Reproductive Rights Prof Blog

Spain's Proposed Abortion Reform Draws Opposition from Catholic Church

RH Reality Check: The Church Battles Reforms in Spain's Abortion Law, by Angela Castellanos:

A draft of Spain's reformed abortion bill has ignited the Catholic Church, which called its congregation as well as the Catholic politicians to vote against the bill even though it has not yet been submitted to Congress.

The bill reflects the recommendations of the Spanish parliamentary commission, which for six months examined the effect of Spain's restrictive abortion laws. Last February, the parliamentary commission proposed a reform decriminalizing abortion in Spain so abortion would be removed from the Penal Code and included under the sexual health regulations.

NY Times Commentary on Obama, the Pope, and Abortion

Room for Debate (NY Times): Does Obama Have a Friend in the Vatican?:

President Obama received a warm welcome at the Vatican on Friday in his first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. Indeed, the Vatican has generally seemed more eager to form a relationship with Mr. Obama than many American bishops, who have been cooler because he differs from the church on abortion and other reproductive issues. The invitation Mr. Obama received to deliver the commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame, for instance, triggered strong public condemnation from conservative bishops.

Why does the American Catholic leadership seem to be focused on abortion, while the Vatican appears willing to view that issue as merely one among many on which to judge a political leader?

• John L. Allen Jr. The National Catholic Reporter
• James Martin, Jesuit priest
• M. Cathleen Kaveny, professor of law and theology
• Colleen Carroll Campbell, Ethics and Public Policy Center

Catholics for Choice on the Pope and the President

Catholics for Choice Press Release: The Pope and the President: Many Similar Outlooks but Very Different Roles:

Washington DC - Jon O'Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, issued the following statement about the meeting today between President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict XVI in Rome.
"In the last few weeks, many have speculated about the first meeting between President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict XVI. We at Catholics for Choice have repeatedly been asked about our take on this meeting. Certainly, for US Catholics it is an exciting moment to see our pope and our president meet.

"It is worth noting, however, that earlier this week, in his social encyclical 'Caritas in Veritate,' Pope Benedict claimed that the church does not "interfere in any way in the politics of States." These words are especially pertinent for Friday's meeting.

"While both men are world leaders, the pope and the president maintain distinctly different roles as a religious leader and a political leader, respectively. We must be clear that the pope does not command the same type of global responsibility as a member of the Group of Eight, such as the United States, and to expect G8-type political outcomes from this meeting would be unrealistic and wrong.

"Although Pope Benedict and President Obama play different roles in the world, there are undoubtedly valuable issues that the two men can and should discuss. Taking even a quick look at this week's encyclical, one will find many examples of the similar outlooks the two leaders share on issues pertaining to poverty, the rights of immigrants and the benefits of scientific progress. Both men strive for an end to war and hunger. Both aim to safeguard the environment and protect religious freedoms. The pope may have the moral stature to promote these causes but the president has the political power to effect change at a policy level.

"The common views the pope and president share affect the lives of people in the US and around the world, especially those living in poverty. As such, it would be beneficial for them to discuss these issues. With several wars on and financial crises overwhelming us, it is always positive when people of good will and good intent can agree, discuss and inspire one another to work even harder to better our world.

"At their meeting, President Obama certainly need not lecture the pope about the inner workings of the Catholic church. It is a widely know fact that Catholics the world over disagree with the dictates of the Vatican on issues pertaining to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Catholics must let the pope and other members of the church hierarchy know that the Vatican is out of touch, the teachings are flawed and that people suffer as a result. That message need not come from President Obama; rather, it is up to Catholics to raise these concerns.

"In the same vein, Pope Benedict should not lecture the president about the needs of people in the US. This nation was founded by those who suffered from religious persecution and fled to America to be free to practice religion as they saw fit. It is therefore no surprise that the separation of church and state was and continues to be a cornerstone of US democracy. Politics should not interfere with religion nor should religion interfere with politics. People of every religion and no religion should be equally represented; freedom of religion and freedom from religion must be guaranteed. With this in mind, the pope should not feel the need to lecture President Obama on matters of internal US policy.

"However, recent evidence suggests that the pope's claims that church does not "interfere in any way in the politics of States" are more than a little disingenuous.

"In the United States alone, we have several examples. Take, for instance, when the US bishops successfully lobbied to strip life-saving family planning measures from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) bill. Moreover, the bishops continue to lobby for conscience clauses (or, more correctly, refusal clauses) that protect entire institutions-not individuals-and exclude abortion and contraception from healthcare reform. Both measures would limit access to vital reproductive healthcare services. These are all classic examples of how the pope, through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, interferes in US politics.

"When Pope Benedict and President Obama meet, the president should not tell the pope how to run his church nor should the pope tell the president how to run his country. In reality, this meeting is more about symbolism and respect for each other and the institutions they represent than anything else. As Pope Benedict is a religious leader and does not take on the responsibilities that President Obama has as a political leader, we cannot and should not expect any substantial outcomes. However, the two men can definitely discuss what they agree on and inspire one another to move forward doing good work."

-###-

Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to women's well-being and respect and affirm the capacity of women and men to make moral decisions about their lives.

Obama Meets with Pope

Reuters: Obama at Vatican for first meeting with pope, by Jeff Mason:

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama arrived at the Vatican on Friday for his first meeting with Pope Benedict and what the White House says will be frank discussions on issues they agree and disagree on....

Unlike his predecessor George Bush, Obama and the pope do not see eye-to-eye on abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research....

Less than two months after his inauguration, Obama lifted restrictions of federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, which the Vatican opposes because it destroys embryos.

U.S. Catholic bishops criticized Obama for lifting the ban and later many of the bishops denounced Notre Dame University, a leading American Catholic institution, for giving Obama an honorary degree.

Obama Reassures Catholic Health Care Workers in Advance of Meeting with Pope

Wash. Post: Obama Reaches Out Before Vatican Trip, by Jacqueline L. Salmon:

President Barack Obama said today that he still favors a "robust" federal policy protecting health-care workers who have moral objections to performing some procedures even though he plans to roll back a Bush administration rule that expanded such protection.

Speaking to eight religion reporters at the White House before his first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI next Friday, Obama sought to reassure Catholic health-care workers that they would not be forced to perform abortions and other procedures that violate the Church's teachings. Obama said he is a "believer in conscience clauses" and supports a new policy that would "certainly not be weaker" than the rules in place before the expansion late in President George W. Bush's administration.

Catholic Hospital System Ends Joint Venture with Insurer that Covers Abortion Services

Boston Globe: Caritas ends joint venture, by Michael Paulson & Kay Lazar:

Caritas Christi Health Care, the financially challenged Catholic hospital system founded by the Archdiocese of Boston, is abruptly ending its joint venture with a Missouri-based health insurer at the insistence of Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, who has decided that the relationship represented too much of an entanglement between Catholic hospitals and abortion providers.

The change will have no effect on patient care, because Caritas will continue to participate in the state-subsidized program, called Commonwealth Care, but now simply as one of many healthcare providers treating patients, and no longer as a co-owner of an insurance venture.

Caritas’s withdrawal from the insurance venture, just days before it will start providing care to low-income residents as part of the state’s efforts to establish near-universal health coverage here, is a vindication of sorts for a variety of conservative Catholic critics of the cardinal, who have been arguing angrily that it would be “evil’’ for Caritas to collaborate with a health insurer that covers abortion services.

Obama Seeks to Develop Common Ground on Abortion Policy with Faith-Based Office

U.S. News and World Report: Obama Seeks Common Ground on Abortion by, Dan Gilgoff

Over the last month or so, the Obama administration has met with ... dozens of ... activists on both sides of the abortion issue as it seeks what it calls "common ground" on thorny reproductive issues, including its goal of reducing demand for abortion. Now, as the White House begins drawing up a policy plan, advocates on both sides are jittery. . . .

The administration is expected to announce its plan as early as this summer, according to those involved in the process. Whether those proposed policies can satisfy the president's pro-abortion rights base while also winning over more conservative religious groups is the biggest test yet for Obama's vow to be a peacemaker in the nation's culture wars.

When Obama rolled out the revamped White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in February, he tasked it with exploring how to "support women and children, address teenage pregnancy, and reduce the need for abortion." Crafting policy around those goals has been a joint project of the faith-based office and the new White House Council on Women and Girls. Both report to Obama's domestic policy adviser, Melody Barnes, who has led some meetings with outside groups.

Julie Graves Krishnaswami

A Different Perspective on Alexia Kelley

Huffington Post: The New Pro-lifer, by Cristina Page:

In our pain, anger and profound sadness over the murder of Dr. Tiller, pro-choice people risk losing an opportunity to see a better day as a country and a movement. In the wake of our loss, it is tempting to continue to categorize in one fixed way all who oppose abortion. To do so would be easy, but also foolish. We must admit and accept that not all who are opposed to abortion are the same. Especially since a new movement of pro-lifers has extended a hand in search of a better way.

Yesterday offered a unique opportunity to make this distinction. Alexia Kelley, co-founder of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, was appointed Director of Faith-based and Community Partnerships at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)...

Moments after the announcement, John O'Brien, president of the pro-choice group Catholics for Choice, released a statement calling the Kelley appointment "a defeat for reason and logic."...

O'Brien's complaint is that the choice of Kelley, given her previous role overseeing a Catholic, anti-abortion organization, puts important social policies in danger of being hijacked by those same Bushian forces. But Kelley is not the Bush-styled pro-lifer of yore. Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, which Kelley founded, is a progressive organization that has also played a primary role in instigating a nationwide discussion of common ground on abortion. Her group has championed policies aimed at preventing the need for abortion, policies that have been identified as those pro-choice people can support too. It would be a mistake to group Kelley among anti-abortion operatives who snub opportunities to improve the relationship between pro-choice and pro-life communities, and who refuse to do anything to reduce the need for abortion.

Catholics for Choice: Anti-Abortion Advocate Appointed to Senior Position at HHS

Catholics for Choice Press Release: Antiabotion Advocate Appointed to Senior Position at HHS: 

 

Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, issued the following statement today about the appointment of Alexia Kelley to be Director of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Health and Human Services:

 

Alexia Kelley, co-founder and former executive director of the antichoice organization, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good (CACG), was today appointed to be Director of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Department of Health and Human Services. Ms. Kelley’s appointment is a defeat for reason and logic and calls into question whether President Obama’s administration is serious about reducing the need for abortion. And, while it may not gain many headlines, the impact and significance of this appointment should not go unnoticed.

Young Women Who Attend Private Religious Schools More Likely To Obtain Abortions Than Their Public School Peers

American Sociological Association Press Release:

Religious Devotion Does Not Impact Abortion Decisions of Young Unwed Women

Sociologist finds that factors such as grades and parents’ education are more influential than religious involvement for pregnant teens and young adults who face abortion decision

WASHINGTON, DC – Unwed pregnant teens and twenty-somethings who attend or have graduated from private religious schools are more likely to obtain abortions than their peers from public schools, according to sociological research published in the June issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

“This research suggests that young, unmarried women are confronted with a number of social, financial and health-related factors that can make it difficult for them to act according to religious values when deciding whether to keep or abort a pregnancy,” said the study’s author, sociologist Amy Adamczyk, an assistant professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Graduate Center, City University of New York.

This LA Times article provides a link to the study itself.

Statement from Dr. Tiller's Church

Wichita Eagle: George Tiller's church releases statement about his death:

Wichita's Reformation Lutheran Church -- the church to which abortion provider George Tiller belonged and where he was killed Sunday -- has released a statement about his death....

Reformation Lutheran Church

The Reformation Lutheran Church family is shocked and deeply saddened by the violent murder of Dr. George Tiller, a longtime member of our congregation, that occurred in our church home May 31.

Our congregation strives to be a safe place for all people. We deplore the violence that took place within the walls of our church. Further, we reject any notion that violence against another human being is an acceptable way to resolve differences over any issue. We must always strive to engage in peaceful discussion. Our faith calls us to this. Our humanity demands it.

In the wake of this tragic event, our deepest concern is for the family of George Tiller. We ask the community to join us in prayer for them as they face the difficult days ahead. Our hearts ache with them. We also ask that the family's privacy be respected.

Members of Reformation Lutheran Church have been deeply affected by this tragedy. To address their needs, we are assembling a team of crisis intervention specialists.

In this time of uncertainty, we stand firm in the promises of Jesus Christ: forgiveness, hope, love, and new life, even from death. We pray for healing and peace to be restored. We offer our thanks for the many prayers of support from across the country. Your words of encouragement are a blessing to the people of Reformation Lutheran Church and Wichita.

The Rev. Lowell Michelson, The Rev. Kristin Neitzel

Police Gather Information on Suspect in Abortion Provider's Murder

NY Times: Suspect Identified in Killing of Doctor, by Susan Sauling and Monica Davey:

The man I married disappeared into this other person years ago,” Ms. Roeder, shaken and puffy eyed, said of Scott Roeder, who was being held in a Wichita jail in the death of Dr George Tiller, who was fatally shot at his Wichita church on Sunday. The authorities said charges were expected soon against Mr. Roeder.

“He wanted a scapegoat,” Ms. Roeder said. “First it was taxes, he stopped paying, then he turned to the church and got involved in anti-abortion.”

But Mr. Roeder, 51, had not been among the people considered most worrisome to abortion rights groups, some of which keep a close eye on anti-abortion groups and their Web sites to monitor what they consider threats, some leaders here said. “Nobody recognizes his name,” said Marla Patrick, a state coordinator for the National Organization for Women in Kansas.

E.J. Dionne on Obama's Notre Dame Speech

Wash. Post Op-Ed: Obama Conciliatory Fighting Words, by E.J. Dionne:

...For his part, Obama gave what may have been both the most radical and the most conservative speech of his presidency. Acknowledging the Roman Catholic Church's role in supporting his early community organizing work, the president drew on the resources of Catholic social thought. It combines opposition to abortion with a sharp critique of economic injustice and thus doesn't squeeze into the round holes of contemporary ideology.

"Too many of us view life only through the lens of immediate self-interest and crass materialism," Obama declared. "The strong too often dominate the weak, and too many of those with wealth and with power find all manner of justification for their own privilege in the face of poverty and injustice."...

And on abortion, the issue that ignited the protests against him, Obama endorsed a broad agenda: "Let's reduce unintended pregnancies. Let's make adoption more available. Let's provide care and support for women who do carry their children to term."

President Obama Addresses Abortion in Commencement Speech at Notre Dame

NY Times: At Notre Dame, Obama Calls for Dialogue on Abortion, by Peter Baker & Susan Saulny:

President Obama directly confronted America’s deep divide over abortion on Sunday as he appealed to partisans on both sides to find ways to respect one another’s basic decency and even work together to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies....

“Maybe we won’t agree on abortion,” Mr. Obama told graduating students, relatives and professors, “but we can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually. It has both moral and spiritual dimension.

“So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions. Let’s reduce unintended pregnancies. Let’s make adoption more available. Let’s provide care and support for women who do carry their children to term.”

The encounter was a rare foray into one of the most volatile areas of public life for Mr. Obama, who supports abortion rights but has sought to avoid becoming enmeshed in the issue. As recently as last week, aides said he would mention the controversy in his speech without dwelling on it. But ultimately, he decided to devote most of his address to bridging the chasm over abortion and other moral issues.

Survey Finds Majority of Catholics Support Obama Speaking at Notre Dame

Quinnipiac University: Notre Dame Should Not Disinvite Obama, U.S. Catholics Tell Quinnipiac University National Poll; Attitudes On Abortion Similar Among All U.S. Voters:

U.S. voters say 56 - 31 percent, including 60 - 34 percent among Catholic voters, that Notre Dame University should not rescind its invitation to President Barack Obama to speak at the university's commencement, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today.

Observant Catholic voters who attend religious services about once a week say 49 - 43 percent that Notre Dame should keep President Obama on the program, while Catholics who attend services less frequently say 70 - 26 percent that Obama should speak, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey of 2,041 registered voters nationwide finds.

Protest Opposing Obama's Notre Dame Address Gets Uglier

Anti-choice activists are resorting to extreme measures to protest Notre Dame's invitation to President Obama to deliver a commencement speech. Women on the Web reports that "Anti-abortion groups, including Randall Terry’s Operation Rescue, have vowed to create a 'circus' surrounding Obama’s  May 17 address."  A Notre Dame student blogs about seeing a small plane flying over the campus pulling a banner with a graphic photo of an aborted fetus.  The Associated Press is also reporting about alumni who have been targeted with letters from Operation Rescue sent to their home addresses.

Mary Ann Glendon Turns Down Notre Dame Award Due To Decision to Award Honorary Degree to Obama

MSNBC.com: Abortion Foe Declines Notre Dame Award, by Christopher Wilson:

Mary Ann Glendon, a conservative Harvard law professor who was U.S. ambassador to the Vatican under George W. Bush, has announced that she will not be accepting the Laetare Medal at the University of Notre Dame’s commencement ceremony on May 17. In her letter to Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins, Glendon stated that she would no longer be accepting, citing the conflict with President Barack Obama’s presence as both a commencement speaker and a recipient of an honorary degree. 
 
Glendon is staunchly anti-abortion, and she expressed disappointment that Notre Dame was awarding someone -- in this case the president of the United States -- whose position on abortion is so starkly different from Catholic Church's and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops'.

Vatican Objects to Caroline Kennedy As Ambassador Due to Abortion Stance

The Women on the Web: Vatican Rebuffs Caroline Kennedy Ambassador Seat Over Abortion, Say Sources:

Just when Caroline Kennedy was recovering from the political mess over her bid for Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat, she now has hit some more political roadblocks. And these are coming from a holier land: the Vatican.

The Massachusetts Catholic Action League and sources within the Vatican itself are protesting the idea President Obama may appoint JFK’s daugher as an ambassador to the Vatican. Why are they so angry? Because Ms. Kennedy, a Catholic, supports abortion rights.

NY Times on the Obama/Notre Dame Controversy

NY Times: Invitation to Obama Stirs Up Notre Dame, by Dirk Johnson:

As church bells pealed, Claire Gillen, a Notre Dame freshman, stood on the stone steps of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, accusing this fabled Roman Catholic institution of sin and sacrilege.

“It’s a scandal,” said Ms. Gillen, voicing outrage over the university’s invitation to President Obama, a supporter of abortion rights, to deliver the commencement address here on May 17.

Some alumni have called the campus saying they have thrown away their Fighting Irish sweatshirts in disgust. The local bishop, John D’Arcy, has vowed to boycott the graduation ceremony. A visiting high school senior, Halley Chavey, who said she was thrilled just weeks ago to be accepted here, said she might reject the offer because the college was hosting “the most pro-abortion president we’ve ever had.”

But for all the high-pitched indignation, the talk among students and faculty on this gothic campus of towering oaks and sculpted saints seems to reveal a strikingly upbeat mood about Mr. Obama’s visit.

Scranton Diocese Cracks Down on Colleges and Universities' Provision of Contraceptives to Students

republicanherald.com: Scranton Diocese asks to see Catholic colleges’ info on health services, by Shari Sanger:

Diocese of Scranton leaders have asked the presidents of the four area Catholic colleges and universities for “assurance” that they are not providing or encouraging the use of contraceptives among students, which is against the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

In a Wednesday letter, Bishop Joseph F. Martino and Auxiliary Bishop John M. Dougherty asked the presidents of King’s College, Misericordia University, Marywood University and the University of Scranton to provide information about their student health services. The intent is to “have assurance that no practice is occurring which would be in violation of Catholic teaching,” according to a press release issued Friday by the diocese.

The bishops’ letter was prompted by an article in the March 25 edition of “The Hawk” — the student newspaper at St. Joseph University in Philadelphia — which described how the university, in its words, finds the “middle ground between Church doctrine and student healthcare,” according to the diocesan press release.