Vote Life, Canada! Reviews Annual Plenary Report of Canada's Catholic Bishops

Contact: Eric Alcock, President, Vote Life, Canada!, 709-773-0700

TORONTO, Nov. 7 /Standard Newswire/ -- "Tragically, news reports confirm Amnesty International (AI) has commenced abortion advocacy internationally," laments Eric Alcock, President of Vote Life, Canada! "but Canada's Bishops maintain their laissez-faire attitude."

In an August press release, Vote Life, Canada! complained that ominous indicators of AI's plans, like threatening letters from terrorists, surfaced early in 2006. Yet this new global threat elicited simply a ho-hum "We'll be disappointed" comment posted on the CCCB website in July 2006.

A short three months after posting this comment the Bishops held their 2006 Plenary Assembly which, insists Alcock, "should have been a beehive of strategic thinking for the Bishops to spearhead a powerful and effective mobilization of Catholics against the Amnesty move.

Yet official documents released after the 2006 Plenary Assembly indicate no discussion whatever of the Amnesty threat. Alcock is at a loss to explain "the tragic blindness and indifference of the Bishops to this worldwide threat to unborn children." He notes this astounding failure was further compounded by the prolonged silence of the Bishops throughout 2007.

Incredibly, reports Alcock, "even since AI announced its official new policy in Mexico City in August past--while Bishops elsewhere in the world have been severing connections with AI--the Bishops of Canada have been silent on the matter."

"Their silence still prevails, as it did in Canada nearly forty years ago when the abortion door cracked open in Canada." Alcock claims the persistent call from Vote Life, Canada! has been the only voice on record in Canada holding Bishops accountable for their negligence in the AI affair.

Finally, last month's 2007 Plenary Assembly announced the AI issue as an agenda item. Yet, exclaims Alcock, "The Bishops seem to be allergic to action when it comes to defending the Unborn. The item did not garner sufficient concern and consensus from the totality of Bishops at the Plenary and was referred to the Permanent Council for later decision!"

Referring to Amnesty International, the CCCB President was quoted as saying, "What a paradox that the smallest of human beings – unborn children – are now being put at risk by those who should be their defenders."

"Paradox indeed but the irony of this statement obviously escaped the Bishop," exclaims Alcock. "Who more than the Bishops of Christ's Church are called to defend human life with all their might and influence? And what of those who take no action--or ineffective action--to stop the killers?"