There were recently reports that a Catholic organization in Virginia was being investigated for allegedly helping at teenage girl obtain an abortion with federal funds. The part about them helping a teenage girl to obtain an abortion, at least, has turned out to be true. And a Roman Catholic bishop, who had nothing to do with the situation, by the way, has “apologized.”
The Roman Catholic bishop of Richmond, Va., apologized this week after workers from a Catholic organization helped a teenager in its care have an abortion.
“I join my sadness to yours at the loss of the life of an unborn child whose teenage mother was in the foster care of Commonwealth Catholic Charities,” said Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo in a letter published on Monday in The Catholic Virginian. “Obviously, respect for the life of the unborn is a basic tenet of our Catholic faith and morality.”
“I express my profound apology for the loss of the life of one of the most vulnerable among us,” the bishop added.
The situation involved a 16-year-old Guatemalan, who church officials said already had one child and wanted to end her pregnancy, said Stephen S. Neill, a spokesman for the bishop.
The girl was being cared for by a program that helps illegal immigrant children in the country without guardians obtain foster care, Mr. Neill said. She received the abortion in January after a staff member of Commonwealth Catholic Charities signed a consent form and after a volunteer drove her to the facility, he said.
Four staff members were fired in March in connection with the case, Mr. Neill said.
First of all, let me say that federal funds going to a religious organization with a history of stealing children from their mothers is far more offensive to me than the idea of that organization using federal funds to pay for an abortion — a basic medical procedure that should be covered by the U.S. government in the same way that they cover all other basic medical procedures in certain situations.
And then, let me say thank you to the workers responsible. They may have bypassed laws regarding parental consent and payment to help a girl in a vulnerable situation. They did precisely what it seems like their mission was to do: protect her and help her towards the possibility of a better and more autonomous life. Even the bishop’s spokesman says that the girl wanted the abortion — and it seems that in her vulnerable situation, she was making a highly informed decision. You want to talk vulnerability, bishop? I guess that a 16-year-old pregnant girl who is already a mother, an undocumented immigrant in the United States without any guardians, doesn’t classify as vulnerable enough for you.
With complete and utter sincerity, I extend my gratitude the Catholic Charities workers responsible for helping this girl, and for putting their own necks on the line to do it. I commend their possible decision to break unjust laws and admire their bravery. I absolutely wish them well in any legal battles that they may now face. I’m not Catholic, so the apology of the bishop is not mine to reject. But I hope that right-thinking Catholics and other people everywhere will join me in telling the bishop that his apology is not only unnecessary — it’s just plain wrong.
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“I express my profound apology for the loss of the life of one of the most vulnerable among us,” the bishop added.
The moral vacuum of apologising for any help going to this girl on behalf of an organisation with a history of child stealing (as you pointed out), not to mention child abuse (and no, I don’t just mean sexual) speaks not of respect for human life, but contempt.
As for the workers who did help her, I salute them too.
I have newfound respect for those catholic volunteers and workers. OBVIOUSLY, even if it lies beyond the Bishop’s understanding, this issue is NEVER black and white and these people who have actual contact with the young Woman recognized that and helped her in her time of need. They absolutely did what their job entailed and I am sorry that they lost their jobs for assisting her.
It’s never about Her life for people like the Bishop, is it? What about HER sad, vulnerable little life?! Jesus tap dancing Christ! When is the church going to recognize the lives of Women regardless of if our uterus’ are occupied or not?! Are we not Actual, living, breathing, aspiring PEOPLE? Or are the only “people” those with dicks or those still incubating in incredibly life-like vessels?
I’m sorry but this crap pisses me off. I used to be totally on fire for Jesus. When I realized that my religion treated me like a non-person doormat, I lost my faith. I’ve grown quite anathema to organized religion over the years since then and this utter bull keeps cropping up time and time again.
And the thing that I do not understand the most is that these religions would cease to exist if WOMEN, the very (non)people being oppressed, just washed their hands of them. These religions are being carried on the backs of WOMEN and still they spit on us and demand more?!! Someone explain it to me because my fragile feminine mind cannot comprehend why this continues to happen. Are we Women, or at least Women who subscribe to organized religions, just sadists?
You know Jenna I totally agree with you and feel the same way.
I think one of the reasons anyone follows and organized religion is because they need something to believe in and something to hold on to. Religion for most people is a purpose in life for them. It gives them a reason to do what they do and sometimes I think it makes them feel as though they have repented for their sins(born again christians).
Just my opinion.
You linked to my blog so I thought I would check you out. I wonder since she is a mother already if that doesn’t make her a emancipated adult now. That might be another way of looking at this issue.
Although they say she is an illegal immigrant, I also wonder if she wasn’t at some point an adoptee. I say that because that is very young to be coming to the United States from Guatemala. There are so many cases of adoptions not being done right. Children being brought to the United States illegally. Just thoughts on this situation. I will return the favor and have a few other folks come your way.
Hey Amy, I hadn’t considered that. It was my assumption that she came to the U.S. with a parent or other relative, and then something happened to that relative. But your explanation is equally plausible.
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