Life Network Foundation Tells Brussels: ‘Maltese Values Are Not For Sale’ by lovinmalta.com

Lɪғᴇ Nᴇᴛᴡᴏʀᴋ Fᴏᴜɴᴅᴀᴛɪᴏɴ Tᴇʟʟs Bʀᴜssᴇʟs: ‘Mᴀʟᴛᴇsᴇ Vᴀʟᴜᴇs Aʀᴇ Nᴏᴛ Fᴏʀ Sᴀʟᴇ’ by lovinmalta.com

 
Local NGO Life Network Foundation has responded to comments made in Brussels that it is getting funding from extremist groups in the US, Russia and the European Union. Here is their reply in full:
 
Have you ever been placed in the media spotlight? Surprisingly Life Network Foundation featured in an article in Lovin Malta last week. Was it a commendation for our charitable work in providing emergency residency to women in need? Was it for our important and valued service to the women in crisis pregnancy by offering them emotional and financial support? The time and resources given freely by our trusted volunteers? The babies saved? Not quite.”
 
 
In an article focused on an EU Parliament committee meeting held in a far-away Brussels boardroom, Life Network Foundation – which supports the charitable women’s shelter Dar Tghanniqa ta’ Omm at Mosta – was implied to be peddling foreign interference. Nobody had asked Life Network a single question, or even invited us to contribute a comment before going to print.
 
On the other hand, the content of the article, meant to be focused on the situation in our own country, was inflated with quotes from foreign MEPs, and from English activists. Both such sources are completely detached from any form of Maltese reality.
Open Democracy, who is cited in the article as investigative journalists, are in fact a UK activist blog. Their donor list boasts a rich supply of ideological US billionaires, including the Rockefeller Brothers, the Ford Foundation, and the world-leading abortion lobby IPAS.
 
Indeed, only one lonely voice garnished Lovin Malta’s buffet of international opinion. “Doctors for Choice”, the BBC reported in January, represents around 60 people in our country. Yet they were asked to speak for us all, not “Doctors for Life”, their pro-life counterparts who have over 670 members! The cherry-picked opinion blatantly attempts to override national reality. Surely this is a bitter dishonesty hard for even the most ardent Maltese abortion-supporters to swallow.
 
It is also worth noting that the same sources who consider mainstream pro-life organisations to be “extremists” coincidentally, have themselves, a radical pro-abortion agenda to push. Labelling pro-life organisations as “extremists” is merely an attempt to discredit the position which they espouse.
 
Life Network Foundation Malta rejects vehemently any implication of financial assistance from the foreign organisations mentioned in the article published in the Lovin Malta article. On the contrary, we gratefully received a €130,000 grant from our own Maltese Government, over a three-year period, which helps in the running expenses of our maternity home and amounts to approximately €43,000 per year.
 
Like the absolute majority of our islands’ population, we think that abortion is not the best option for the mother and her preborn child. We think that Maltese women deserve better. This view resonates as an integral and widespread Maltese value. Quite unlike the views in the article attacking us.
 
Furthermore, in the small print, towards the end of the article, we learn that this particular “journalistic attack” on us is not wholly from Malta; it is, at least partly, paid for by funds from the European Parliament!
How can this be right? That Brussels is funding biased media articles designed to undermine and influence our national laws and values?
 

Printed words are cheap, but our values are priceless. Buyers beware: the Maltese people are not for sale.

 

“Can you be an athlete? You, pregnant? You, a mother? That depends.”

“Can you be an athlete? You, pregnant? You, a mother? That depends.”

The message behind Nike’s advert mirrors the ultimate prolife slogan.

Nike released a new video advert to promote their maternity range. The message behind the advert is clear: pregnancy and motherhood do not prevent a woman from being an athlete—or, in actual fact, from following any other activity that she loves.

The message behind Nike’s advert mirrors the ultimate prolife slogan. Prolife organisations worldwide are constantly encouraging women in crisis pregnancies by stating that being a mother should not necessarily stand in the way of them achieving their dreams, whether it is to become an athlete, graduate from school, or have a career. Nike’s endorsement of this message is testament to the fact that the prolife culture in the United States seems to be gaining ground. This could indeed be life-changing for the prolife movement worldwide.

The empowering video, featuring pregnant women and mothers, opens with the questions: “Can you be an athlete? You, pregnant? You, a mother? That depends.”

It continues by defining what an athlete is: “Someone who moves; someone who gets it done, no matter what; someone who listens to her body; someone who defies gravity; someone who deals with the pain, hits her limit and pushes past it; pushing, pushing, pushing; someone who earns every single win.” Each defining phrase is backed by a resounding “You”, emphasising the fact that mothers are strong and that pregnancy is not a reason for them to quit the things they love doing. The video ends by reaffirming this sentiment:

“So, can you be an athlete? If you aren’t, no one is.”

 

Nike’s powerful advert portrays various well-established athletes—among them tennis, soccer, and track professionals—in different stages of pregnancy and motherhood. These transformative experiences and life changes may feel overwhelming to a woman, especially when she is new to them. Pregnancy can indeed be the utmost test of stamina and endurance for a woman. But, as the advert ascertains, mothers are actually much tougher than they are given credit for.

It is truly empowering to acknowledge that women can be mothers and accomplish their life goals. If they cannot, no one can!

Kont f’paniku w onestament ħsibt fl-abort

“Kont f’paniku w onestament il-ħsieb ta’ l-abort għadda min moħħi. Nixtieq ngħid grazzi lil Life Line Malta għax bis-saħħa tagħhom it-tarbija tagħna ġiet salvata!”

Din hija l-istorja vera ta’ mara li esperjenzat tqala mhux pjanata u li ġiet megħjuna minn Life Line Malta.

Nisa li jinsabu fi krizi ta’ tqala, dijanosi negattiva waqt it-tqala jew akkompanjament lin-nies li għaddejin mit-trauma tal-abort, ċemplu lill Life Line Malta fuq 20330023.

Life Line is the support and care arm of Life Network Foundation  

Bdejt naħseb fl-abort għaliex diġà kelli t-tfal

“Bdejt naħseb fl-abort għaliex diġà kelli t-tfal u peress li kelli problema tad-droga, ma stajtx inkun l-omm li xtaqt li kont.”

Din hija l-istorja vera ta’ mara li esperjenzat tqala mhux pjanata u li ġiet megħjuna minn Life Line Malta.

Nisa li jinsabu fi krizi ta’ tqala, dijanosi negattiva waqt it-tqala jew akkompanjament lin-nies li ghaddejin mit-trauma tal-abort, ċemplu lill Life Line Malta fuq 20330023.

Life Line is the support and care arm of Life Network Foundation

Life Line Malta gave me light in time of darkness

“Accidentally I got pregnant for the second time and I wanted to end my pregnancy. Life Line Malta gave me light in time of darkness.”

This is the real story of a young woman who was in a crisis pregnancy situation. She received all the help needed from Life Line Malta. Listen to her touching story!

For women in crisis pregnancy, negative pre-natal diagnoses & post-abortion healing please call Life Line Malta on 2033 0023

Life Line Malta is the support & care arm of Life Network Foundation

Bħala familja lesta biex tgħin lin-nisa li għaddejjin min kriżi ta’ tqala

“Life Network hija bħala familja lesta biex tgħin lin-nisa li għaddejjin min kriżi ta’ tqala.”

Din hija l-istorja ta’ mara li esperjenzat tqala mhux pjanata u li llum il-ġurnata tghin  nisa ohra li għaddejjin mill-listess sitwazzjoni simili taghha.

Nisa li jinsabu fi krizi ta’ tqala, dijanosi negattiva waqt it-tqala jew akkompanjament lin-nies li ghaddejin mit-trauma tal-abort, ċemplu lill Life Line Malta fuq 20330023.

Life Line Malta is the support and care arm of Life Network Foundation

Persecuted by Equality – Miriam Sciberras

Persecuted by Equality – Miriam Sciberras

A number of medical associations, the Episcopal Conference, lay Catholic groups, Catholic Voices Malta, representatives of Church schools, the Independent School Association, the Malta Employers’ Association, Life Network Foundation and Christian groups have all sounded warnings and presented their objections in the discussions on the new equality bills, but to no avail.

The red light is on. It is an appeal to our authorities to take note and intervene in the best interest of our country, in the name of freedom.

It has been said ad nauseam that “the equality bills will not make anything that is illegal in Malta legal, so there is no need to worry”. This is at best naïve and concrete amendments need to take place in order for us to be reassured.

The two bills numbered 96 and 97 contain a supremacy clause that prevails over any other ordinary law that runs counter to them. Resistance to the removal of the supremacy clause logically leads one to think that there may be existing laws or others in the future that may be stealthily amended through such a clause.

In our legal system there are two ordinary laws, the European Convention Act (ch. 319) and the European Union Act, which are considered as supreme vis-à-vis any other ordinary law. The equality bill legislation as proposed will have supremacy over them, as well as over the Embryo Protection Act and the Criminal Code. This is another cause for legitimate worry.

It was stated that: “This government will not compromise on the principle of equality for all. It is the backbone of our belief system and the equality bill will further strengthen the legal framework in this regard.” Commendable words indeed, had this not really been a case of doublespeak at its best.

Catholics will have their religious freedom in the public square taken away

The bills will clamp down on anyone who as much as touches upon the ‘protected characteristics’ in a way deemed offensive by anyone, be it in journalism, media and or day to day living. This, in practice, will mean that Christians and Catholics will have their religious freedom in the public square taken away, the right of Church school administration in choosing employees representing their ethos in the senior management teams is no longer guaranteed, the fundamental right of parents to educate their children in their philosophical belief is threatened and the right to conscientious objection is excluded. This is not strengthening of our backbone but reducing the country to a cripple.

In January 2020, Prime Minister Robert Abela, when meeting the Archbishop at the Dar tal-Kleru, stated in a televised interview that he did not see a need for a change to Article II of the Malta Constitution, regarding religion, more so because Malta is a tolerant nation. The prime minister is right – we are a tolerant people. Love your enemy is at the heart of the gospel!

Equality as a principle based on human dignity and the intrinsic value of every person from conception to natural death is a principle easily understood by all people. Tolerance is a virtue we all need to learn and to live in a pluralistic society. We are obliged to accept, love and tolerate each other to live in peace.

However, the equality bills go too far when they include endorsement and promotion within the law. One cannot be forced to endorse and promote lifestyles that run contrary to one’s faith. Freedom of expression, religious freedom in day to day life and conscientious objection are seriously threatened.

Parliament approved the bill decriminalising porn and repealing religious vilification in 2016 in a bid to remove censorship. In 2020, we want to introduce a new censorship, this time a gag order on anyone who will not endorse or promote gender ideology. How can this even start to make sense? 

As we pitch gender ideology versus religious freedom, we will see indoctrination attempts rammed down our throats. The targets will be innocent children (who in the name of a false equality will be bombarded by WHO-endorsed early sexualisation programmes in school curricula), ordinary families and individuals. People who just want to go on living their faith as they have always lived it in the last century will be labelled homophobic and ridiculed.

The stage is being set for the persecution of believers.

Miriam Sciberras, Chairman, Life Network Foundation Malta

 This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece

Ref: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/persecuted-by-equality-miriam-sciberras.822289

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

6th Annual March for Life – Rome, 8th May 2016

Drs. Miriam and Mark Sciberras, on behalf of Life Network Malta, will once again be attending the March for Life being held in Rome on the 8th of May 2016.

 

Marcia per la vita

 
Dear Miriam Sciberras,

In less than two weeks-time the March for Life will be held in Rome.

The March unites representatives of pro-life movements, from all corners of the globe, in the capital of Christendom. The 2016 March will take place on Sunday, May 8th, starting at 9 am, departing from piazza Bocca della Verità, arriving at noon to St Peter for the Regina Coeli.

It is only through the firm commitment of public testimony, through standing up publicly to defend Life, that we will be able to fight today’s culture that, as stated by John Paul II in Evangelium Vitae, strives for hegemony, where a crime becomes a right. The battle for Life has taken center-stage in the court of public opinion; consequently, the support of each and every individual to this March for Life becomes critical to the survival of a society founded on Life, rather than Death.

As done with past Marches, also that of this year will be preceded by the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva on Saturday May 9th, starting at 8 pm.

We really hope you will be able to attend the March.

Looking forward to meeting you in Rome, we send you our best wishes.


March for Life – Italian Committee –  

 
Website: www.marciaperlavita.it – E-mail: info@marciaperlavita.it

Comitato Marcia Nazionale per la Vita – Piazza Santa Balbina 8 – 00153 Rome