7 Mother's Testimony Rejected by Richmond Council: Council claims they cannot identify any negative impact PSPO will have for pregnant women.

1 Counsellor offers a leaflet as women enter. They are free to take it or ignore it.

These are the 7 testimonies given in person (or by phone in 2 cases) to a Richmond Council Officer from Mothers who support the presence of Pro-life Vigils outside BPAS in Twickenham. Councillors said they would consider these testimonies, yet in their "impact assessment" the Council said that a PSPO would have no negative impact that they could identify on pregnant women and that it would have a positive effect on pregnant women because it "will safeguard and facilitate the ability for pregnant women access (sic) to the Clinics heath services related to pregnancy and maternity."
Just what "health services related to pregnancy and maternity" are in an abortion centre we all know well.
The testimonies were taken down by a council officer, from women who, largely, are speaking English as a second language. Some of these women corrected and edited the transcripts - others did not get time to do so, so some are in note format, others are in first person testimony. But they are well worth a read. These ladies had great courage to go to the Council in the first place, knowing that previously other Councils had sidelined Mother's voices. For the Council to claim that these women being coerced to have abortions against their wishes, if the vigil had not been there to help them, is not a negative impact is almost beyond belief. Please take the time to read them. Please support us with prayers and donations, so that we can continue to help Mothers like these ones.

Remember that BPAS Twickenham performed 7,325 abortions in 2015 and performed 6,043 abortions 2016. That's a drop of 17.5% Then they performed 5,877 in 2017, which is yet another drop. For the abortion centres this is about money.

Mother 1, from the Punjab
Outside the clinic, I was handed a leaflet. When I found out I was pregnant, financially my position was not that good. I booked an appointment for my abortion. When I went there, I found Good Counsel outside. At first I couldn’t believe the help, I never thought somebody would help you like this, would support you. It’s like somebody is saying it, but are they going to do it or not? That was the first question that came in my mind. So then I talked to the lady who was outside there, she just hugged me and she assured me that “We will support you with whatever you need.” So she told me that if I would like, I could come and talk more about my pregnancy and what are the difficulties I am facing. If I want to have the baby, what best can they do for the baby. So I went with them to the Good Counsel office and there we had a long chat. So then I decided not to terminate.
I feel, the abortion was quite a big burden for me, the whole night before it I couldn’t sleep because I was doing something which I didn’t want, but when I spoke to Good Counsel, I felt really good, I feel very light. It was great talking to them and after that I spoke to a few mums who Good Counsel had helped. I couldn’t believe what they were saying, I spoke to a few mums, I called them. They called me as well. They said “We are getting support for so many years.” So then I believed “Yes, they are there for me.” I have been supported for [some] years. The first thing that came to mind, because we were living in just a single room, my daughter was with me, I came here on a student visa, my visa conditions didn’t allow me to work, so I couldn’t afford two rooms for the family. My landlord told me “Too many people can’t live in one room, so you have to move out”. So GCN provided me with a two bedroom house. They were paying all the rent and everything, and even they were paying for all the groceries as well and diapers and, you know, baby cots. My child got everything. I couldn’t even believe…I couldn’t afford those things and he got all the things from there. From birth to now. Whenever he needs like winter coat or anything. And I just want to add one more thing, because of my little one, my elder daughter is having a better life as well. Whenever I need something for her she gets it from them as well. No, even if I need something or my daughter, whoever in the family. My pregnancy would be terminated definitely if I had not met Good Counsel. When I booked my appointment I didn’t want to terminate the pregnancy, but I kept on looking everywhere for the help, but I couldn’t find any help. I even found Good Counsel Network on the website, but I shut it down because I couldn’t believe it. And then again when I was entering the gate, they handed me the leaflet. Because of that leaflet, when I went inside, I was thinking about that while waiting for my scan, they could not do the abortion that day so when I went out, I spoke to the lady from GCN who was on the door and she told me everything, so I did not go back again. So the leaflet – I think it is the most important thing, it saved a life. I couldn’t believe the website. I don’t understand why people feel offended because if GCN is standing by the gate they are just providing more choices for people like us. They are not harming anyone and there is nothing wrong in it.
Mother 2, from Gujarat
Had become pregnant and as a result her husband left, she had no visa to stay in UK. She went to the clinic and was given a leaflet outside. ‘In heart not ready, in mind ready.’ She was 20 weeks pregnant with a complicated pregnancy.
She had received rent and groceries for years from the GCN. ‘All provided’ along with advice and support and she could ‘phone Clare for help’ and had received help and advice and legal advice. She was not mentally well, she had depression had had received support, including someone to be with her at the hospital and someone to help her when she was unwell or when her children were. She didn’t have access to the Internet, so the leaflet was the only way. Which she felt was important for people whose first language is not English. She found that BPAS don’t speak 2 words to her in the clinic about alternatives to abortion. They just filled a form and do a blood test then procedure starts. Mother 3, from Goa
She has 2 children aged 10 and 4 years. When she became pregnant she thought of having a termination because of financial pressures. Her family lived in rented accommodation. She didn’t want an abortion because she ‘Know what sin is’ but felt like she didn’t have an option. It is a private matter if she wanted to speak to GCN outside BPAS but people were driving Good Counsel away from her. People passing by told her to avoid [the GCN] and were angry on her behalf. They told her these people were paid by Americans. She had been given a leaflet outside the Clinic When she went inside the BPAS clinic a woman ‘grabbed the [GCN] leaflet.’ From her. She booked an appointment for a check-up (abortion consultation). 8th December was her first appointment. She ‘didn’t want to’ have an abortion, she felt she was ‘suffocating inside.’ Her husband didn’t want to have the baby at that time. But later he accepted the pregnancy. She spoke to Clare on the phone and ‘stopped going for appointment’, she ‘know it is a sin’. She was working and cleaning & had to look after the children who go to different schools, ‘walking and walking’ to get then to school. Then cooking. She was very worried about how they would manage, but ‘am happy now’ and ‘looking forward’. Mother 3 had been supported since December 2018.

Actual images used daily opposite BPAS. No aborted babies or accusative messages are ever displayed, yet dozens of complaints to the Council refer to them being present.

Mother 4, from Romania
The first time I found out about this organisation Good Counsel Network was from the leaflets. I was already in the BPAS clinic when I read it so I tried to postpone the abortion. I had already postponed it several times. So my financial situation was very bad and I had no job. I didn’t want the abortion, I wanted to keep the baby but the Clinic was calling me so many times and sending reminders about my appointment. After that I had bleeding for three months. I went back to the clinic, they told me it’s normal – I’m a nurse by the way -I know that that’s not normal. I kept going, they told me if it didn’t stop, to come back again. Then they told me it was not their responsibility. I had a contraceptive implant while I was at the clinic. I told them I had an allergy to the hormones in it, but they said it was completely safe, there were no consequences. Because I told them that just once in my life I had had contraceptive tablets, just once a long time ago, but that my body did not tolerate them. Later on I went back to ask them to remove the implant and they refused. When I asked them why all this had happened to me they said it was just my bad luck. The bleeding was still happening. I went to different clinics, different hospitals, A&E. Meanwhile I was working. I decided to go back to my country at the end of the August 2016 and have the doctor check out my cervix properly, because of the abortion complications. When I came back to the UK, in September 2016, I received a letter for an appointment for a smear test at the surgery. The results were not OK. After that I received another letter for further investigation, a month later, in Kingston Hospital this time. Mainly because of my financial situation and because I was very scared also, I could not attend it. My GP called me again and I had a discussion for about an hour on the phone, trying to convince me to come to the hospital, because she said it is very important to attend and the sooner the better. She put me in touch with a nurse from the hospital, from the colposcopy unit. Finally, I decided to go although I was scared. I had had the abortion on 1st of June 2016. The bleeding had continued until September. The clinic had only offered me Vitamin K. But I said I wanted to know the cause of the bleeding. If I had no medical knowledge at all and if I had believed them that this bleeding was normal, probably I could have had my bleeding stopped with Vitamin K and I would have been resting assured that my health was great which it obviously wasn’t. In January 2017 I had more tests in the hospital and again the results were not OK. There was scarring on my cervix from the abortion, they told me I had CIN 1 on my cervix and they invited me to go further for a colposcopy and biopsy and after that they told me that, actually, I had grade 2 abnormal cells on my cervix ( CIN 2 ) which can lead in few years into cancer, if untreated and I need to have them removed, which I did. The gynaecologist I saw told me the cancer was because of the abortion and the scarring of my cervix as well as the implant which turned my hormonal body balance upside down, and which can cause cancer as a secondary effect. And after a few months, in April 2017, I got pregnant again. I kept the leaflet of the organisation [GCN]. Unfortunately, the father of the baby left, and I was a single mum. I was again in a scary situation, but at least I decided to contact this organisation [GCN] and I got in touch with them at the beginning. And they offered me legal advice whenever I needed it, because I needed to find out my rights as a pregnant woman, and they told me all about it. They offered me support. And I had the baby and everything is fine. And by the way after that I went to hospital again in May 2018, because I was supposed to go again in august 2017 , every 6 months, but because I was pregnant I had to postpone, after the baby was 3 months old I had to go, the results were better , my cervix was improving, because of the pregnancy and in the letter with the results was written that I have to check myself every 3 years now .
Mother 5, (interviewed by telephone)
Became pregnant, GP made appointment at abortion clinic at Richmond. ‘Don’t have support, not asked about support.’ Booked an appointment for surgical abortion. On the day of the abortion [GCN] approached me to ask if there was anything they could do to help. They gave me a leaflet and offered support. I was ‘confused and angry’,’ not sure if want to have [termination], no one to talk to’. ‘I read through the leaflet at home. I didn’t have support’ ‘Landlord asked me to leave. Didn’t have anywhere to go and didn’t want pregnancy.’ Wanted to terminate pregnancy as didn’t have support. ‘I call one lady’ and she offered help and accommodation. [GCN] charity that offer support. March 2017 Decided to go ahead and have the baby with support. Accommodation provided ‘thank god every day’ ‘they provided everything for me from that day to this day’. ‘Groceries, nappies, washing machine, everything’.
Mother 6 (interviewed by telephone)
[GCN] provide genuine offer. 2017 she was ‘destitute and homeless’. When she was trying to find a safe place to stay she was raped. She looked through the internet and could only find abortion providers. Had an appointment at BPAS who ‘don’t offer support offer abortions and no alternatives.
She got a leaflet at the Clinic, when got home she spoke to GCN which offered accommodation and financial support. Baby born 5 months ago. ‘If the pro-life support were moved, then they would never experience the joy of a child’. ‘BPAS offer to talk, but that’s not an offer that really after’. ‘How good the pro-life vigils are especially when women in a desperate situation’. ‘No time is wasted [at BPAS], it is a fast consultation’. ‘I couldn’t stop sobbing, I got through a whole box of tissues’. ‘The support [from the GCN] is unbelievable. I feel happy’ [laughing with happiness and baby gurgling in background].
Mother 7
I found out I was pregnant, I booked an appointment to, terminate, in the clinic. And so I met Good Counsel Network by the gate and we started talking. No one said that I need to, I have to or I should, do anything. It was just an offer and I accepted it. If no one was there, if I just got a leaflet inside - just a leaflet means nothing, especially when you are in this situation, you need something face to face - some information. I believe if the person from the Good Counsel Network weren't there, a person, it wouldn't have made any difference whatsoever, I would not have felt able to keep my baby if I had just been given a leaflet – I needed to meet someone there who I could speak to about the help]. If they did not talk to me, it wouldn't have made any difference to me feeling I had to have an abortion. I heard someone say some people are offended by GCN? We need to think of this in two ways, if there is offence – if you're offending me, you need to be doing something that I don't want you to, and you keep pushing me. But an offer is different. I can offer you something, and you can say 'No, I'm sorry, 'I'm fine'. Then OK, this is an offer, but causing offence is completely different. This is a very emotional time for every woman. If you go to an abortion clinic, you go there because you have no choice. You know, we all have different problems, we all have different reasons, especially if you look at me, I'm like this (pregnant) and I don't have a partner, and not having a partner is not a big problem, but a violent partner, that’s a different thing! So it’s nice that when you feel you have to make a choice that you don't want to make and you don't know where to turn to and get some help. -If someone, was telling me, actually there is help, there is an offer, would you like to take it? When I was ready to go into the clinic and I was crying, this is so important! I think we need to ignore, the fact that sometimes, even when you do good things, some people might get offended for some reason, we can't make everything right for everyone. The important thing, when you put it in balance, which one is important? The unborn child's future, and mother's future, or some people, they might have some experiences, or they can get offended for no reason. I think we need to keep the balance, sometimes I think we just need to, ignore when people get offended, because the important thing is the Mother and her unborn baby's future. It's more important than those people's feelings. I think it is more important. Because I wouldn't be pregnant at the moment if Good Counsel didn't give me the leaflet and if they didn't say “Hi”, because there was no other option in my mind. Without that, keeping the baby wasn't going to happen. So sometimes, just a smiley face, 'Hi, hello!' You know, shaking your hands and showing you that there are good people out there, but they genuinely care about people, and babies. It's important, babies still in the mummy's tummy, you know they have no choice, they didn't choose to be there. And at the same time they don't choose to die as well. Just give unborn babies a life, a chance. Just an offer. No one is pushing anyone, no one is offending anyone, it's just an offer. I think we all need an offer but it is up to you to accept it or reject it. Here some people are just nicely standing by the doors just to give a leaflet, I don’t use rude words, but I think what I am going to say is going to fit perfectly, do people need to kill their babies in order to make other people comfortable? It’s a very big question.
I think after this meeting you have to be very careful...honestly, you cannot receive that kind of support anywhere else. So if the people from GCN can’t stand by the gate, it means you put vulnerable women, mothers, human beings, in danger. Because I have been there by myself. In my experience I have even been to a woman’s refuge and I have been “let go”, left on the road, with no money, with nothing. So these pro-life people need to be standing there outside the abortion clinics. I have never received such support – when you go to some places, -they say - we are here for you, we are here to support you, they always start like that. But everything is just on paper or it’s just what they say. Others say that they will support but you get nothing. But here with GCN it’s not like you get your baby and you are on your own after that – this is very important. They are there from the beginning until you are ready to stand on your own two feet – what is wrong with that? I really believe if I had met them years ago, my life would have been different. Honestly.
What I am doing is I am killing my baby and you are helping me to do that. One hand says “I can help you to kill your baby” but the other hand says “I am giving you a hand for a chance, for your baby and for your life” so we need to compare it. Even when I think about it it breaks my heart and I cannot believe that rather than giving a hand, they are making a complaint, because what they are telling me is I don’t care about the unborn baby, I don’t care about humanity, I don’t care about human beings, I need to be comfortable – in order to do that, I am trying to make you, Good Counsel, stop so you Mothers don’t get help. I don’t care. This is nothing to do with “offensive”, this is not right on a human level, it’s not right. You want me to kill my baby so that you can feel relaxed? – I think this question finishes everything.

Richmond Mother says "If GCN can’t stand by the gate, it means you put vulnerable mothers in danger"

On Wednesday night, Richmond Council's Regulatory Committee voted to recommend to the Council that a PSPO (Buffer Zone) be brought in around Richmond's BPAS abortion centre.
As part of the consultation process BPAS had over 300 testimonies from women saying our presence distressed them in the space of just one month. 323 testimonies in fact.

In fact the BPAS centre is a very busy abortion centre and during the Consultation, there was clearly an effort made to ask clients entering the centre how the vigil (BPAS would say "protest") made women feel. Fair enough.

And how did the women feel? The comments they include in their report are as follows.
"Standing outside and opposite the clinic - handing out flyers and also had more posters beside them. [It made me feel] embarrassed and as if going into a clinic was almost evil - as if we were taking a life." 

"[The protestors were]influencing our decision that we already had a hard time going through. [They made me feel] like we were doing something wrong, angry, every situation is different."

There are many more such testimonies, and I have left out several that accuse us of harassing and following women and telling both clients and staff that they are baby murderers and that they are going to hell. No-one at the vigil does these things, but I can't expect people to believe me in the face of overwhelming testimony to the contrary. So don't believe me. Go to a vigil, unannounced, unexpected. Don't turn up to bait people or to accept my view. Go quietly and see what the vigil does. For yourself. Any time you like.

But to get back to the comments above, I understand that women going through a traumatic moment, like abortion certainly is, would rather not have to see the mildest of placards (see picture above of what the placards at the vigil in Richmond consist of), or even have a person praying outside or offering a leaflet. Even though, as you can see from the two comments I have included behaviours such as offering a leaflet or just being present - which are neither frowned on by law, nor intended to cause any distress at all - can be difficult on such a difficult day. Yes, even though we try to be unoffensive and unobtrusive, we understand many women would rather we were not there.

So why are we there? Because despite the words of several Richmond Councillors tonight, we still see dozens and dozens and dozens of women entering Richmond who have - and are offered - no alternatives to abortion. I have spoken many times about those groups of women who cannot access services like refuges, housing, benefits, safe houses, even social services. And no amount of pretending that BPAS refer these women to such places means that they can get help from them. You can help those mothers.

Devi's mum, Sara, one of 7 who shared their stories with Richmond Council, said Richmond BPAS  didn’t speak 2 words to her in the clinic about alternatives to abortion. "They just filled a form and do a blood test then procedure starts." She chose life instead, because Good Counsel were there 

to offer an alternative when she was entering BPAS.

7 of these very women - excluded from much of this help - gave their testimonies to Richmond Council. Those testimonies were distributed on Wednesday evening to Richmond Regulatory Committee members, at the start of the meeting, it was more than clear that they had no chance at all to read them before the vote.

Here is one of them.

Ilda's Story

I found out I was pregnant, I booked an appointment to, terminate, in the clinic. And so I met Good Counsel Network by the gate and we started talking. No one said that I need to, I have to or I should, do anything. It was just an offer and I accepted it.  I believe if the person from the Good Counsel Network wasn't there, a person, it wouldn't have made any difference whatsoever, I would not have felt able to keep my baby if I had just been given a leaflet – I needed to meet someone there who I could speak to about the help. 

I heard someone say some people are offended by GCN?

We need to think of this in two ways, if there is offence – if you're offending me, you need to be doing something that I don't want you to, and you keep pushing me. But an offer is different. I can offer you something, and you can say 'No, I'm sorry, 'I'm fine'. Then OK, this is an offer, but causing offence is completely different. This is a very emotional time for every woman. If you go to an abortion clinic, you go there because you have no choice. You know, we all have different problems, we all have different reasons, especially if you look at me, I'm like this (pregnant) and I don't have a partner, and not having a partner is not a big problem, but a violent partner, that’s a different thing! So it’s nice that when you feel you have to make a choice that you don't want to make and you don't know where to turn to and get some help. -If someone, was telling me, actually there is help, there is an offer, would you like to take it? When I was ready to go into the clinic and I was crying, this is so important!

I think we need to ignore, the fact that sometimes, even when you do good things, some people might get offended for some reason, we can't make everything right for everyone. The important thing, when you put it in balance, which one is important? The unborn child's future, and mother's future, or some people, they might have some experiences, or they can get offended for no reason. I think we need to keep the balance, sometimes I think we just need to ignore when people get offended, because the important thing is the Mother and her unborn baby's future. It's more important than those people's feelings. I think it is more important.

Because I wouldn't be pregnant at the moment if Good Counsel didn't give me the leaflet and if they didn't say “Hi”, because there was no other option in my mind. Without that, keeping the baby wasn't going to happen. So sometimes, just a smiley face, 'Hi, hello!' You know, shaking your hands and showing you that there are good people out there, but they genuinely care about people, and babies. It's important, babies still in the mummy's tummy, you know they have no choice, they didn't choose to be there. And at the same time they don't choose to die as well. Just give unborn babies a life, a chance. Just an offer. No one is pushing anyone, no one is offending anyone, it's just an offer. I think we all need an offer but it is up to you to accept it or reject it.

Here some people are just nicely standing by the doors just to give a leaflet, I don’t use rude words, but I think what I am going to say is going to fit perfectly, do people need to kill their babies in order to make other people comfortable? It’s a very big question.

I think after this meeting you have to be very careful...honestly, you cannot receive that kind of support anywhere else. So if the people from GCN can’t stand by the gate, it means you put vulnerable women, mothers, human beings, in danger. Because I have been there by myself. In my experience I have even been to a woman’s refuge and I have been “let go”, left on the road, with no money, with nothing. So these pro-life people need to be standing there outside the abortion clinics. I have never received such support – when you go to some places, -they say - we are here for you, we are here to support you, they always start like that. But everything is just on paper or it’s just what they say. Others say that they will support but you get nothing. But here with GCN it’s not like you get your baby and you are on your own after that – this is very important. They are there from the beginning until you are ready to stand on your own two feet – what is wrong with that? I really believe if I had met them years ago, my life would have been different. Honestly.

This is nothing to do with “offensive”, [banning] this is not right on a human level, it’s not right. You want me to kill my baby so that you can feel relaxed? – I think this question finishes everything.

[Short videos with some of the other mums that we have helped can be seen here.]

Amber Rudd is Welcome to Investigate Our Pro-Life Vigils

The Good Counsel Network welcomes the Home Secretary Amber Rudd's investigation into what happens outside abortion centres. We are proud of our peaceful, prayerful vigils which help hundreds of women to choose life every year. Come and see what we do. And most importantly MS Rudd, come and meet the women we serve. Here, one of them "Isabel" describes what happened when she met Good Counsel outside an abortion centre.

The Women Who Have Been Silenced Speak Out

Hear from the people who really count, the Mothers who changed their minds at abortion centres because they were offered help by pro-lifers outside. As BPAS intensify their campaign to keep business booming, hear the truth from the women the media and the abortion industry want to keep silent.

 

Pro-Abortion Media Storm; A Response

Today the Mail on Sunday have published an inflammatory article attacking the outreach to women outside abortion centres which Good Counsel and other groups are involved in.

This will be the launch of a spectacular media campaign, inspired (orchestrated?) by BPAS to encourage MPs to back a new buffer zone bill (the aim of BPAS’ #Backoff business initiative to prevent women backing out of abortion when they are offered help by pro-lifers). Last year a small number of MPs backed efforts to bring in “Buffer Zones” round abortion centres.

So, backed by the most biased research team ever (Dr Pam Lowe, darling of Abortion Rights and Dr Graeme Hayes of Aston University) BPAS will now re-launch this campaign with the help of Keir Starmer, MP.

Dr Pam Lowe of Aston University speaking to Paul Tully of SPUC and Clare McCullough at the March for Life in May. Despite agreeing to do so, Dr Lowe and her colleague Dr Graeme Hayes have repeatedly neglected to respond to our invitation to speak to women who accepted help  from us outside abortion centres. Yet her research on Pro-life Vigils is used to promote the Buffer Zone movement

To help them do this, their favourite media chums (Channel 4, The Guardian and now the Mail on Sunday) have left no stone unturned.

Since February 2016, Good Counsel, 40 Days for Life and Abort 67 have had a selection of undercover ‘journalists’ on their tails. These ‘journalists’ have made a series of spectacular new discoveries:

• Good Counsel mentions that there are many studies showing an increased risk of breast cancer following abortion, while acknowledging that the medical establishment does not accept there is a proven link. (First reported 1998)
• Abort 67 displays graphic images at abortion sites. (Acknowledged all over their website and known by everybody who has ever read an article on pro-life witnesses).

And Shockingly

• 40 Days for Life was an idea that first came from – wait for it – AMERICA!

Yes. I am afraid it’s all true.

What is not true however is that we harass, shout at, follow or film women going to abortion centres. This is one lie that has been repeated so often it is now “fact” to the general public.

Unfortunately the Mail on Sunday and the Channel 4 Dispatches Programme (this Wednesday, 5^th October 11pm) as well as Aston University’s Research team refused to accept our offer to speak to any number of the 100’s of Mothers who have chosen life after accepting Good Counsel’s help outside an abortion centre; the very women who could tell them everything about what we do and don’t do, if they really wanted to know.

Please read and watch these and other reports on pro-life witnesses at abortion centres over the next few days and write in demanding that these women get their chance to speak.

There will be many important updates on this story from Good Counsel, so follow us on Facebook and on Twitter  Send us an email asking to receive updates
info(at)goodcounselnetwork.com Don’t miss the next part of this ongoing attempt by the abortionists and their media stooges to stop pregnant Mothers receiving the offer of help and alternative to abortion that so many of them want.
www.goodcounselnetwork.com

Our Lady of Sorrows and Bedford Square

On the Old Rite Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, let us pray for every single soul that sets foot in Bedford Square tonight, that after our conversions we may all merrily meet in heaven.

Clare McCullough

BPAS Campaign of Intimidation Against Bishop Hopes - or Theology 101 by BPAS

NO BISHOPS WANTED. BY ORDER OF BPAS.

The following comment appeared in The Evening Standard on 14th March. My comments are in bold.

"A major protest is now planned for March 30 at the clinic and campaigners claim it will be led by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Westminster, Alan Hopes.
BPAS said there was “no moral justification” for bishops to get involved in such a campaign."
BPAS talking about moral justification? The mind boggles.
"Abigail Fitzgibbon, policy manager for the 'charity' [my inverted comma's], warned that “vocal” anti-abortion MPs were also stirring up protesters.
She told the Standard:
“I can quite understand that people want a debate on abortion but it’s another matter when they’re haranguing and intimidating women and staff.“If bishops are getting behind this then I can’t see how it’s morally justified especially when women have already made up their minds.”
While it's nice of Abigail to be so understanding. I don't want a debate on abortion personally. I want every woman considering abortion to be given really good other options. I also want abortion to be made completely illegal.
Regarding her belief that there is no moral justification for a Bishop to support his flock in rescuing those who are being dragged to death, try Proverbs 24:11-12 Alison, it may clear this up for you somewhat.
Since January 2011, over 40 women who "had already made up their minds" according to BPAS were given leaflets outside abortuaries and came to Good Counsel to talk about keeping their babies and to obtain the help and support necessary to do so. Many of them complained about having the help leaflets taken from them by abortuary staff if they went into the abortuary and had to ask pro-lifers for new copies when they came out. Groups like The Helpers of God's Precious Infants and 40 Days for Life would be there if 1 woman had turned around, or indeed if none had.

Does anyone get the feeling that BPAS and their hoards are still reeling from the shock of about 200 people - yes that's 200 people - turning up to pray at the new Stratford abortuary a week ago with over 10 priests and religious joining them? No wonder they are desperate to stop Bishop Hopes attending.

The Guardian and it's pro-abortion cronies as well as the Standard were raging at 40 Days last week when someone turned up at the Vigil and filmed parts of it. The pro-death lobby were concerned that any woman may have been filmed. Yet a few days before this a group turned up to film Good Counsel's peaceful prayer vigil at Marie Stopes abortuary in Whitfield St. Volunteer, Justina was actually filmed while speaking to one of the expectant mums approaching the abortuary. Those doing the filming went in and out of Marie Stopes abortuary and chatted with the staff. Strange that the abortionists think that was ok.

Please pray for Bishop Hopes and please support the 40 Days vigil especially on 30 March when the Bishop attends. Please pray for Good Counsel's Whitfield St Vigil too and attend any day if you can Mon-Fri 9-1.30 and Wed 1.30-5.30 also.

Clare McCullough

What to do for Lent?

What should I do For Lent? Go and pray at marie stopes abortuary at 108 Whitfield Street, London, W1T 5EA, with Good Counsel, 9am until 1.30pm Monday to Friday each week? Or should I go to Bedford Square, London, WC1X and pray outside the bpas abortuary as part of the 40 Days for Life? Or should I go to Both?

As this is quite a large undertaking for the Pro-Life Movement in London, so please do what you can to help.

If comming to Whitfield Street please let us know if you can as that helps our schedule.
Text 07932105696

Stuart McCullough

Join the Novena Against Abortions At Home

John Smeaton talks today about SPUC's attempt to prevent even further loosening on the law surrounding the administering of the Abortion Pill:
We at SPUC have said that we will seek leave to intervene in a court case on the legality of so-called bedroom abortions. We are responding to a High Court challenge launched by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), one of Britain’s main abortion providers. BPAS is seeking to widen the scope for using the drug misoprostol, used in conjunction with RU486, the abortion drug. BPAS uses the drugs to poison the uterine environment and kill unborn children. Allowing misoprostol to be taken at home will increase the numbers of women delivering their dead child at home.
The abortion pill is a horrible spin on abortion which draws women in because they think "I will just take a tablet and my period will come", conjuring up a rather different picture than surgery - where even the tiniest of babies are torn limb from limb (and yes they do have 4 limbs when surgical abortion begins at 6-7 weeks).

In reality no abortion is that simple of course. The abortion pill has two stages - the first pill starves the baby of progesterone - nourishment for the baby and the continuing pregnancy - so causing the baby to quickly wither and die. Then 1 or 2 days later the returns to the abortuary for a second pill which will cause contractions and the delivery of her dead baby. No wonder one of the manufacturer's described it as an appalling psychological ordeal!
So BPAS - the largest UK abortion provider and hand in glove with the NHS - now wishes to give the first stage pills and send the woman home with the second stage pills to abort alone.
What difference will this make? Many women already lose their baby at home and alone after the first or second stage. Yet there is something new here; women can now be promised that they can come and get their pills and then carry out the whole procedure at home. A great offer for those women who desperately want this over quickly and privately. It's all the more tempting, and sounds all the more trivial if I can just take a couple of tablets at home...Almost like the morning-after-pill.
Yet these women find to their cost that the abortion pill is a false promise. Abortion still kills her blossoming child and it still wounds or sometimes even kills the Mother. Abortion still exacts a deadly psychological toll - perhaps worse when it is done by her own hand. The side effects of the drug range from sickness to prolonged heavy bleeding and - anecdotally at least vomitting, vomitting blood, anaemia, and the standard abortion complications - infection, future ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages. This drug also remains in the woman's system causing concerning symptoms and confusing changes to her health and her menstrual cycle.
And it is becoming more and more common. Many women who fear a surgical abortion being prepared to risk what they imagine is "just a tablet".
There is also a worrying issue over possible weakening of the conscience clause if BPAS's case succeed.
So let us pray and fast for the failure of the BPAS case, that SPUC's intervention will succeed and that the real intentions of all involved will be exposed and that evil will be overthrown.

The following Novena was posted today by Ecumenical Diablogger.
On 28th January (New Rite Feast of St Thomas Aquinas) the BPAS will go to court to seek the right to have the abortion pill taken by women at home. Please therefore say the following prayers each day for the next nine days;
Please join in whatever day you come across this, even if you are starting late:
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
veneremur cernui:
et antiquum documentum
novo cedat ritui:
praestet fides supplementum
sensuum defectui.
Genitori, Genitoque
laus et iubilatio,
salus, honor, virtus quoque
sit et benedictio:
procedenti ab utroque
compar sit laudatio.
Amen.
Sancte Thoma, ora pro nobis

Or in English;
Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
newer rites of grace prevail;
faith for all defects supplying,
where the feeble sense fail.
To the everlasting Father,
and the Son who reigns on high,
with the Holy Ghost proceeding
forth from Each eternally,
be salvation, honor, blessing,
might and endless majesty.
Amen.
St Thomas, pray for us

Prayer for the Conversion of England

O Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother look down in mercy upon England thy Dowry and upon us all who greatly hope and trust in thee. By thee it was that Jesus our Saviour and our Hope was given unto the world and He has given thee to us that we might hope still more. Plead for us thy children whom thou did receive and accept at the foot of the cross O sorrowful Mother, Intercede for our separated brethren that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the Chief Shepherd the Vicar of Thy Son. Pray for us all dear Mother that by faith, fruitful in good works we may all deserve to see and praise God together with thee in our heavenly home. Amen.

(for the prayers for Wales or Scotland click here )

Clare McCullough