Fr. Pavone and Priests for Life Applaud Born-Alive Act

Priests for Life applauds the signing into law of the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act (H.R. 2175) by President George W. Bush today. The law establishes that a baby who is "completely expelled or extracted" alive from his or her mother at any stage of gestation, and whether viable or not, is a person worthy of protection.

Fr. Frank Pavone, Founding Director of Priests for Life, stated, "This law makes it clear that the legal status of a child does not depend on whether anyone happens to want him or her. Rather, that child possesses the right to be protected simply because he or she is human, period."

Priests for Life has followed the development of this legislation from the beginning, and over recent years has been promoting -- on television and through full-page ads in USA Today and elsewhere -- the testimony of Jill Stanek, the nurse who blew the whistle on one hospital's practice of killing premature infants as an abortion technique.

"The signing of this Act into law is a significant step; even more significant will be drawing out its implications about the relationship between life and choice. We are committed to carrying that conversation forward with vigor," Fr. Pavone concluded.