Bernardin-O'Connor Award For Pro-life
Journalism
At the 2004 Catholic Press Association national
convention, Fr. Frank Pavone, Director of Priests for Life, presented the second
Bernardin-O'Connor Award for Pro-life Journalism to three papers for
articles on pro-life issues published last year.
The winners in each category were as follows:
• Best Overall Pro-life Feature for 2003: Awarded to Mary Ann Wyand of
The Criterion (Archdiocese of Indianapolis) for her three part series on
post-abortion healing:
Church Offers Ministries for Post-abortion
Healing
February 28, 2003 issue
Healing Hidden Hurts Helps Women Cope With
Abortion
March 7, 2003 issue
Victims of Choice Helps Women Seek Healing
March 14, 2003 issue
• Best Human Interest Pro-life story for 2003: Awarded to Susan Brinkmann of
The Catholic Standard & Times (Archdiocese of Philadelphia) for her article:
My Right To Life: Eugenic Abortion-the Ultimate Discrimination.
October 23, 2003 issue.
• Best Feature Analysis of a Pro-life news event for 2003: Awarded to Peter
J. Howard, S.T.L. of The Catholic Herald (Diocese of Colorado Springs)
for his article: Catholic Church
serves to form our consciences in bioethical matters - Battle for the life of
Terri Schiavo. December 3, 2003 issue
The purpose of this award is to recognize and promote effective journalistic
coverage of issues related to the sanctity of human life. Named after Joseph
Cardinal Bernardin and John Cardinal O'Connor, the award is meant to highlight
the fact that the Church embraces a
consistent ethic of life, and that
there is no basis for a dichotomy between "social justice" issues and "right to
life" issues. There can be no social justice if the right to life itself is not
secured, and there can be no effective safeguarding of the right to life if the
human person is not treated with dignity at every stage of development and in
every circumstance.
"The fundamental human right is the right to life--from the moment of
conception until death. It is the source of all other rights... --Joseph Cardinal Bernardin,
The Consistent Ethic of Life and Health Care Systems, Foster McGaw Triennial
Conference, Loyola University of Chicago, May 8, 1985.
"Those who would seem to suggest... that the "consistent ethic of life"
approach so well articulated by my good and valued friend, Joseph Cardinal
Bernardin, Archbishop of Chicago, differs in what it has to say about abortion
from what some others of us are saying, including myself, simply do not
understand Cardinal Bernardin, or me, or our mutual unconditional commitment to
the life of the unborn and to life at every stage of its existence"
--Archbishop John J. O'Connor,
Human Lives, Human Rights, October 15, 1984.
Articles are being accepted for next year's award. Please send submissions
to: Bernardin-O'Connor Award, Priests for Life, PO Box 141172, Staten Island, NY
10314, Fax: (718) 980-6944, Email:
Publications@priestsforlife.org
