill 237 is legislation authored by State Senator Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin) that reverses the contraception education/instruction mandate of 2009, giving public school districts the freedom to adopt abstinence-only human growth and development curricula. Chastity/abstinence is the only message that will protect our children’s bodies and preserve their innocence, and local school districts should be given this option. The bill also prohibits school-based volunteer health providers from providing instruction in human growth and development. Sexual development is not properly under the purview of a school health room physician or nurse, especially one from Planned Parenthood. The bill prevents Planned Parenthood nurses and physicians from teaching about abortion and contraception in our public schools.

For those of you who reside in the Beloit area, the Beloit School District has been developing human growth and development curriculum proposals through an ad hoc committee since last December. The district is currently without a sex education program. Listening sessions on curriculum proposals will begin on October 24 and continue into early November.

Thank you for speaking up for our children!

Pro-Life Wisconsin

Great news!

Run for the Unborn marks 2nd birthday

This past Sunday, October 10, I(Virginia) participated in the Run for the Unborn, a 5k run/walk in Slinger, Wis [in case anyone is wondering about my time... I beat whatever Matt's time would be].

Many organized runs/marathons support a cause or intend to raise awareness about a particular illness (Alzheimer’s, Down syndome, etc.)

The cause of the unborn — the 55 million who have been killed since Roe v. Wade — is the focus of this annual event. The tagline, if you will, is “Run for the Unborn …because they will never learn to crawl.”

Think about that.

The run happened just 2 days after the state of Wisconsin released its annual report on the number of abortions in the state in 2010. Abortions dropped in 2010, thank God; but 7,825 abortions is 7,825 lives snuffed out, 7,825 babies who were “unplanned,” inconvenient, too expensive, or diagnosed with a birth defect.

A photographer from the local newspaper was there, so I’m sure pictures of the event will surface soon. You can read the Milwaukee Catholic Herald’s article about last year’s inaugural Run for the Unborn and also view pictures from 2010.

As with last year, we had great response from the community. One of my thoughts about this event was, Wow, it’s so great that the city of Slinger has been so supportive. And then I wondered if the city of Milwaukee would support a similar effort.

- Pro-Life Wisconsin

“40 Days for Prayer to Keep Abortion Safe & Legal.”

We’ve written in the past about Forty4Forty, an effort by NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin to raise money during 40 Days for Life, whereby abortion supporters make a monetary pledge.

In the windows of Affiliated Medical Services, where 40 Days for Life is observed in Milwaukee, we noticed something different this year — a new poster.

That’s right — “40 Days for Prayer to Keep Abortion Safe & Legal.” Faith Aloud sells the poster and an assortment of buttons for $45. The list of daily prayers are on Faith Aloud’s website. Sounds like prayers so that an aging movement doesn’t die off to me.

What does this mean? Pro-aborts have recognized that because of prayer, women choose life. Through prayer, hearts and minds are changed. Thank you to everyone who stands with us in praying for an end to abortion!

Pro-Life Wisconsin

You know what they say about imitation.... 

Let's face it, the abortion industry's real prayer is to keep abortion safe, legal, and profitable.

Esenburg: Why WRTL cannot be charged

What I was concerned with is whether WRTL could be said to have given out these gift cards (or, if you prefer, offered the gift cards) to an elector or any other person as an inducement to get an elector to vote or refrain from voting.

The problem that I see with application of the statute to WRTL is that the gift cards were offered or given not as an inducement to vote but as an inducement for people to get others to apply for absentee ballots. Even if we can characterize the latter as trying to get people to vote, this is a huge distinction. Here's why.

Tom wants to read the statute to say that it is unlawful to offer a thing of value to a person in order to induce that person to persuade another to vote. This is not what the law says. In fact, if we were read the statute in the way that Mr. Foley wants, it would apply to any compensated "get out the vote" effort. If a political party or a candidate or even the League of Women Voters pays people to encourage or facilitate voting, they will have violated the statute. Not only is that a nonsensical reading of the statute (the law can be an ass but it usually isn't), it is a reading that would place it in dire constitutional jeopardy. The freedom of association involves, I think, the right to organize to get out the vote including paying the organizers.

the whole thing at Shark and Shepard

Former Planned Parenthood lobbyist appointed to WI Assembly Health Committee

Planned Parenthood lobbyist Chris Taylor

Appointed to three Committees: Health; Labor and Workforce Development; and Ways and Means

Madison, WI-Newly-elected State Representative Chris Taylor (D-Madison) has been appointed to three key legislative committees for the 2011-12 legislative session. Representative Taylor is now a member of the Assembly Committees on Health; Labor and Workforce Development; and Ways and Means.

“I am excited to get to work on these three important committees that address critical issues for my district and for people throughout the state. Many Wisconsinites are struggling to have access to affordable, quality health care. They are experiencing unfair workplace practices because of the rollback of basic workers’ rights while paying their share of the tax burden while wealthier individuals and corporations shirk their responsibilities,” said Taylor. “I welcome the opportunity to be a voice for my constituents on these important committees.”

Representative Taylor was elected to represent the 48th Assembly District in a special election on August 9, 2011. She replaced Joe Parisi who was elected Dane County Executive earlier this year.

“My agenda is to fight for working families and living wage jobs, excellent public schools, affordable and comprehensive health care, the environment, and for many other progressive policies that we need to move Wisconsin forward,” concluded Representative Taylor.

Wispolitics

Women's Medical Forum on the Pill at St. Norbert's College

Women's Medical Forum on the Pill -- The Data. The Links. The Facts.

When: Saturday, September 24, 2011, 8:30 a.m. to noon

Where: St. Norbert College, Ft. Howard Theatre, De Pere, WI (click here for map/directions)

Speakers

• Dr. Angela Lanfranchi, breast cancer surgeon, VP/co-founder of Breast Cancer Prevention Institute

• Mercedes Arzu’ Wilson, speaker, author, president of Family of the Americas Foundation, Inc.

• Bishop David L. Ricken of Green Bay
Information: Click here for flyer

Contact: Christina Pallini, e-mail cpallini@gbdioc.org; phone (920) 272-8271

details at GB Diocese

Photo

UW Badger Catholic and embryonic stem-cell research

Two opponents of embryonic stem cell research expressed enthusiasm for a recent UW discovery of highly functional stem cells that do not require embryonic cells to function.

Justin Brumbaugh, a UW-Madison graduate student who helped lead the study, said the stem cells, called induced pluripotent cells, do not require embryos or fetal cells but have the same capabilities as embryonic stem cells.

Nico Fassino, chair of Badger Catholic, said he strongly opposes embryonic stem-cell research, but applauds scientists' efforts to create an alternative that does not "take advantage of defenseless persons."

"I think that's a really beautiful scientific breakthrough," Fassino said. "I really hope they're able to apply this to … the medical field, so this has a wide and positive impact on curing a lot of the ailments that embryonic stem-cell research is currently aimed at."

According to Fassino, the Catholic reservation toward embryonic stem-cell research does not come from an inherent dislike for scientific progress but from the belief that every human life begins at conception, making the destruction of embryos for science murder in their eyes.

"[The study] demonstrates that nature will find a way," said Matt Sande, Director of Legislation at Pro-Life Wisconsin. "There's always an ethical way to achieve a medical and scientific way if we are diligent and patient."

During his campaign, Gov. Scott Walker did not take a decisive stance for or against stem cell-research as a whole, but did firmly oppose research involving embryonic stem cells.

UW Cardinal

Fr. James Groppi and the civil rights movement

Ordained in 1959, Father James Groppi (1930-1985) was assigned to a predominantly black Milwaukee church in 1963. He participated in the 1963 March on Washington, and worked for desegregation and voting rights in Mississippi and Alabama with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. From 1967 to 1969, he brought this struggle home to Milwaukee with demonstrations for open housing and other efforts to combat de-facto segregation. For several nights in 1967 Fr. Groppi led marchers out of black neighborhods to rallies on Milwaukee's "all white" South Side. Arrested on many occasions for civil disobedience, he was instrumental in calling public attention to segregation in Milwaukee and in efforts to overturn it.

Father James Groppi and civil rights leaders during NAACP march, Milwaukee, 1968.

Father James Groppi with his fist in the air at the Wisconsin State Capitol. The Assembly Chambers were occupied for 17 hours to protest the budget cuts to welfare recipients. Father Groppi was later sued for up to $15,000 for the damage done to the Assembly Chambers during the protest. He was also put in jail for contempt of the Assembly charge, and faced a State disorderly conduct charge

Father Groppi is seated in the back of a police wagon with policeman after being arrested in front of his parish for the second night in a row.

Wisconsin Historical Society

Calls to mind the type of sacrifices it takes to repeal unjust laws and to change evil practices set in place by the culture.   Just because something is a cultural norm and legal, doesn't mean it aught to be.... and doesn't mean it can't be defeated on both fronts. 

Imagine if a priest was this passionate about his pro-life work....