New Russian Law Limits Abortions

The Russian Parliament has passed legislation restriction abortions in Russia. The high rate of abortions in the country has become increasingly alarming as the overall population has been shrinking annual for a number of years now. The new law would limit abortions to the first twelve weeks of pregnancy except in the case of financially struggling women. More here.

Right to Life Rally in Chisinau

In honor of today's observance of International Children's Day pro-life organizations and the Moldovan Orthodox Church have organized a march in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, to support the right to life of unborn children. Metropolitan Vladimir (Cantarean) of Chisinau blessed the holding of the march and sent one of his clergymen to represent him as he was unable to attend in person. More (in Romanian) here.

Russia Considers Child Abandonment Centers

The Russian Parliament is considering a bill whereby women not able or willing to keep their newborn children could anonymously leave them at 'wellness centers.' The bill is part of legislation being promoted by both the Russian government and the Russian Orthodox Church to reduce the number of abortions in the country, which tops Western Europe's rates and equals or surpasses (depending on the year) the number of live births in the country. More here.

Romania Prepares for the March for Life

Romania is preparing for its first large-scale Marches for Life, which will be held in the cities of Bucharest, Timisoara, and Satu Mare on the new style afterfeast of the Annunciation this coming Saturday. Although a predominantly Orthodox Christian nation Romania has the highest abortion rate in the European Union and the second highest in Europe. More here.

Moscow Patriarchate on Russian Demographic Crisis

The Moscow Patriarchate has proposed a variety of measures to reduce the number of abortions occurring in Russia and help slow the country's demographic crisis. More here.

Pro-Life Movement in Belarus Growing

Despite its many internal issues and challenges, Belarus is home to a strong and growing pro-life movement, which seeks to help solve the problem of the country's low fertility rate by reducing the number of abortions, which peaked in 1994 at over 65% of all pregnancies and now hovers just below 30% of all pregnancies. More here.