By Santificarnos.com

"The turnout was far beyond expectations, we were trilled with the day", said an ecstatic Eoghan De Faoite, Chairman of the organising rally committee and leader of the pro-life group Youth Defence.

The Irish pro-life rally, called 'Celebrate Life', which set off from the General Post Office, on Dublin's main street, had heads spinning as the colour and the enthusiasm of the crowd grabbed the attention of thousands of Dublin shoppers on a busy Saturday afternoon in Ireland's Capital.

The rally was headed up with a banner, held by a number of young women, calling on the Irish Government to keep their pre-election pro-life promise and not legislate for abortion or allow for embryo research.

Prior to the recent Irish Parliamentary elections (24th May), pressure was put on the main political parties, by Pro-life lobby groups, to guarantee, that if elected; they would not enact anti-life legislation. The two main political parties gave this guarantee and Mr. De Faoite stated that this rally was to remind the new Irish government of this pro-life commitment.

The rally arrived at the Irish Parliament Buildings to the sound of the song 'Life is Life' booming out from a public address system. The street was closed off by the Irish Police to accommodate the massive crowd and the rally participants took full advantage dancing and singing as they approached the stage where they were to be addressed by a number of pro-life speakers.

Speakers included members from the groups Youth Defence, the Pro-life Campaign, and the Mother and Child Campaign. Also Fr. Brian Mc Kevitt O.P., editor of the Catholic 'Alive' newspaper, gave a talk on the media and on the recent abortion controversy surrounding the 'human rights' group, Amnesty.

"Though this rally has given a huge boost to the pro- life cause in Ireland, we cannot become complacent. We need to continue to pray and act to make sure Ireland remains abortion free," concluded Mr. De Faoite.




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(CNA).- The United States Senate will soon vote on Senate bill S1 that may prohibit advocacy groups including pro-life groups from sending e-mails informing voters about certain bills and urging them to contact their elected officials.

Senate bill S1 is intended to reform lobbying in Washington and includes a provision in the disclosure of paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying. This provision would in effect create complicated and expensive reporting requirements on advocacy groups. Organizations such as National Right to Life, Family Research Council, American Family Association, and the Population Research Institute, along with many others are concerned.

Advocacy groups could be fined up to $100,000 for urging Americans to contact their elected officials if they do not meet quarterly reporting requirements, if passed in its current form. Advocacy groups would be required to register with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

In a letter to U.S. Senators, obtained by LifeNews.com, the National Right to Life organization wrote that the “net effect,” of the bill, “would be to chill activities that are essential to the healthy functioning of a representative system of government."
"If this provision is enacted,” the letter says, “many ordinary citizens will get less and less information from pro-life groups and other issue-oriented organizations about what is going on in Congress."

National Right to Life is urging lawmakers to adopt an amendment by pro-life Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah that would resolve the problems. Bennett’s Amendment 20 would remove the provision relating to paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying.

Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, told LifeNews that he agrees that pro-life advocates should ask their senators to oppose the damaging provisions.

"This is a move to stop us from informing you about the issues you find important," he said.

"We don't oppose legitimate proposals to address unethical actions by Members of Congress, congressional staff and lobbyists," Perkins explained. "But nothing in those misdeeds provides any justification whatever for the idea that Congress should regulate the constitutionally protected efforts of groups such as ours to alert citizens regarding legislative developments in Congress."

Perkins says his group backs the Bennett amendment as well.

"The Senator realizes that just as it would be unconstitutional to monitor the press because of their contact with their readers, Congress has no business monitoring the motives of citizens who contact Washington to express their views," he said.