PRESS RELEASE                                                                                 July 2, 2008

Henry Morgentaler awarded the Order of Canada

A decision that must be revoked

 The Catholic Organization for Life and Family would like to express its dismay at the sudden decision of the Order of Canada Advisory Council to award the Order of Canada to Dr. Henry Morgentaler.

The Order of Canada website describes the award as “the centerpiece of Canada’s honours system” which “recognizes a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation”.

Dr. Morgentaler, a survivor of Dachau and Auschwitz concentration camps where he fought for his own survival, has reportedly estimated that he has performed more than 100,000 abortions (www.nationalreviewofmedicine.com/issue/interview/2008/5_interview_01.html). In 1988, a Supreme Court decision that bears his name removed all legal barriers to abortion at any stage of pregnancy – since then, nearly two million future citizens have lost their lives to abortion. Is that the outstanding achievement that has been a service to this nation?

Canada has its heroes, and they deserve to be recognized; however, it is neither heroic nor admirable to cause the death of unborn children, the most vulnerable of all Canadians. COLF therefore urges the Harper Government to take the necessary action to ensure that the Order of Canada is revoked from Dr. Morgentaler.

The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) is  co-sponsored  by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus.

For more information: 

Michèle Boulva

Director

Catholic Organization for Life and Family
2500 Don Reid Drive
Ottawa, ON  K1H 2J2

Tel.: 613-241-9461, ext. 141
Fax: 613-241-9048

E-mail: mboulva@colf.ca
www.colf.ca