Biased Research Appears in Medical Journal

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, Aug. 24 — When the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study arguing that there is no evidence to suggest that unborn babies feel pain before the third trimester, it failed to mention that the study's lead authors actively support abortion, reported the Inquirer.

Five researchers from the University of California-San Francisco reviewed nearly 2,000 studies and concluded that legislative proposals to allow fetal pain relief during abortion were not justified by scientific evidence.

What the study didn't reveal is that one of its lead authors is an abortion clinic director, and the other once worked for NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Catherine DeAngelis, editor-in-chief of the Journal, said she was unaware of the authors' backgrounds. She admitted that the article could create the appearance of bias and could hurt the Journal's credibility.

According to a recent study published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood — Fetal and Neonatal Edition, ultrasound videos taken of infants within the womb revealed 28-week-old babies crying in response to noise stimulus. Until recently, it was believed that infants only cried when air had entered the lungs after birth.

Woman Murdered Because She Was Pro-Life

WPVI, Aug. 23 — A 25-year-old Philadelphia man confessed to killing his girlfriend because she would not have an abortion, said the website for television station WPVI.

Stephen Poaches was arrested and confessed to killing Latoyia Figueroa and her unborn child. Poaches admitted to strangling the 24-year-old woman when she told him that she did not believe in abortion. He was charged with two counts of murder. Police were close to arresting another man who had helped Poaches dispose of the body.

A funeral for Figueroa, who was five months pregnant when she went missing in July, was held Aug. 26 at Saint Peter the Apostle Church in North Philadelphia.

Buffalo Diocese Expects ‘Radical’ Changes

BUFFALO NEWS, Aug. 28 — Demographic changes in Buffalo are leading to radical church clustering, consolidation, and closings, reported the Buffalo News.

The Buffalo diocese organized a 25-member commission to study the statistics and determine how the diocese can best downsize.

Shifting populations from urban to suburban, financial difficulties and a shortage of priests are forcing the change.

“If there's one thing we know, it's that we can't maintain the status quo,” said Sister Regina Murphy, diocesan director of research and planning.

Buffalo is among several dioceses that are downsizing. Rochester, N.Y., has closed 27 parishes since 1997. Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wis., and Pittsburgh are also experiencing similar trends.