NEW YORK -- Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, released the following statement this afternoon as the details of the Planned Parenthood marketing of baby body parts continued to become known:
"First of all, the pro-life community has risen to the occasion of publicizing this material. In a number of conference calls that have been held, there has been a strong sense of unity in helping people understand that Planned Parenthood is indeed selling baby parts, and breaking various laws, with the knowledge of its highest executives.
"Second, we want believers to understand that Priests for Life has notified all the Catholic parishes across America of this information, and has asked them to publicize it to their parishioners. We have also asked the parishes to have their people contact their representatives in Congress, calling for hearings into the activity of Planned Parenthood and for an end to funding for the abortion giant.
"Finally, the response of Planned Parenthood to these revelations has been pathetic and laughable. Their Vice President of Communications, Eric Ferrero, tries to paint the cutting out of hearts, livers, eyes and brains as "the highest ethical and legal standards" of "high quality health care providers." He calls the undercover videotape that was released today 'heavily edited,' which is nothing more than dodging the need to respond to what is actually said in the clip.
"He states that 'similar false accusations have been put forth by opponents of abortion services for decades.' Priests for Life has been the closest collaborator with Life Dynamics and its President, Mark Crutcher, who originally revealed the sale of body parts some 15 years ago. Nothing in the revelations then, or in the ones today, is anything other than the plain truth -- truth which Planned Parenthood and its advocates do not know how to handle."
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.