Arrested for handing out pro-life pamphlets? That’s exactly what happened to Canadian activist Alex Kissiakov.

In this episode, Alex Kissiakov joins us to discuss his experience being arrested and charged with criminal harassment and mischief after peacefully offering pro-life literature outside an abortion clinic in Montreal.

Despite police initially saying no crime had been committed, Alex was later prosecuted and forced to spend $15,000 in legal fees defending himself in court.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What happened the day Alex was arrested
• How bubble zone laws affect pro-life activism in Canada
• The role of video evidence in securing his acquittal
• The charges of criminal harassment and mischief
• Free speech and conscience rights under Canadian law
• The financial cost of pro-life advocacy
• What this case means for pro-lifers worldwide

Alex shares how he calmly exercised his rights, why he chose to film his interactions, and how the court ultimately failed to find sufficient evidence to convict him.

This story highlights the growing legal pressure faced by pro-life advocates—not only in Canada but across Western democracies.

Read Alex Kissiakov's story and donate to help him with the cost of legal fees here: Arrested pro-life activist needs our help after trying to save babies from abortion – LifeFunder

📢 Support HLI's Mission: Give the world another pro-life leader | Human Life International

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Fr. Shenan Boquet joins us to unpack a cultural debate sparked by comments from New York City’s mayor about replacing “rugged individualism” with “collectivism.” But are these really the only two options?

In this episode, Fr. Boquet explores how Catholic social teaching offers a powerful alternative to both radical individualism and collectivist ideology. Father also discusses Bishop Barron's response to Mamdani and explains why the Church rejects the false binary between the isolated individual and the all-powerful state.

Key questions addressed:

- What does the Catholic Church teach about socialism and individualism?

- Why is radical individualism harmful to families and society?

- How does collectivism differ from the Catholic understanding of the "common good"?

- Why does the family provide the roadmap for respecting human dignity AND upholding the common good?

The Church teaches that the human person is created in the image of God. Our dignity precedes the state, the economy, and every political system. At the same time, we flourish only in authentic communion — beginning in the family.

Rather than expanding state power or celebrating isolated self-fulfillment, the path forward is a renewal of family life grounded in solidarity, responsibility, and love.

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#CatholicSocialTeaching #Family #Collectivism #Individualism #HumanDignity #RerumNovarum #JohnPaulII #Subsidiarity #Solidarity #ProLife

For more than 50 years, the United States government has used foreign aid as a tool to export population control policies across the globe—often pressuring nations to abandon their own cultural and moral values. Is that era finally coming to an end?

In this episode, Fr. Shenan Boquet discussed the United States’ newly announced America First Global Health Strategy—and what it could mean for the future of foreign aid, healthcare, and the promotion of life and family worldwide.

Since 1974 (at least!), U.S. foreign aid has been tied to policies promoting anti-family policies, including abortion, contraception, sterilization, and radical gender ideology, rooted in documents like the Kissinger Report (NSSM-200). Fr. Boquet explains how this depopulation mindset has shaped global health initiatives and harmed developing nations.

Now, a shift seems to be underway.

Fr. Boquet examines:

• Whether the new U.S. global health strategy truly moves away from abortion-driven aid
• How foreign aid was used to spread anti-family ideologies
• The role of NGOs versus working directly with national governments
• How Catholic social teaching, human dignity, and subsidiarity should guide foreign aid
• Why authentic healthcare focuses on real medical needs—not ideological colonization
• What Fr. Boquet has witnessed firsthand from nearly 100 mission countries

Father also discusses corruption risks and why redefining “healthcare” remains one of the greatest moral dangers in global policy today.

This conversation offers a rare, mission-grounded perspective on U.S. foreign policy, global health, and the Church’s unwavering defense of human life.

👉 Watch, share, and subscribe for new episodes every Thursday.

🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Free E-Book Unpacking the Kissinger Report (NSSM-200): Uncover the Global Depopulation Project (Funded With Your Tax Dollars!)
• Sec. Rubio Agreement with Kenya: Secretary Rubio participates in a U.S.-Kenya Health Framework of Cooperation signing ceremony
• America First Global Health Strategy: America First Global Health Strategy - United States Department of State

Have you ever wished your parish were more intentionally pro-life, but you weren’t sure what steps to take? Or perhaps you’re a priest looking for practical ways to help your parish to truly live out the Culture of Life, and you’re wondering where to begin.

In this episode, Fr. Shenan Boquet discusses ways to form a truly pro-life parish. Drawing on decades of pastoral experience and his work with parishes around the world, Fr. Boquet shares practical strategies for engaging parishioners, forming small groups, and fostering a Culture of Life rooted in Catholic teaching.

We discuss why small groups are essential for parish renewal, how acts of service—like caring for the sick or bringing meals to families—become entry points for deeper relationships, and how those relationships make it easier to discuss sensitive life and family issues such as abortion, contraception, marriage, and chastity.

Fr. Boquet also addresses common challenges priests and laity face when trying to activate a parish and offers realistic, pastoral solutions that work in real parish life.

This conversation is especially relevant for Catholics who are already pro-life and want to help their parish move from conviction to action.

Topics Covered:

- What defines a pro-life parish

- How to build a Culture of Life at the parish level

- Why small groups are critical for formation

- Practical ideas for parish engagement

- Acts of service as foundations for evangelization

- Overcoming resistance and burnout in parish ministry

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👉 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultureoflife_podcast/

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🎧 Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts

Full episodes available on all major platforms: Spotify, Apple, Google, and more.

🎙️ Or listen directly on our website: https://hli.org

Help us proclaim the truth about life, family, and human dignity.

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Living the Culture of Life

What happens when foreign aid collides with culture, faith, and the dignity of human life?

Emil Hagamu, Regional Director for Human Life International in Anglophone Africa and Country Director of Pro-Life Tanzania, shares firsthand insight from over 22 African nations on the realities of defending life, family, and culture.

Emil explains how USAID and other Western-funded organizations have supported vital infrastructure like schools, roads, and healthcare—while simultaneously promoting contraception, abortion, population control, and LGBTQ ideology that directly conflict with African cultural values and Christian beliefs.

One of the most striking revelations?

👉 Many African languages don’t even have a word for “abortion”—because it has historically been a foreign concept.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Emil become involved in Tanzania's pro-life movement
• Why Africa traditionally views life as beginning at conception
• The cultural impact of contraception and population control campaigns
• How foreign aid influences media, schools, and healthcare systems
• The role of USAID, IPPF, Marie Stopes, and other NGOs in Africa
• Why large families are foundational to African society
• How Emil met Fr. Paul Marx, founder of Human Life International

This episode offers a rare, unfiltered perspective on faith, development, and the global pro-life movement from the African continent.

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Fr. Shenan Boquet explains how the Hyde Amendment limits federal abortion funding and why pro‑lifers see it as a cornerstone of U.S. pro‑life policy.

What is the Hyde Amendment — and why is it back in the news?

In this episode, Fr. Shenan Boquet joins us to discuss this bipartisan federal policy that has prevented taxpayer funding of abortion for nearly 50 years. With recent comments from President Donald Trump raising questions about “flexibility” around Hyde, this conversation explains:

• What the Hyde Amendment actually is (and what it isn’t)
• Why it must be renewed every year
• How it has saved millions of lives
• Why abortion is not healthcare
• How Hyde fits into federal healthcare policy, Medicaid, and insurance subsidies
• What pro-lifers should make of current political debates
• Why weakening Hyde would undermine state-level abortion policy after Dobbs

Fr. Boquet also explains how the Hyde Amendment serves as a moral and ideological bulwark against efforts to redefine abortion as healthcare — both in the U.S. and internationally.

This episode is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand:

• Pro-life public policy
• Federal funding and abortion
• The future of the Hyde Amendment
• How Catholics and pro-lifers should respond in today’s political climate

Charlotte Lozier 2016 Study: OP_hyde_9.28.3.pdf

Free e-book! Get your copy of "Why We Don't Need Abortion (even for the hard cases)" here: Ever Have Trouble Explaining Why Abortion is NEVER Needed? | Human Life International (hli.org)

2023 Knights of Columbus-Marist Poll: New 2023 Knights of Columbus–Marist Poll:

📌 New episodes every Thursday

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Chapters:

00:00 Intro to Hyde Amendment

02:52 What Is the Hyde Amendment? Explained

04:45 Lives Saved by the Hyde Amendment

06:12 Taxpayer Funding of Abortion

08:52 History of the Hyde Amendment

10:55 Global Impact of Hyde Amendment

12:04 Hyde Amendment vs Mexico City Policy

18:30 Why Abortion Isn't Medical Care

19:17 Trump's Recent Comments on Hyde

22:30 Affordable Care Act and Abortion Funding

25:40 Trump's Healthcare Vision: HSAs vs Subsidies

27:10 IRS Definition of Medical Care and Abortion

36:42 Is the Hyde Amendment Practical Today?

42:42 Moral Vision for Life & Family

Living the Culture of Life

Luis Martinez, HLI's Director for Intergovernmental Organizations and Diplomatic Missions breaks down the Samoa Agreement—a massive international treaty between the European Union and African, Caribbean, and Pacific nations.

With 106 countries involved and impacts lasting 20 years, this agreement could shape global policy on abortion, sexual and reproductive rights, gender ideology, and UN voting power for decades to come.

Luis Martinez gives a clear recap of the Samoa Agreement’s dangers, updates its current status (provisional application since 2024, most countries signed, many still unratified), and explains actionable strategies: parliamentary education, interpretive declarations, and sovereignty reservations that can protect life and family values without rejecting needed development aid.

Luis also explains how “human rights” language is often used to pressure developing nations to legalize abortion and adopt LGBTQ ideology within their laws and policies. With the U.S. now withdrawing from dozens of UN bodies, the global pro-life and pro-family bloc has lost a strong defender at the United Nations— leaving vulnerable nations even more exposed to European diplomatic and financial pressure.

Topics include:

• What the Samoa Agreement actually is (and why it matters)
• How vague language on “human rights” can pressure nations to accept abortion and gender ideology
• Why African nations are key to stopping abortion from becoming a “human right” at the UN
• Why the US stepping back at the UN could weaken efforts to defend life and family
• How foreign aid and development funding can be used as diplomatic leverage
• What countries can still do to protect life, family, and national sovereignty
• Why this treaty may become one of the most influential global agreements of our time

If you care about pro-life advocacy, international relations, geopolitics, UN treaties, or how global aid impacts national laws, this conversation is essential listening.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

02:00 Samoa Agreement Recap

04:45 Anti-family Ideology

08:47 Problematic Programs

13:43 Impact on Sovereign Nations

16:30 Human Rights

18:30 Ratification

26:37 Change in Local Policy?

29:44 Debt Bondage

34:25 US Foreign Policy Shifts

39:00 European Union's Goals

42:25 Common Tactic

47:24 Is Ethical Aid Feasible?

52:08 Shifting Dynamics at the UN

54:04 How to Help

Living the Culture of Life

#geopolitics #internationalrelations #prolifemovement #oacps #europeanunion #africa #caribbean #pacific #unitednations #unitedstates #intergovernmentalorganizations

What does 2026 hold for the pro-life movement—both in the U.S. and around the world?

In this New Year’s episode, Fr. Shenan Boquet reflects on pro-life victories and challenges in 2025 and to look ahead at the critical battles shaping 2026.

Fr. Boquet discusses:

• The impact of the Trump administration on foreign aid, USAID, and the United Nations
• A global shift in momentum on gender ideology and trans policies
• The growing conversations around IVF, surrogacy, and human trafficking
• Assisted suicide laws spreading in the U.S. and abroad
• Why hearts and minds—not just laws—must change
• The alarming reality of demographic collapse and low fertility rates
• Major upcoming Supreme Court cases on parental rights and religious freedom
• The urgent fight against the East African Community Sexual & Reproductive Rights Bill
• Why 2026 could be a turning point for life, family, and faith

Fr. Boquet explains how international diplomacy, Catholic social teaching, and grassroots education are shaping the future of the pro-life mission—and why now is the time for renewed courage, prayer, and action.

👉 Learn more about Human Life International: Human Life International | Pro-life. Catholic. Global.

🙏 Support the mission: Give the world another pro-life leader | HLI

Subscribe for new episodes every Thursday in 2026.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

02:30 Impact of Trump Administration

04:27 Victory at the United Nations

08:20 Outcome of Last Year's Predictions

15:40 Momentum Change Against Trans Ideology

19:29 Increased Hunger for Truth

22:40 Need for Education

24:37 Hopes for 2026

26:58 Assisted Suicide

29:42 Stay Engaged!

31:30 Government & Evangelization

37:29 Supreme Court Cases

40:55 IVF, Surrogacy, Porn

46:30 Fertility Rates

48:13 Social Media

52:25 East Africa Community Bill

57:10 Pope Leo XIV

59:33 Young People are Stepping Up!

1:04:31 Please Pray for HLI

Living a Culture of Life Podcast: Helping Catholics live the culture of life in their families, parishes, and public life.