July 12, 2019

	In This Update:
	Support Petition to End Dismemberment Abortion Attend July Pro-Life Conference in East Lansing

	Support Petition to End Dismemberment Abortion
	On June 26, Michiganders began collecting signatures for a citizen's initiative petition drive to end dismemberment abortion in this state. The brutal procedure, most commonly used during the second trimester of pregnancy, dismembers a living unborn child, removing him or her from the womb limb by limb. The Michigan Values Life Committee leading the effort needs the signatures of approximately 400,000 Michigan voters to bring this dismemberment ban legislation forward to state lawmakers. Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) and the Catholic bishops of Michigan are strongly supportive of this initiative petition. As many parishes and people of goodwill have already started collecting signatures and signing the petition themselves, MCC wanted to send out some reminders in this email. Helpful resources are also posted at MCC's website, www.micatholic.org/MichiganValuesLife/.  Reminders for Registered Michigan Voters: Petitions and other materials (i.e. stickers, buttons, and posters) can be requested directly through www.MichiganValuesLife.org or by calling Right to Life at (616) 532-2300. PETITIONS MUST NOT BE PHOTOCOPIED, DOWNLOADED OR PRINTED. All petitions MUST be original documents obtained from Michigan Values Life.  Only registered Michigan voters may sign the petitions.  Each petition form has space for 8 signers.  Only residents of the same county can sign any one form.  Individuals may only sign the dismemberment abortion petition ONCE.  Reminders for Volunteers/Petition Circulators: Those who circulate the petition must be U.S. citizens and 18 years or older. Circulators must write in the county name at the top of each form and only residents of that county may sign that form. If someone is from another county, a separate petition form indicating that county will need to be started. After gathering signatures, each petition circulator MUST complete the lower right section of each petition form. No signatures may be added AFTER this portion has been completed and dated.  Petition instructions are available at the Michigan Values Life website: https://michiganvalueslife.org/petition-instructions/.  Note: The standard guidance during election seasons for Catholic parishes in this state is to only support materials or efforts from the arch/diocesan bishop, MCC, or the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). MCC does not support the Michigan Heartbeat Coalition petition drive that is also currently underway, and therefore, the heartbeat initiative and its activities should not be promoted by and within parishes.

	Attend July Pro-Life Conference in East Lansing
	Regardless of party affiliation, Catholics and other people of goodwill are called to build up a culture of life, including by supporting pro-life policies and opposing those that threaten the dignity of the human person. By engaging in discussions, highlighting moral truths, and promoting the value of all people, those who are pro-life can continue to fight for a better world.  Coming together with other pro-life individuals is an important part of this fight. One way to do so is to attend the "Pro-Life for the Whole Life" conference in East Lansing from July 26-28. At this event, Democrats for Life-an organization that seeks to represent the pro-life members of the Democratic party-will gather for its annual national conference. The event will include expert national and local speakers; sessions on the meaning of "pro-life for the whole life," abortion, assisted suicide, and other issues; showings of pro-life films; and Sunday Mass with Reverend Earl Boyea, Bishop of the Diocese of Lansing. Registration is open to all interested in promoting a more pro-life society, regardless of party affiliation at https://wholelife.democratsforlife.org/ or at http://www.democratsforlifemi.org/.   If this email was forwarded to you, please click here to join the Catholic Advocacy Network, which will enable you to receive regular electronic updates and alerts. For other news and information, click here to follow MCC on Twitter, like MCC on Facebook, follow MCC on Instagram, or visit MCC's webpage.

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