[Pflienews] PharmFacts E-News Update: 2nd WI bishop breaks with Conference over Abortifacient Pill

Mon Jan 7 18:00:49 MST 2008

*PharmFacts E-News Update -- 7 Jan 2008 AD #2

*http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2008/jan/08010308.html

*Second Bishop Breaks with Wisconsin Conference to Oppose Emergency 
Contraception Bill*
Conference action contradicts 1992 Ratzinger instruction and cedes 
spiritual leadership role to opinion of diocesan lawyers

By John-Henry Westen

LA CROSSE, January 2, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In an interview 
published in The Catholic Times, La Crosse Bishop Jerome Listecki has 
publicly acknowledged his break with the Wisconsin Catholic Conference 
(WCC) of Bishops over a bill forcing all state hospitals, Catholic ones 
included, to provide abortifacient emergency contraception to rape 
victims. Listecki has joined Madison Bishop Robert Morlino in urging 
legislators to oppose AB 377 but the state bishops' conference maintains 
a neutral position on the legislation which is to receive a final vote 
in the state Assembly on January 16.

Bishop Morlino made his stand known last month in a letter to 
legislators urging them to oppose the bill. (see coverage: 
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/dec/07121906.html )

Both Bishops Morlino and Listecki say that the neutral stand of the 
bishops' conference was to show support for a clause which proposed to 
allow an opt out for institutions and individuals if tests determine 
pregnancy prior to administration of the abortifacient drugs. However 
that opt-out clause was rejected by the legislators, thus making the 
neutral stance of the WCC "moot".

Despite the change, the rest of the Wisconsin bishops represented by the 
conference have not joined their two confreres in opposing the legislation.

WCC executive director John Huebscher told The Catholic Times that the 
Catholic Conference is retaining its current stance of neutrality. "We 
respect the concerns raised in (Bishop Morlino's) letter," he said. 
"They certainly underscore the passion of the bishops in affirming human 
life. At the same time, the Catholic Conference has not changed its 
position on the bill."

Heubscher said the WCC's neutrality is based on the unanimous opinion of 
the state's diocesan attorneys that a current conscience exemption 
contained other state legislation.

Pro-life Catholic activists have pointed out however that any dalliance 
with emergency contraception, even for rape victims, is impermissible. 
Such activists point out that:

- The only public Vatican statement on the morning after pill condemns 
its use outright. The Pontifical Academy for Life states that "the 
absolute unlawfulness of abortifacient procedures also applies to 
distributing, prescribing and taking the morning-after pill. All who, 
whether sharing the intention or not, directly co-operate with this 
procedure are also morally responsible for it." (see the full Vatican 
statement here: 
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_academies/acdli... )

- The Catholic Medical Association, the largest professional 
organization of Catholic physicians in the U.S. is resolutely opposed to 
the use of the abortifacient morning after pill even for rape cases in 
Catholic Hospitals because of its potential to cause abortions. At its 
Annual Meeting in 2003, the association passed a resolution on the 
matter noting that the drug "has the potential to prevent implantation 
whether given in the pre-ovulatory, ovulatory, or post-ovulatory phase, 
that it cannot be ethically employed by a Catholic physician or 
administered in a Catholic Hospital in cases of rape".

However, even the excuse which the WCC is currently using, that of hope 
for an opt-out clause for Catholics involved is not sufficient for 
refusing to oppose the legislation. A Vatican document published in 1992 
by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith and signed by Cardinal 
Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict) states clearly: "where a matter of 
the common good is concerned, it is inappropriate for church authorities 
to endorse or remain neutral toward adverse legislation even if it 
grants exceptions to church organizations and institutions. The church 
has the responsibility to promote family life and the public morality of 
the entire civil society on the basis of fundamental moral values, not 
simply to protect herself from the application of harmful laws." (see 
the document in full here: 
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2008/jan/080103a.html)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

PFLI PharmAid Center
pfli at pfli.org <mailto:pfli at pfli.org>
PO Box 1281
Powell, OH 43065-1281 USA
800-227-8359
www.pfli.org

PFLI supports pharmacist rights of conscience NOT to be forced to 
dispense or counsel for chemicals which violate their sincerely held 
religious, moral or ethical beliefs.  For more info see:
http://www.pfli.org/main.php?pfli=conscienceclausefaq

*** PFLI is the only pharmacy association which is exclusively pro-life.
It represents thousands of pharmacists and many lay supporters
in the USA, Canada and all around the globe. For membership info, key
PFLI texts, PFLI archives, late-breaking news, abridged newsletter excerpts
or general information, visit the PFLI web site at http://www.pfli.org.
Or e-mail us at mailto:pfli at pfli.org.

*** WE DO NOT SEND SPAM...you must enroll to receive PFLI PharmFacts 
E-News Updates.
To subscribe to PharmFacts E-News, just send an e-mail with the word
"subscribe" in the subject area;  to cease your subscription (although 
we can't
imagine anyone would!) just send an e-mail with "unsubscribe" in the 
subject area, or
manage your account at: http://pfli.org/mailman/listinfo/pflienews_pfli.org

*** You may contact PFLI at any/all of the following: Pharmacists For 
Life International,
PO Box 1281, Powell, OH 43065-1281 USA,  1-800-227-8359 [US & Canada only],
 +1-740-881-5520 [voice] or +1-707-667-2447 [fax]; e-mail us at 
mailto:pfli at pfli.org.

You can order our publications as well as begin/renew your membership 
right on our
website at http://www.pfli.org. Click on the "PFLI Store" link on the 
toolbar and
follow the prompts! There you can also donate to PFLI as well as 
purchase a wide range of publications. 

*

*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://pfli.org/pipermail/pflienews_pfli.org/attachments/20080107/6ddc2222/attachment-0001.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 14952 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://pfli.org/pipermail/pflienews_pfli.org/attachments/20080107/6ddc2222/attachment-0001.jpe 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 2923 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://pfli.org/pipermail/pflienews_pfli.org/attachments/20080107/6ddc2222/attachment-0001.gif 