Religious Freedom
Conn. bill could jeopardize religious liberty of Catholic hospitals
Imprimir Incrementar tamaño de fuente Disminuir tamaño de fuente

Hartford, Conn., Mar 15, 2007 / 09:11 am (CNA).- Catholic groups are urging the Connecticut legislature not to pass a bill that would force the state’s four Catholic hospitals to provide the emergency contraception pill to all rape victims, independent of whether ovulation has begun.
 
The Connecticut Catholic Conference, the Catholic League, the four Catholic hospitals, Connecticut Right to Life, and the Family Institute of Connecticut have all voiced their opposition to the bill, presented by Rep. Deborah Heinrich.

The same proposal failed to pass last year. The Human Services Committee must act on the bill by March 22 or, like last year, it would fail.

“I respectfully urge you not to jeopardize the religious-liberty prerogatives of Catholic hospitals,” said Catholic League president Bill Donohue in a letter to the Legislature’s Human Services Committee.

“The emergency contraception pill may act as an abortifacient — not a contraceptive — depending on whether the woman has begun ovulation,” he said. “In those instances, it would be totally immoral for Catholic hospitals to cooperate in the termination of innocent human life.”

The four Catholic hospitals have been following a protocol since January 2006 in which they can offer the morning-after pill only under certain circumstances.

“If it has been determined that ovulation has not taken place, then Catholic hospitals are free to prescribe Plan B,” Donohue explained.

If the patient has ovulated, the doctors cannot prescribe Plan B. The protocol directs doctors to provide the rape victim with a list of places where she can receive it and transportation if necessary.

While Plan B has been available over the counter since January, advocates of the proposed legislation say it should be part of standard medical care for rape victims at the time of their treatment.

The Connecticut Catholic Conference notes that if the policy of Catholic hospitals regarding emergency contraception can be altered by legislation, then the next effort will most likely be to force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions.

“The Catholic health care system has provided the citizens of Connecticut with a high standard of care for decades.  These institutions should not be forced to violate their religious beliefs, especially those concerning the human dignity of every person, no matter at what stage of life,” the conference said in a statement.

Imprimir Incrementar tamaño de fuente Disminuir tamaño de fuente
Subscriber comments:
Published by: Andrew
Seattle 03/16/2007 10:32 AM EST
The would-be persecutors of the Church surely believe themselves to be completely reasonable. Why, after all, would anyone oppose helping a rape victim? We Catholics must appear dangerously backward, and even a threat to a civil society. This, of course, is the way all persecutors feel. As a society we have demonized historical persecutors such as the Nazis or the Soviets in our popular consciousness to such an extent that we fail to understand that every persecutor believes himself to be acting reasonably, responsibly, and for the common good. Well-meaning people, after all, carry out persecutions. Those who do not understand Christian conviction and believe it to be a threat to their conception of a just society ought to compare themselves with the inquisition and the way Christian societies in the past have felt about heretics. Let us pray for the well-meaning persecutors of our times. And strive to welcome persecution after the model of the saints. God Bless.
Rate this comment:
Published by: Nark Mayer
Nashville TN 03/15/2007 11:16 PM EST
There are plenty of Hospitals that can give this pill out. They are public and private in nature. There is no reason for a Catholic Hospital to give out this pill, reguardless of ovulation. No one is forced to goto a Catholic, public or other private Hospital. I recently had a Heart Attack while out of town. I asked the Paramettics to take me to the Catholic Hospital or the closed if they deamed it necessary. I still had a choice. Everyone else has a choice ....
Rate this comment:
Published by: Pat V
NM,USA 03/15/2007 10:04 PM EST
It is amazing that Catholic Hospitals have succumbed to a "method" by which they can administer RU-486. If a person has not ovulated, there is no reason to give the drug. It's intent, at whatever point in a woman's cycle it is given, is to prevent implantationof a fertilized ovum (egg) which is, therefore called an embryo. No matter what the circumstances, the intent of the drug is to cause the death of a child that has, or might be conceived. I am appalled at the state of medical ethics, today, when even those who should be so well versed in ethics that they could not be deceived by the lies of those who want this drug used, are obviously deceived. It doesn't take a genius to understand what this drug is and what it does. It takes the guts to stand up and be counted in defense of the truth, and to use such opportunities to teach the truth to others.
Rate this comment:
ADD A COMMENT (Your e-mail will NOT be published):
NAME:
CITY/STATE/COUNTRY:
EMAIL:
COMMENT:
 
PLEASE ENTER THE SECURITY CODE DISPLAYED ABOVE:
Chars:
* Thanks for your comments. The number of messages that can be online is limited. Length should not exceed 1500 characters. CNA reserves the right to edit messages for content and tone. Comments and opinions expressed by users do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of CNA. CNA will not publish comments with abusive language, insults or links to other pages.
ADVERTISING
Place your ad here
Resources:
Columns:
News:
Documents:
Tools:
ACI Group:
ACI Prensa