Madison, Wis., Dec 21, 2007 / 11:34 am
Bishop Robert C. Morlino of the Diocese of Madison has urged opposition to a state bill that would mandate hospitals, including Catholic ones, to administer the morning after pill, “emergency contraception,” upon request to women who have been raped.
In the newspaper for the Diocese of Madison, Bishop Morlino explained to readers that the bill did not protect the consciences of institutions or individuals who want to protect both women who have been raped and any babies possibly conceived in that rape.
“Women who have suffered the tragedy of rape need to be protected, but if a pre-born child has been already conceived, the future of that child also requires our protection,” he said.
Bishop Morlino expanded on his concerns in a letter to the members of the Wisconsin Legislature. He insisted that the safety, inherent dignity, and God-given rights of women were deeply important.