You can read Bishop Lori's 9/29/07 blog providing some of the background to the Conference's retreat and it ultimately boils down to a very tiny chance of killing a very tiny person versus the very real possibility of losing a lot of money, jobs and healthcare for many. sigh.
Consider this . . . the pro-abortion advocates at the legislature basically dreamed up what is really a fantasy scenario whereby a recently raped, ovulating woman, without a ride, at a Connecticut Catholic hospital really wants, but is denied, Plan B. This scenario is a far-fetched pro-choice fantasy and has never happened and probably never will. Nevertheless, they easily coax public opinion in their favor. It really isn't hard since the Church hardly puts up a fight. But anyway, they get the legislation passed. Are the bishops really supposed to spend a ton of money on legal fees, fire people from their jobs (because that is what will happen if they close emergency rooms), basically "fall on their sword" over what is probably an imaginary scenario? Prudence would say "no."
Very likely no lives will be lost from complying with this law. What has really died is a big teaching moment and witness for the truth, and frankly, those moments "pass away" every day. I would like the bishops to "fight back" against the forces of evil in our legislature, but I would also like them to be real agents for teaching the catechism at Confirmation, to scold pro-choice legislators (Hello Representatives DeLauro, Larson, Lawler), to enthusiastically encourage abstinence and natural family planning, theology of the body, real feminism, and come down hard on contraception in general. I think a reason we lost at the legislature is that most Catholics in Connecticut didn't even know the church still believes life begins at conception, or why it matters. Isn't THAT the real scandal.
The bishops created this mess for themselves, no doubt. The Conference has been without a head for their legislative arm for over a year. Months of inter-diocese nit-picking, hem-hawing, and general lackadaisical management of the process has ensured mass-confusion at the Capitol on issues that effect the laity and the church. (Did anyone notice that the position for Director of the CT Catholic Conference just finished a second round of advertising. What is going on there?) The laity remains woefully uneducated on their democratic responsibilities as Catholic citizens. Paralyzed by fear of losing their tax-exempt status, CT Catholic churches seem unable to encourage even their church-going members to vote a pro-life ticket, or to even vote at all.
But we can't just blame the bishops. Anyone who didn't at least contact their legislator about Plan B, attend Catholic Concerns Day, work on a campaign, write a letter to the editor, attend a hearing, or encourage friends and relatives to do so are also partly to blame for the passage of Plan B. Don't feel too bad though. The bishops were nowhere to be seen at the Capitol in
the weeks leading up to the vote. Here is Archbishop Mansell pirogi-ing it up in Poland with the Knights of Columbus on May 5, the week Plan B hit high gear at the Capitol. Maybe it wouldn't have made a difference, and the stingy, resolute forces at the Capitol still would have won this year. But imagine for a moment the tall, commanding, peaceful, assuring, fatherly yet stern presence of Archbishop Mansell strolling the Capitol corridors, gently asking to speak with a legislator or 2. It would have turned many votes and minds. He could have gotten 50 people to show up with him at a press conference and maybe he wouldn't be in this "pirogi" now.
3 comments:
At the same time, the integrity of Catholic healthcare has to be preserved. The acceptance of this law creates a precedent for further encroachment.
Keep in mind that it would n even necesarily be a case of shutting down the emergency rooms. It owuld be a n issue of being able to treat the poor and the elderly. The lion's share of the money that would be lost if the Church said "no thank you" to state money would be state medicaid/medicare money. Such a setup would change the parameters of the lawsuit- because it would become about the ability of Catholic mediciaid/medicare recipients to choose / participate in Catholic healthcare. The other piece of this quite frankly has to do with the fact that medicare provider reimbursement rates are woefully low and have been for a long time. If the Catholic hospitals said no to state money, other private hospitals would have more medicaid/medicare recipients at their doorstop than they're capable of dealing with, bringing pressure on the legislature to change the law.
Mansell needs to have hte courage that Cardiall O'Malley did when he shut down adoptions at Catholic Charities.
I must admit that I feel sold down the river. I wish the bishops would admit that they were defeated and have given up due to incredible adversity instead of coming out with these wishy-washy namby-pamby statements, that dance around the truth.
Very true. A lot of adoption jobs must have been lost in MA over gay "marriage." Many children and families were, and continue to be, incredibly hurt. And that was not even an issue (directly) of life and death.
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