A call for diversity and more transparency

A call for diversity and more transparency

The Equality Bill as presently formulated has several shortcomings

The quest for social justice, equality and the adherence to fundamental human rights has always been embraced by Church schools. As many students can attest, our schools safeguard and promote these values – which is why we welcome initiatives such as those included in the draft legislation Equality Bill 96 and 97.

We are stakeholders in the national effort to promote equality but we are also educators with a mission and a duty to uphold our school ethos and tolerance. We work hand in hand with those hundreds of parents who send their children to our schools to learn about our Christian faith and our ideals. We want a law which respects diversity, not one which is oppressive, imposes a bland uniformity on all and leads to persecution by prosecution.

This is the reason why we put forward proposals to Parliamentary Secretary for Equality Rosianne Cutajar. The Equality Bill as currently formulated has several shortcomings, several of which threaten freedom of religion and freedom of expression. The Venice Commission (European Commission for Democracy through Law) has also commented unfavourably on certain aspects of the draft equality legislation which shows that we are not the only ones to voice concern about it. The Independent Schools Association has also presented its amendments to the bill. Sources from other faith communities are also very concerned.

Our proposals to the parliamentary secretary Rosianne Cutajar were primarily twofold. In the first place, we want to continue our mission to promote and celebrate our particular school ethos by being allowed to employ persons who respected that ethos, particularly in the leadership roles within our institutions. School leaders are the interpreters of faith to the community. It is not discriminatory to expect the leaders of our schools who will perpetuate that ethos, who are not hostile to it and who will fashion a framework around that Christian ethos.

We want to retain the freedom to engage such educational leaders in this crucial role. We cannot understand why the parliamentary secretary is so adamant in closing the door to this eminently reasonable suggestion. The leaders of a political party, of trade unions are expected to embrace its ideals, so why are Church school educators and leaders being denied this right? Why is this being described as discriminatory only when Church schools wish to engage leaders who reflect and perpetuate their values? It is ironic to see that legislation, which is supposed to promote equality, is actually discriminatory in effect.

If the law is enacted as formulated, Church schools will have next to little choice as to whether to engage persons who are openly hostile to their values. This is utterly disrespectful of the hundreds of parents who wish their children to experience religious values and norms in a communal educational setting. There are parents who wish to send their children to Church schools specifically for this reason.

We want a law which respects diversity, not one which is oppressive and imposes a bland uniformity on all

Relegating religious values to a 40-minute slot during a religion lesson is not what the parents wish for their children. Such values are imbibed during all lessons, activities and extracurricular outings and yes – we would like to be able to engage people who are willing to participate in these holistic activities. We don’t understand why Cutajar continues to describe this as discrimination. We are hurt to see her thinly veiled attacks on us, describing us as “the privileged few” and portraying us as being hostile to the LGBTIQ+ community.

It is a known fact that members of this community form an integral part of educational communities – even at senior management level. We value them and appreciate their contribution just like anybody else.

We also asked the parliamentary secretary to introduce a clause to allow persons to register a conscientious objection based on belief, creed or religion to perform, participate, endorse or promote any measure. This was deliberately misrepresented as a request for a licence to discriminate.

It is nothing of the sort. On the contrary – forcing people to participate or endorse acts to which they object because of deep moral objections is undemocratic and despotic.

The right to conscientious objection is recognised in many democratic states. In the Declaration on the Importance of Strengthening the Fundamental Right to Freedom of Conscience made in Brussels, on April 21, 2016. Members of the European Parliament stressed that freedom of conscience is a fundamental right that needs to be protected everywhere.

Only recently, 14 associations representing various medical specialities called for the inclusion of a conscientious objection clause in a new law on equality, currently before parliament. The associations stated that “Doctors should not be faced with clinical situations where they are forced to act against their ethical convictions or be deemed liable if they exert their freedom of conscience.” Like us, their support for the introduction of a conscientious objection clause is also motivated by the implications of the supremacy clauses included in the bill. These will allow the new law to override criminal and civil laws if a matter of legal contention arises.

Despite these repeated pleas to listen to reason and experts in the field, our suggestions have not been taken up. The process by which the bill is being passed through parliament is obscure and not transparent. It is a pity that stakeholders’ concerns and suggestions are not being taken on board. We are ready to continue promoting non-discrimination in good faith. We hope that our proposals will not continue to fall on deaf ears.

Fr Charles Mallia is Delegate for Catholic Education; Fr Jimmy Bartolo is Rector of St Aloysius College and coordinator of the Church Schools Association; Claire Bonello is representative for Church Schools Parents’ Associations; Sr Rachel Frendo is Provincial of Augustinian Sisters and vice president of the Council for Religious Major Superiors.

This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece

Ref: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/a-call-for-diversity-and-more-transparency.818551

 

At the mercy of equality – Miriam Sciberras

At the mercy of equality – Miriam Sciberras

As parliamentary committees reconvene after the summer COVID-imbued break, the Equality Bills discussion rears its ugly head again.

Why should equality laws cause worry and concern to the ordinary law-abiding citizen?

Why have so many people – educators, doctors, employers, organisations, parents, faith groups, schools and NGOs – sounded warnings over such a seemingly innocuous positive legislation?

The dual Bill legislation 96 and 97 is set to change our Maltese landscape like nothing else before.

Vague definitions that include harassment will pose a threat to peaceful people who dare express an opinion on any of the protected characteristics.

Pitching in both sexual orientation and religion together as protected characteristics in these Bills will obviously lead to an escalation of controversy at some point in time.

All Christians, including Catholics, have clear teachings on sexual conduct which no law can change. This has never been a problem until now because people are free to believe, to reject or to embrace their faith and live it in the public square as they deem fit for them.

The Equality Bill makes a mockery of religious freedom by relegating it to a barely tolerated issue– Miriam Sciberras

If Bill 96 sails through without including an overriding clause on religious freedom and conscientious objection, faithful believers will be sued and will be at the mercy of a police state where they will be suddenly under a gag order if they fail to endorse what they do not believe in.

There will be an obvious conflict established by the new law, and the hierarchy of rights will be challenged.

Treating people with respect, tolerance and love of neighbour can never mean endorsement, support or approval of behaviour that goes against their conscience or faith.

Imposing acceptance or endorsement in the name of equality is unacceptable. Threatening people into compliance is tantamount to brainwashing and Marxist indoctrination.

This moral code, which has been the backbone of families and our country for centuries, is now at the mercy of an ‘anti-discrimination law’, which ever since its evil inception was targeted at believers and marketed as a desirable quality. In fact, anti-discrimination laws worldwide do not allow religious freedom and conscientious objection because that is what they are targeted to exclude.

One look at the aftermath of equality laws in other countries shows that peaceful law-abiding citizens are being persecuted for simply living out their faith.

People have been taken to court for wearing a cross around their neck; pastors preaching the Gospel have been sued; children have been taken from their parents if the letter failed to endorse hormone treatment of their minors; midwives have been struck off the register for failing to assist in abortion procedures, and doctors struck off the register or paediatricians sued; writers have been questioned by the police over the publication of leaflets on human sexuality; and schools have been forced to close unless they change their curriculum. These and so many other examples are there for all who want to look up and see what’s in store for us unless we get some serious amendments in these Bills that will make living with them acceptable.

We are moving from freedom as a way of life to freedom as an exemption under these laws.

This is very serious for those who cherish journalistic freedom of expression and religious freedom in the public square.

Religious freedom as a pre-eminent right will now fall under exemptions. How can one relegate a cherished value set in our constitution to an exemption? Exemptions imply bare tolerance that can be removed over time.

The Equality Bill makes a mockery of religious freedom by relegating it to a barely tolera­ted issue. This is a very dangerous subtle attack on the Church in Malta, on faith and on all believers.

The time to speak out is now.

 

Miriam Sciberras is chair, Life Network Foundation Malta.

This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece

Ref: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/at-the-mercy-of-equality-miriam-sciberras.818071

Love Louder – Jeff and Jennifer Christie

Love Louder – Jeff and Jennifer Christie

If I had listened to you,

I wouldn’t have woken up this morning with five year old toes in my face.

There wouldn’t be light up Batman sneakers in the shoe rack,

or goldfish crackers swimming on the floor of our SUV.

If I had listened to you,

I wouldn’t know all the words to the Paw Patrol theme song,

or the names of the Bubble Guppies.

I wouldn’t have seen Frozen in the theater.

Twice.

I have a few more stretch marks,

A little less money,

less time,

and more fine lines around my eyes.

If I had listened to you,

I wouldn’t know the tug of little arms around my neck,

sticky hands tenderly patting my face,

random requests for mommy snuggles.

If I had listened to you,

the phrase “beauty for ashes” would be one dimensional,

healing would have been a slow, uphill climb,

and so much pain would have so much less purpose.

I have a little more patience,

and a little less pride,

less selfishness,

more faith in the Great I AM.

If I had listened to you,

to the world,

to the doubt and the fear,

I’d miss hearing a croaky morning voice tell me he misses me when he’s asleep.

But I didn’t listen to you.

I listened to love.

The heart of God,

the motion of mercy,

the song of grace,

the soul of the mother that I already was and was destined to be again.

Sounds of love, louder than the anxiety, drowning out the agony.

Louder.

I listened.

I followed.

And just look what I got.

Life with no regrets.

Jennifer Christie

Of nothingness, DNA and embryonic life – Patrick Pullicino

At the centre of every strongly held anti-life (pro-choice) belief is a desensitisation to the wonder of not only life, but also of being, and even of existence. I would, for a moment, like to try to put the wonder of our simple existence into some perspective.

There is a hierarchy of existence on earth. At its pinnacle is human life with our ability to love, think rationally and distinguish good and evil – the supreme gifts.

Below us are mammals and other animals that have many of our animal characteristics and have DNA that maintains their species-specific continuity over time and generations.

Plant life is yet a further step below, with DNA but without the complex brain that movement and animal interaction requires.

Below this, inanimate objects or chemicals are not alive but they too have existence and a function in the world.

At the lowest end of this scale is the vacuum of space. It has no discernible things within it but it is not ‘nothingness’ as it is still part of the cosmos and is able to transmit light and electromagnetic waves.

So this brings us to nothingness. It is difficult to conceive of nothingness as it is outside of our experience. It is insightful to try to do this, however, as although individual human beings are made up of chemicals, our existence as individuals literally was ‘nothingness’ before we were conceived. We did not even exist as empty space.

This puts human conception in an entirely different light. Human embryos, however short-lived, are individuals that never previously existed. They are unique. Yes their DNA gives them the blueprint for their growth but that DNA is not necessarily unique, as identical twins have the same DNA.

It is not the DNA that gives individuality, it is our spiritual soul that is the core of our existence and of our individuality. Our body and DNA are just the ‘earthen vessel’ that holds our unique, created existence.

Individual human life when seen in the perspective of nothingness is all the more wonderful. Who but God can create out of nothingness? So every human conception, whether lasting an hour or a day or a hundred years, is in this deep perspective, a miracle.

Does the fact that many embryos die before birth devalue either human life or individuality or the preciousness of each and every embryo? No! How can it?

The practice of IVF and surrogacy has desensitised us to the astounding miracle of conception, set against the backdrop of the nothingness we came out of. And in-vitro fertilisation is not and could never be ‘creation’. 

 

I have previously called for the setting up of Malta as a centre for prenatal foetal medicine and intrauterine surgery

 

When a species becomes extinct, it has returned to the void out of which  it was created . Creation from that void of nothingness is true creation that only God can perform.

It is not only illogical but arrogant in the extreme to state that because many embryos die when they are still a few cells, therefore all embryos do not deserve protection.

Who are we to ask why God created these individuals? Maybe the majority of us die at an early stage to protect us from being contaminated by the errors and evils of the world that engulf us.

Rather than devaluing all embryonic life on the basis of the high loss of early embryos, we should cherish and protect embryonic life even more and pursue research to help reduce this early embryonic loss of human life.

It is wonderful that in Malta abortion is illegal. However, we cannot accept this bare legal minimum and must engender a wonder and respect of preborn life in society. 

I have previously called for the setting up of Malta as a centre for prenatal foetal medicine and intrauterine surgery.

As the only country in Europe that does not allow abortion, Malta could set up a prenatal medical centre with full surgical capabilities and take referrals from the rest of Europe and rapidly become a European and world leader in this area.

Patrick Pullicino, Catholic priest in London and retired NHS neurologist

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/of-nothingness-dna-and-embryonic-life-patrick-pullicino.809727

Certainly more, never less – Konrad Borg

I refer to the article by Aleksandar Dimitrejevic entitled ‘No, we are not our DNA’, (July 25) . The author’s premise is the scientific observation that a large proportion of pre and peri-implantation embryos are lost.

The disconnected and one dimensional conclusion he draws from this significant embryonic death is that the human genome is not enough to qualify an embryo for human value (and therefore, ultimately supports the author’s view that it is permissible to abort it).

The scope of this article is to explain why I consider such a superficial analysis to lack both scientific depth as well as logical coherence. 

Our genome defines our biological identity. If we could analyse the DNA of an embryo, we would know whether we are dealing with a biological male or female, as well as knowing what they would eventually look like, even at an early stage of development. There are no ‘blank’ embryos. This defined biological identity will express itself progressively through the pregnancy and after birth, as we acquire more of the features that are ‘written’ in that code.

While we are more than our biological sex and physical appearance, they are certainly an integral part of who we are as human beings. In addition, embryos are more than their DNA. They are a complete and complex organism, whose cells are rapidly multiplying and specialising into various tissues.

In the majority of the cases where embryos are lost at an early stage, this is largely attributable to significant chromosomal abnormalities (Macklon et al, 2002). The fact that they were not viable because of a life-limiting genetic condition, has no bearing whatsoever on their intrinsic humanity.

At six weeks of pregnancy, there is more than 90 per cent chance that the baby will survive

In simple terms, they died early in their development because of a genetic condition. It may be beneficial to the mother that she is unaware of this early embryonic death since this will mitigate the psychological distress of miscarriage later in the pregnancy. The fact the author concludes that their unacknowledged death strips them of moral value is merely a reflection of his personal views on human worth rather than a logical conclusion based on the evidence. 

At six weeks of pregnancy, there is more than 90 per cent chance that the baby will survive since the risk of miscarriage at this stage is 9.4 per cent (Tong et al, 2008). Sixty-five per cent of first trimester abortions happen after six weeks (CDC, 2016). Therefore, more than 90 per cent of these terminations occur on viable embryos who would have probably survived till birth. So even from a purely utilitarian perspective, justifying abortion on the basis of early pregnancy loss is not only illogical but misleading.

Of course, there is an ethical dimension that clearly differentiates abortion from early embryonic death. Abortion is an intentional intervention that actively brings about the demise of these embryos, the majority of which are viable and would have otherwise been born. We become the agents of their avoidable death.

On the other hand, early embryonic loss, as a result of natural causes is largely an unavoidable consequence of chromosomal abnormalities. From an ethical point of view there is no comparison between the death of non viable embryos by natural means and the termination of viable embryos by induced abortion.

As an advocate for women’s rights, it is surprising that the author does not perceive how insensitive his words may be to mothers who have suffered a miscarriage. It is no comfort to these women, or their partners, that the author uses the miscarriage that grieves them to disqualify their son or daughter from being considered human at all.

Additionally, if the author wants to engage in a serious scientific discussion, he should not divert from science. His references to God and religion in an attempt to ride on anti-Catholic sentiment are as irrelevant as they are distasteful.

As an identical twin, I would like to conclude by agreeing with the author when he writes that we are certainly more than our DNA, while emphatically stating that we are never ‘less’ than our DNA.

Konrad Borg, consultant in emergency medicine, member Doctors for Life

Ref: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/certainly-more-never-less-konrad-borg.809157

Let politicians know that society wants to protect the life of the unborn, marchers told

Sunday, December 9, 2018, 18:13 by Ivan Martin

 

‘Malta will eventually be made to hold a referendum on whether or not to introduce abortion’ — pro-life movement

 

The forthcoming European Parliament and local council elections were an ideal opportunity to let politicians know that society wanted to protect the life of the unborn, and that life started from conception, pro-life demonstrators in Valletta were told on Sunday.

A sizeable crowd took part in the march in the afternoon, held “in defence of the unborn”. The fourth annual March for Life was organized by the Life Network Foundation.

The demonstrators, who included civil society, priests, nuns, the head of evangelist movement River of Love, and even former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, gathered in front of Parliament holding placards that read; “love the most vulnerable”, “be a voice to those who have none”, and “love them both”.

Foundation chairperson Miriam Sciberas told those gathered how Malta was changing faster than many would like. Foreigners were changing the island’s demographics, fake news was pushing agendas onto society, and national discussions were all staked in favour of special interests.

In all this chaos it was hard to focus on the essentials – the values “that make us Maltese”.

The introduction of the Morning After Pill was being followed by mounting pressure for Malta to move towards introducing abortion.

“They ask why we are not like other European countries, why we are different,” Dr Sciberras said.

This, she added, was made worse by a manipulative media.

She said Malta will eventually be made to hold a referendum on whether or not to introduce abortion as political parties cannot deal with this hot potato themselves.

She urged those gathered to make their position clear with politicians.

The European Parliament and Local Council Elections were fast approaching and this was an ideal opportunity to let politicians know that society wanted to protect the life of the unborn, and that life started from conception.

The foundation, she said, was working to provide a chat line for expecting mothers and those who had gone through with abortion, specialized councillors, financial assistance, and even a shelter for homeless mothers.

In closing, Dr Sciberras said Christmas was a celebration of birth and the born child.

Earlier the crowd heard from US speaker Jennifer Christie, a victim of rape who raised a child which she insists has always been a gift.

She said many had asked her what it was like raising “a rapist’s child”, to which she has always answered she was raising her child and God’s child.

Her son, she said, was not a reminder of rape but a reminder of “the joy that can come from darkness”.

Ref: https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20181209/local/let-politicians-know-that-society-wants-to-protect-the-life-of-the.696354

Woman raped and beaten, discovers she is pregnant

Climbing the stairs, I ring the doorbell to be greeted by a rough, heavily-accented American voice. I explain that I am the journalist who has come to interview them. Having covered many human stories by now, I am no longer nervous when I meet people for the first time who I know will have to recall sometimes difficult stories.

This was different. I was meeting a woman who had been raped, beaten and left for dead. She subsequently discovered that she was pregnant and she and her husband decided to raise the baby as their own. How do you respond to something like that?

The gruff voice greeted me at the door. He was tall and bear-like, with an overgrown beard. Someone who could protect you I thought. Jeff, the husband, welcomed me into the apartment in which they were staying.

I caught sight of Jennifer, his wife, in the kitchen. As I sat down on the couch, still feeling uneasy, Jennifer asked Jeff to open a bottle for her. Jeff and Jennifer sit on the other end of the couch. The first thing you notice about Jennifer is her strikingly beautiful blue eyes which are like the ocean, so full of life yet so weary. The bright blue held her emotional currents and told a tale of ups and downs. Her pale skin was in stark contrast to her fiery red hair.

I could tell she was weary; perhaps she had seen too many journalists in front her, asking her the same questions, over and over again. Or perhaps she was just tired. I had been told that still suffers from seizures following the blows to her head during the rape. Jennifer sits cross-legged on the couch as we start discussing what had brought them to Malta and the long journey they had had to endure to get here. I spot a colourful tattoo on her leg and make a mental note to ask about it later.

They tell me about their five beautiful children and their life back in the United States. Apparently, Jennifer and Jeff had been visiting schools during their time here in Malta. I was surprised to hear that she was telling her story to school-age children but she informs me that here in Malta children are told about subjects such as abortion and rape.

She comments that she has experienced little resistance here when discussing abortion and says that people in Malta have been very ‘respectful’, even if they do not agree with her stance. Jennifer is a sign language interpreter which basically means she uses sign language to translate for deaf people. In 2014, in America, she was hired to provide her interpretation services at a conference a few hours’ journey away from her home.

Jennifer describes the January day as being snowy and cold, so she was wearing a hood and, as a result, did not notice that a man was following her. At the door to her hotel room, she put the armful of bags containing her belongings down on the floor and, sensing something, turned around to find a man standing behind her.

He was young, not much older than her oldest child, good-looking and not immediately threatening. She thought perhaps he needed help but he punched her in the face. She fought him, but he was a foot taller than her. Jennifer thought she was going to die so she stopped fighting. At that point, she describes that she just retreated back into her own mind and imagined crawling inside herself.

She eventually lost consciousness. The man proceeded to rape her and took her nearly naked body out to the place where the hotel rubbish was left for collection.

Laying in the snow, with just a piece of her bra on, Jennifer woke up to a woman yelling and trying to cover her with her coat. She was freezing and tried to lift herself up from the ground only to realise she could not because she was hurt. She put her hands up to her face and realised they were covered in blood.

Jennifer was taken to hospital where doctors told her that she had several injuries and a brain bleed. Since then she has needed six further operations. Weeks later, Jennifer had a work assignment on a cruise ship that had been booked months in advance. She was not doing well at home so, after discussing it with Jeff, they decided that she should not cancel the booking. They believed that she should get out and continue life: that the rapist had taken enough.

On the second day out at sea, Jennifer felt really sick so, in accordance with protocol, she was quarantined in the medical unit on board. Antibiotics were not working, so she was asked, as a precaution before giving her something stronger, if there was any chance she was pregnant. She immediately responded that there was not but then she stopped and did a quick count in her head and told them that she had been raped a month earlier.

It was the first time she had used the word ‘rape’ out loud. She had been so preoccupied about diseases, her injuries and the horrible incident, that pregnancy had not even crossed her mind. A pregnancy test was carried out and  it was positive.

Jennifer sat there, holding the test result, in total shock. She knew she had to tell her husband. The nurse saw her visible shock and told she would have to wait before having an ultrasound because she had been sick. At the ship’s next port of call, in Colombia, Jennifer was taken to a hospital. She says it looked more like the basement of a building.

It was dark and no-one spoke English. She was all alone, surrounded by strangers, and at that point she felt that she did not recognise her life anymore. She was wheeled over an old ultrasound machine and flipped on the screen and although at that stage there was not much to see, she had had enough babies to recognise that dark ‘P’.

At that point, she just smiled. Something in her came to life again and she had a reason to keep going for the first time since the attack. At this point, Jennifer pauses. Jeff is visibly emotional. She tells me that he does not often hear her telling her story. He has been holding Jennifer’s shoulder all along, supporting her as she talks to me, but it is obvious that this is hard for him too.

Jennifer continues recalling how she rang Jeff and asked him if he was sitting down.

“I’m pregnant,” she told him. A small pause followed. “Ok,” Jeff replied. “Sweetheart, this is a gift. This is something beautiful from something terrible. We love babies. We can do this.”

Jennifer had never doubted that Jeff would react in that way. She knew the person she had married 20 years before. I ask Jeff how he felt, saying that once he found out Jennifer was pregnant: “That was it, we were having a baby.”

Having the baby was not easy, as she had a difficult pregnancy. She was put on strict bed rest which meant she could not work. As a result they lost their house and had to move in with Jeff’s parents. “We were just trying to survive,” Jennifer says.

At that point in the interview, the photographer interrupts us to take a few photographs outside. Jeff holds Jennifer from behind and hugs her tightly as they pose for a photograph. They joke and laugh and kiss and I cannot help but remark on the beauty of their relationship.

Despite all they have been through in their 20 plus years together, these two are clearly in love and are each other’s support system. Jennifer smiles and tells me that  she would rather be with him than anyone else: he is her best friend.

I feel so much warmth from both of them that I do not want the interview to end. Although they have been interviewed many times, it is not about regurgitating the story. Jennifer does not tell the story, she recounts and relives the memory each time.

She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Joshua, who is very much part of the family. He scribbles on the wall like any other child, and fights and plays with his big brothers. His sister likes to take him out and pretend he is her own: Jennifer is not too amused about this.

The emotional and physical scars of the trauma are still visible. It has been a difficult trip here in Malta for Jennifer, as she has had several interviews. She has had to miss some of them due to illness. She still has seizures and with Christmas lights everywhere, which are a big trigger, it has been very difficult for her.

I ask how she feels emotionally and if her rapist was ever caught. She tells me he went on to rape and murder other women, all redheads like her. A couple of years later he was found and killed by the brother of one of his victims. And so he was dead. She could finally breathe again.

The interview draws to an end but we continue chatting about her children. Jennifer brings her telephone and shows me a lovely photograph of all of them joking and laughing on their porch. Then she shows me a picture of Joshua. His eyes are the same ocean blue as his mother’s and  when I tell her he looks like her, she proudly smiles.

As I leave, Jennifer gives me a warm hug and I am just so amazed by this couple. They give me a business card with their email address so that I can send them the photographs. When I get back to my office I turn the card over and see a quote by Dr Seuss: “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

Jeff and Jennifer are in Malta on behalf of the LifeNetwork Foundation and will be speaking at today’s annual ‘March for Life’ in Valletta.

Ref: http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2018-12-09/local-news/Woman-raped-and-beaten-discovers-she-is-pregnant-6736200582