Boston, Mass., Apr 14, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Catholic doctors expressed their position in the ongoing debate on legislation that would require hospitals to offer rape victims the morning-after pill and allow pharmacists to sell the abortifacient drug without a prescription.
Catholic doctors told a Joint Public Health Committee at Beacon Hill yesterday that such legislation would be problematic, as it would require them to act against Catholic teaching.
“I'm a Catholic. I cherish my faith. Emergency contraception is bad medicine,” Dr. Helen Jackson, president of the Catholic Physicians' Guild, reportedly told the committee.
The Boston Herald reported that Dr. Gertrude Murphy, a retired pediatrician, said this legislation could be a “huge problem” for Catholic hospitals, particularly if a “conscience clause” isn't included.