Conference explores pro-life movement
By SARAH RYKOWSKI
Saint Mary's News Editor
Taking a revolutionary stand in the pro-life movement at the collegiate level, the Right to Life clubs of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's will host a conference entitled "Our Duty to Serve, Our Call to Lead" this weekend.
"This is the first time anyone has ever tried to host a national collegiate pro-life conference," said Emily Moriarty, president of Saint Mary's Right to Life. "It's really exciting that we're a part of this."
Moriarty and Right to Life member Rachel Richmond are co-chairing the event. U.S. Representative Chris Smith (N.J.), Co-Chairman of the House Pro-Life Caucus, will deliver the keynote address on Friday night in which he will discuss pro-life leadership and human rights abuses. A strong advocate of human rights and child health, Smith is known for his legislative victories banning overseas groups that perform and promote abortion from receiving federal family planning funding. Smith has also advocated legislation for maternal and child welfare in the developing world and has initiated legislative measures dealing with adoption and maternal health.
"A lot of people think that pro-lifers are extremists," Moriarty said. "But that's not what the pro-life movement is about."
Several other noted members of the pro-life community will also speak at the conference.
Janet Smith, professor of philosophy at the University of Dallas, will speak on "Abortion, Contraception and Our Culture" and present pro-life arguments against the contraceptive mentality. Smith founded the Women's Care crisis pregnancy network in South Bend in 1984.
"We had a meeting to try to find different pro-life leaders who had a Christian focus," Richmond said of the selection process for speakers.
Father Matthew Habiger, President Emeritus and Chairman of the Board of Human Life International, will give a talk on "Constructing a Culture of Life," to teach students how to spread the pro-life movement in society. Human Life International is the largest pro-life organization in the world.
"It's really good that Notre Dame and Saint Mary's are taking the lead in this and underscoring how important all life is at all stages, born and unborn," Moriarty said.
Dr. John Crosby, professor of philosophy and Chairman of Graduate Philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, will address the "Dignity of Human Persons, Both Born and Unborn," pursuing the abortion debate from a philosophical context. Crosby is the author of "The Selfhood of the Human Person."
Father Joseph Howard, director of the American Bioethics Advisory Committee, will teach students about "Fetal Experimentation and Bioethics."
From the Notre Dame community, law professor Charles Rice will also speak. Rice has led and advised numerous pro-life organizations around the country, including the Free Speech Advocates of Catholics United for Life. He will share his experience with the design and advocacy of the Human Life Amendment.
"It's an effort to bring people in from various college campuses to provide mutual education on right to life issues," Rice said of the conference. "I think it's a great idea. It's a very useful opportunity for Notre Dame students to become informed on the issue."
Along with the lectures, the planning committee has scheduled workshops to empower students to deal with issues ranging from death row ministry, the death penalty, post-abortion trauma counseling, crisis pregnancy centers and aid for low income mothers, bioethics, stem cell research, international adoption, euthanasia and moral concerns, pro-life ethics and strategies for pro-life student organizations.
"The purpose of the conference is to bring colleges and universities together for spiritual education, to share ideas with other students and to spread the pro-life culture," Moriarty said. "Our workshops will be on a wide range of topics to help students make their clubs more effective on campus and to generate more enthusiasm for the movement."
Father Mark Poorman, vice president for Student Affairs, worked with the students when they approached him initially with the idea of hosting a conference.
"We were supportive from the beginning," Poorman said. "All of our reservations were logistical, but [the planning committee] rose to the challenge."
"He was completely supportive of our objective," Moriarty said. "The administration has been very supportive throughout the whole process. I would expect we'd have a lot more obstacles at a public university. There would probably be protests."
According to Antkowiak, the conference was designed by Notre Dame and Saint Mary's students to provide students nationwide with the practical means to spread the pro-life message on their campuses, and to propose the formation of a national pro-life network. Students from at least 10 other institutions of higher learning are expected to attend.
The conference was also sponsored by the ND Center for Ethics and Culture, Jacques Maritain Center, Amnesty International, St. Thomas More Society, Children of Mary, Knights of Immaculata, Knights of Columbus, Jus Vitae, Campus Ministry, and Notre Dame's Department of Theology. Most lectures will be held in Jordan Auditorium in College of Business Administration.
"This conference will equip and motivate students for their critical role as leaders in the new millenium," Antkowiak said.
All News Stories for Thursday, April 6, 2000
