Praying for pre-born Canadians during 40 Days for Life

As Catholics we are pro-life. As members of the human race, we are pro-life. I can't really think of anything more important than standing up for the rights of the pre-born.

Each of us can do what we can in this regard. Some of us write about abortion. Some of us advocate for changes to abortion laws. Some of us engage in all kinds of abortion activism to change the hearts of the people around us.

You might say: "But I have no special talents, there's nothing I can do to change abortion". But that is not true. Each and every Christian can do something very important, something very fundamental against the powers and principalities that are at the diabolical roots of the evil of abortion. Because that is what this is really about. 

Each and every one of us can pray to end abortion in Canada. Even better than that, each and every one of us can spend some time praying in front of an abortion clinic to end abortion.

If enough of us do this, even if we are not a writer, or not an activist, or not an orator, we can spend an hour or two witnessing for pre-born children during 40 days for life. All it takes is a bit of our time, and a bit of courage. It's really really simple.

Imagine this. That every Catholic would go to an abortion clinic, or to a hospital where abortions are committed, during 40 days for life. And there, pray a Rosary. To witness for our children in the womb and ask our blessed Mother to protect them. We can change the culture. Miracles can happen. We can do this.

They can make laws to try and stop us from praying. They can and have done this. But they can't stop us from praying.

Sibling abortions, medical abortions, abortions > 14 weeks

I asked for, and received, abortion data for four Ontario regions: Hamilton, Ottawa, Peel and Toronto, for three years: 2019, 2020 and 2021. The data is for both hospitals and non-hospital settings. It is broken down by year within each city, and by abortion code.

While every abortion is a tragic reality, I am always struck by the particular evil of fetal reduction abortions (code P054). How does anyone even decide to do this? You have two children growing inside your womb, and you make the decision to kill one of them. How do you decide which child to kill? When the remaining alive child grows up, do you tell her that you killed her sister? Fetal reduction abortions:

• There were 36 of these sibling abortions in Ottawa during these three years.
• There were 401 of these sibling abortions in Toronto during these three years.

Then there are the > 14 weeks gestation abortions (code S785):

• Hamilton performed 462 of these abortions during these three years.
• Ottawa performed 598 of these abortions during these three years.
• Peel performed 217 of these abortions during these three years.
• Toronto performed 3,122 of these abortions during these three years.

Medical abortions seem to be increasing every year (Code A920). I guess this should not be a surprise:

• Hamilton performed 2,497, 2,985, and 3,200 for each year = 8,682
• Ottawa performed 1,667, 1,745, and 1,781 for each year = 5,193
• Peel performed 621, 2,265, 3,644 for each year = 6,530
• Toronto performed 8,035, 7,635 and 7,660 for each year - 23,330

All Ontario abortion codes:

S752 - induced - by any surgical technique up to and including 14 weeks gestation 

S785 - induced - by any surgical technique after 14 weeks of gestation

A920A - MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF EARLY PREGNANCY - INITIAL VISIT (medical abortions)

P001A - MEDICAL MGMT FETAL DEMISE BETWEEN 14-20 WKS GESTATION

P054A - selective fetal reduction of one or more fetuses by intracardiac potassium chloride injection

S770A - CORPUS UTERI - HYSTEROTOMY.

S783A - CORPUS UTERI - HYSTEROTOMY WITH TUBAL INTERRUPTION.