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FAFCE Weekly news 25.09.2015
FAFCE
FAFCE Board Meeting will take place in less than 3 weeks !
FAFCE Autumn Board Meeting will take place on 14-15 October in Brussels. The Secretary General already sent you the programme and the draft agenda, together with the registration form. Please return your registration form as soon as possible and at the latest by 1st of October (info@fafce.org).
World Meeting of Families
The World Meeting of Families is currently taking place in Philadelphia. Tomorrow the Pope will join the families taking part at the meeting and will celebrate a holy mass on Sunday. We are unite in the prayer with our President, Antoine Renard, and all the members of FAFCE who are in Philadelphia during these days.
From our Members
Familienbund calls for more support for families in the accompany dying relatives
The German Catholic Family (Familienbund der Katholiken) was listened on 23 September at a hearing in the German Bundestag with regards to euthanasia, in favour of a criminal prohibition of all forms of assisted suicide. You may find the full press statement at this link (in German).
European Parliament
Protest of pro-life MEPs at an event co-organised by the European Network of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF-EN)
On Tuesday MEPs from different political groups (ALDE, Greens, GUE, EPP) co-organised a meeting together with IPPF-EN, part of the network of the biggest abortion provider in the world. A number of MEPs from different nationalities and political groups expressed their concern about an organisation which is under investigation in the United States because of very grave proofs which demonstrate the involvement in criminal activity. In fact, during the Summer, ten undercover videos were published, depicting senior Planned Parenthood officials show that the organization is involved in criminal activity, including: harvesting and selling the parts of aborted babies for profit and without consent of the mothers; selling intact foetal cadavers; alternating abortion procedures (using “less crunchy methods”) in order to harvest better the pre-ordered organs and harvesting organs from babies who’s heart was still beating after late-term abortion. We will inform you more deeply on this case with a specific action alert on this issue.
Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA)
Michael O'Flaherty to become new FRA Director
The Management Board of the Fundamental Rights Agency has chosen Mr Michael O'Flaherty as new Director. This appointment is quite surprising, both if we think that the European Parliament LIBE Committee gave its preference for another candidate and if we think that his management experiences were considered by the Committee to be “very poor”. Among other elements, he’s the main author of the Yogyakarta Principles, considered to be as “a Milestone for [the so-called] Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights”. Many problems also arise from the transparency of the selection process of the new FRA Director: FAFCE is making inquiries within the European Commission to know more about the lack of transparency of this process.
Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
Next week the Autumn Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will take place in Strasbourg. FAFCE will follow particular closely three dossiers : Freedom of religion and living together in a democratic society (to be voted on Wednesday); Human rights and ethical issues related to surrogacy (for which a draft report will be presented on Thursday); Equality and shared parental responsibility: the role of fathers (to be voted on Friday). In addition the new Slovak Judge of the European Court of Human Rights will be voted by the Members of the Assembly on Tuesday morning. FAFCE will give its advice to like-minded MPs in order to vote in favour of Mr. Ladislav Duditš, reccomended for being respectful of the right to respect for private and family life, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as well as freedom of expression.
Council of Europe material for democratic citizenship
For all those involved in teaching democratic skills – schools, families, youth associations and individuals – the Council of Europe informed us about a collection of free and easy to use resources. The children’s brochure “Charter for all” and the poster “Democracy and Human Rights Start with us!” are available online and as hard copies in a number of languages specified on the website. All these products can be ordered via docrequest@coe.int.
United Nations
The Pope addresses the UN General Assembly
Francis spoke today before the UN General Assembly, gathered at the vigil of the approval of the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals. He spoke about the consequences of social exclusion with, "its baneful consequences: human trafficking, the marketing of human organs and tissues, the sexual exploitation of boys and girls, slave labour, including prostitution, the drug and weapons trade, terrorism and international organized crime”. He mentioned “an ideological colonization by the imposition of anomalous models and lifestyles which are alien to people’s identity and, in the end, irresponsible”. Finally, he also spoke about “the primary right of the family to educate its children, as well as the right of churches and social groups to support and assist families in the education of their children”. Click here to read his full speech.
Church
Pope Francis' Apostolic Visit to Cuba
Pope Francis met with families on Tuesday at Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral in Santiago de Cuba, thanking those gathered for their warm witness and inclusive nature, reflecting that it is at home, in the family, that Christ shows the love of God. Click here for reading the Pope’s speech.