* Editor’s Note: Please see an earlier article published about Mr. Paglinawan and the AEMNC of the Archdiocese of Washington in this link, New Chair for Ecclesial Movements in Washington Archdiocese Is a Filipino  

C ardinal Rigali is the eighth and current Archbishop of Philadelphia after previously serving as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1994 to 2003. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 2003 and is now the chairman of the Pro-life Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

David Bereit became an outspoken pro-life advocate after Planned Parenthood announced plans to build an abortion clinic in his hometown of Bryan/ College Station, Texas in January of 1998. He is now executive director of the Coalition for Life and founder of “40 Days for Life”.

Mr. Paglinawan said that “we are definitely encouraged by the recent Gallup Poll conducted last May 7-10, that found 51% of Americans calling themselves ‘pro-life’ on the issue of abortion and 42% ‘pro-choice.’ This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995.”

“That was a significant nine points at that! The increment to what is now the majority has definitely come from fence sitters who have aligned with Catholic teachings ever since bishops have come out in the open in their opposition of Obama’s historical and continuing support for abortion that has now become more and more evidently fundamental since the elections of 2008,” he added.

It should be noted that a day after last January’s March for Life, President Obama overturned the Mexico City Policy, which had prohibited U.S. funds from being used to promote or provide abortions overseas. Shortly thereafter, he started moving to overturn conscience protections for healthcare workers, which would force them to cooperate in abortion or risk losing their jobs. Then he dedicated federal funds to harvest embryonic stem cells for research at the expense of the most defenseless members of the human family.

“Many thought that because of the recent Gallup Poll, President Obama would soften up as he finds that his position has fast lost constituency support because they are irreconcilable with Catholic teachings. But as recent as his speech in Notre Dame calling for a common ground and tolerance and reconciliation amid diversity between pro-life and pro-choice, he even attempted to pull a fast one to divide Catholics as he painted himself as the new primate of American Catholicism,” Paglinawan said.

Parishes in the Archdioceses of Washington and Baltimore and the Dioceses of Arlington, Richmond and Wilmington in the states of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware are expected to send representatives to the Summit.

The venue’s exact address is 1743 West Nursery Road, MD 21090 and online pre-registration is available on http://www.cfcffl.com/prolifesummit09/. Interested parties can also sign in at the door starting 11:00 a.m. Inquiries may be sent to mymaestro@cfcusa.net or addressed to Margi Paglinawan by phone 571-332-0362.

Admission is free.