[Pflienews] AMERICAN LIFE LEAGUE CALLS FOR CATHOLIC CHARITIES INVESTIGATION

[PFLI PharmAid Center]

*MEDIA RELEASE*

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
07 July 2008
CONTACT: Katie Walker
540.659.4942| kwalker at all.org <mailto:kwalker at all.org> 

*AMERICAN LIFE LEAGUE CALLS FOR 
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO CATHOLIC CHARITIES ABORTION SCANDAL*

*Washington, DC (07 July 2008)* -- American Life League is calling 
<http://nvs.all.org/sendstudio/link.php?M=42879&N=336&L=1431&F=H>on the 
Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney to conduct a full investigation into 
the events surrounding an abortion obtained by a minor who is a 
Guatemalan immigrant in mid-January. 

"Recent statements by the Richmond diocese leave more questions than 
answers," said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. "A 
preborn child is dead, and a teenage mother seeking help from a Catholic 
institution received abortion as an answer. That is the worst form of 
abuse."

In January, Commonwealth Catholic Charities employees helped 
a 16-year-old immigrant in their care obtain an abortion by illegally 
signing a parental consent form. Joanne Nattrass, the charity's 
executive director, told Bishop DiLorenzo about the abortion scheduled 
for the following day, but also erroneously told him there was nothing 
they could do to stop it. Two months earlier, employees of the same 
organization had facilitated the implantation of a birth control device 
in the young girl. The bishop did not inform the faithful about the 
abortion until April, when he sent a letter to his fellow bishops. It 
wasn't until June 13 that the /Wanderer/, a national Catholic 
publication, broke the story.

"A crime was committed by employees who fraudulently filed the paperwork 
for this young girl to kill her baby, so why weren't the police called?" 
asked Brown. "How long did Executive Director Joanne Nattrass know about 
the implantation of the birth control device before she brought it to 
the bishop's attention? Why did it take a federal investigation and five 
long months for the bishop to even address this tragedy? Clearly, there 
is more to this."

American Life League sent a letter on Monday, July 7 to the 
Commonwealth's Attorney asking for an investigation into the 
Commonwealth Catholic Charities tragedy, so that the two victims of this 
atrocity will receive the justice they deserve.

American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the 
largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States 
and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the 
moment of creation to natural death. For more information or press 
inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942. 

*FOR MORE INFORMATION:

American Life League:* All Call for Virginia Investigation of Catholic 
Charities (7 July 2008)
http://www.all.org/article.php?id=11473 
<http://nvs.all.org/sendstudio/link.php?M=42879&N=336&L=1431&F=H>

*The Associated Press:* Virginia Catholic Bishops Sorry for Abortion 
Mix-Up (2 July 2008)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gR_QvEk-RhXPrgj9dr3d5U6bUQIAD91LCH600 
<http://nvs.all.org/sendstudio/link.php?M=42879&N=336&L=1397&F=H>

*The Washington Times:* Bishop Knew of Abortion Plan (29 June 2008)
http://www.washtimes.com/news/2008/jun/30/bishop-knew-of-abortion-plan/ 
<http://nvs.all.org/sendstudio/link.php?M=42879&N=336&L=1376&F=H>

*New York Times:* Catholic Aid for Abortion Causes Stir in Virginia (3 
July 2008)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/us/03abortion.html 
<http://nvs.all.org/sendstudio/link.php?M=42879&N=336&L=1430&F=H>

# # #


_______________________________
Katie Walker
Director of Communication
American Life League
1179 Courthouse Road
Stafford, Virginia 22554
540.659.4942
kwalker at all.org <mailto:kwalker at all.org>
http://www.all.org/ 
<http://nvs.all.org/sendstudio/link.php?M=42879&N=336&L=43&F=H>

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