"The parents in this case were deprived of a critically important bonding time with their new infant. Their daughter, likewise, missed out on early hours in the embrace of her parents and with the full nourishment of her mother," she said.
Silecchia said this case differs from other controversial cases where parents have declined vaccines or chemotherapy, because the case didn't involve a public health threat or an ill child in need of a life-saving treatment.
"First, unlike the vaccine cases, this does not involve a threat to public health and welfare such as that which can result from the spread of infectious diseases," she said. "Second, unlike the cases in which parents decline blood transfusions or chemotherapy for their ill child, this case did not involve a child who was ill in any way."
"Absent a threat to public health or a specific harm to an ill child, the interest of the state seems to be weaker. Here, the parents faced dramatic consequences for failure to consent to a routine course of treatment that their child may or may not have needed."
Father Shenan Boquet, president of Human Life International, also voiced concern about the case, saying it "has the gravest consequences for the rights of parents and the autonomy of the family."
In an Oct. 2 statement, Boquet said hospital officials knew the shot was determined to be medically non-necessary, and that while they may have believed their actions were right, "[t]hey robbed Brian and Angela of their natural rights, and established the state as the final arbiter."
The priests stressed that parents have a fundamental right to care for their children in the way that they believe is best.
"This is a human rights issue; parents should not be excluded from making critical decisions that impact the health and future of their children," he said.
Correction Oct. 8: The original version of this article incorrectly characterized Silecchia's comments.
Perry West is a staff writer for Catholic News Agency. He graduated from Franciscan University with his bachelor's in English. Prior to his job at CNA, he worked in construction staffing and coffee.