Catholic hospital system defies church teaching, supports doctors who perform abortions in some cases: Report



A Catholic medical system with hospitals in several states will support physicians who perform abortions in exigent circumstances, a report from WFMJ claims.

Bon Secours Mercy Health is a nonprofit Catholic medical system based in Cincinnati, Ohio, with facilities in Ohio, Virginia, South Carolina, and Kentucky. On its website, BSMH claims "to uphold the sacredness of life" as one of its key values regarding human dignity.

A 'child may never be killed on the pretext of saving the mother’s life.'

Despite this profession, BSMH will not sanction physicians who perform abortions that, in WFMJ's phrasing, "are medically necessary to save the life of a mother." A nebulous statement from Mercy Health seems to confirm that reporting:

Our health system, like many other national health systems, spans multiple states and adheres to the applicable laws in each where we operate. While the legislative environment is complex, our Mission compels us to provide compassionate care for all. In emergent patient care situations, when providers and medical teams prioritize patient care and follow hospital policies and medical standards of care in good faith, they can expect the support of Bon Secours Mercy Health [emphasis added]. We adhere to EMTALA requirements and support physician compliance with EMTALA. We also thank our clinicians and medical teams for their ongoing commitment to excellent and compassionate patient care.

A spokesperson likewise told WFMJ that Mercy Health "has supported our clinicians' sound medical judgment and decision making since our inception." Becker's Hospital Review claimed that BSMH has never performed an "elective abortion" and will never do so in the future.

However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church does not recognize any sort of "medically necessary" exception to the church's abortion ban. Instead, it describes "direct abortion," or any abortion "willed either as an ends or a means," as "gravely contrary to moral law" and "a moral evil." Those who participate in procuring an abortion are excommunicated.

A "child may never be killed on the pretext of saving the mother’s life," Rev. E. M. Robinson, O. P., wrote more than 30 years ago in an EWTN article about the topic.

CatholicVote claimed that, in providing abortions in some cases, BSMH is "betray[ing] Catholic principles." It also reiterated that abortion "is never morally permissible" under Catholic teaching.

Blaze News made multiple attempts to speak with someone at Bon Secours Mercy Health to confirm the news reports about its abortion policy but did not receive a response.

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Democratic congresswoman slammed for claiming Catholics are compelled by their faith to support abortion



Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut recently attempted to sully the reputation of the late Pope John Paul II and suggest that support among Democrats for the extermination of the unborn was aligned with the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.

The purple-haired congresswoman was subsequently slammed online and confronted with the facts of the Catholic Church's actual teachings about the bloody practice.

In a June 26 statement, DeLauro wrote, "I am a Catholic—baptized, raised, and confirmed. The fundamental tenets of my faith compel me to defend a women’s right to access abortion. I am proudly part of the faithful large majority of US Catholics who support legal protections for abortion access."

This tweet, insinuating majority opinion somehow matters where Catholic teaching is concerned, referenced a much longer statement of principles issued Saturday.

The longer statement, an updated version of a similar pro-abortion credo penned in June 2021, purportedly reflects the thinking of DeLauro and 30 other self-identifying Catholic Democrats in Congress as it pertains to "their support for a woman’s right to choose."

After condemning the Dobbs ruling, which overturned Roe v. Wade, and woefully noting that "five Justices who are or were raised Catholic" played a role in that victory for life, DeLauro indicated that she and the other Democratic representatives claiming Catholicity are "proud" to support legal protections for abortion.

Despite highlighting her support for the legal culling of the unborn, DeLauro maintained that her faith "unfailingly promotes the common good, prioritizes the dignity of every human being, and highlights the need to provide a collective safety net to our most vulnerable."

DeLauro proceeded to quote from "The Catechism of the Catholic Church," an official document that summarizes the main beliefs of the Catholic Church, to make the point that "a human being must always obey the certain judgment of his [or her] conscience," adding that she and the other Democratic representatives claiming Catholicity "regard conscience as both a sacred gift and a responsibility."

DeLauro evidently neglected the various explicit condemnations of abortion in the Catechism, along with its procurement, its provision, and its support. In fact, the document expressly states that those who formally cooperate in an abortion are excommunicated and thereby cut off of from the church.

With scriptural and theological reasons and corroborates also provided, the Catechism states the following :

  • "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception" (2270);
  • "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law" (2271);
  • "Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life" (2272);
  • "The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin" (2273); and
  • "Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being" (2274).

After cherry-picking a rationale for her stance from a document that otherwise stresses the evil of abortion, DeLauro invoked Pope John Paul II, who stressed to Catholics the need for the church to "be a moral force in the broadest sense."

Pope John Paul II was one of the most vociferous opponents of abortion in the 20th Century.

In his papal encyclical "Evangelium Vitae," he reiterated the Second Vatican Council's condemnation of abortion, writing, "taking up the words of the Council and with the same forcefulness I repeat that condemnation in the name of the whole Church, certain that I am interpreting the genuine sentiment of every upright conscience: 'Whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, or wilful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person.'"

With the understanding that abortion was both a product and a sign of a "culture of death," Pope John Paul II noted, "To claim the right to abortion, infanticide and euthanasia, and to recognize that right in law, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others. This is the death of true freedom: 'Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin' (Jn 8:34)."

Pope Francis has maintained his predecessors' abhorrence for abortion and has even opined on Democratic Catholics' complicity in its advancement, calling President Joe Biden's support for abortion "incoherent."

CBS News reported that Biden, simultaneously an abortion advocate and a self-described Catholic, recently told a crowd in Maryland, "I'm not big on abortion ... but guess what? Roe V. Wade got it right."

The head of the church to which Biden claims membership has underscored that it is wrong to take a human life, regardless of what age or stage of development it is in, stating, "Getting rid of a human being is like resorting to a contract killer to solve a problem."

"We are victims of the throwaway culture. ... Today [abortion] has become a 'normal' thing," Pope Francis said in an address on September 27, 2021, "a habit that is very bad; it is truly murder."

Like Biden's past remarks on the matter, DeLauro's statement didn't skate pass conservative Catholics unnoticed.

Conservative commentator Liz Wheeler responded to DeLauro's tweet, writing, "The Catholic Church declares abortion a grave moral evil, a mortal sin, rejecting Christ in the baby killed. You can’t be a Catholic in good standing & support abortion. By supporting abortion, you are rejecting Catholicism & Christ. I encourage—& pray—you will go to confession."

Mark Hemingway, senior writer at RealClearInvestigations, tweeted, "I don’t have any idea what 'fundamental' is supposed to mean here, but the literal tenets of her faith say abortion is a serious sin."

— (@)

Historian and former White House speechwriter Joshua Charles wrote, "You know who was also a Catholic—baptized, raised, and confirmed? Adolf Hitler. But he utterly repudiated the Faith, and became an apostate in both word and deed. Like you. You don’t get to determine what the Catholic Faith is. Jesus Christ does, through the Church. Repent."

Daily Signal reporter Mary Margaret Olohan stressed, "This is complete BS. Catholicism declares abortion a grave moral evil."

Fr. Ryan Hilderbrand of St. Matthew's Parish in Mt. Vernon, Indiana, tweeted, "Just as she has her areas of competence (in which mine is a voice of ignorance, not expertise), so too my area of competence is the fundamental tenets of the Catholic Faith. The Faith compels one to prevent murder, not facilitate it."

Dr. Thomas Carr, a theologian at the Dominican House of Prayer, highlighted the findings from a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, which found that 70% of American Catholics who attend Mass weekly or more often recognize that "human life begins at conception, so a fetus is a person with rights."

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This Is Your Sign To Catechize Your Kids — And Yourself

Never underestimate the magnitude of forces 'seeking to devour' your children. They will be catechized. Make sure it's in truth.

Biden says the Catholic Church wouldn't agree with Lindsey Graham's abortion bill



On September 13, Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham (S.C.) introduced a bill entitled "Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act." The proposed bill would prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.

This week, President Joe Biden, the second self-declared Catholic president in U.S. history, discussed Graham's bill when speaking to a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in New York. He said, "I happen to be a practicing Roman Catholic. ... My church doesn't even make that argument now."

The claim that pro-abortion policies comport with church teaching or that the act itself is regarded as permissible by the church, though both have been repeated by other Democrat politicians and are potentially politically expedient, is wrong, at least according to the pope and the church.

Not according to the pope

Earlier this summer, Pope Francis referred to Biden's support for abortion as "incoherent." Referring to an unborn baby, the pope said, "There is human life. Is it fair to eliminate a human life?"

In 2018, Pope Francis answered in the negative, claiming it is wrong to take a human life, regardless of what age or stage of development it is in. "Getting rid of a human being is like resorting to a contract killer to solve a problem."

The pope added, "How can an act that suppresses an innocent and helpless life as it blossoms be therapeutic, civil or, simply, humane?"

Pope John Paul II, recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 2014, condemned abortion and euthanasia as moral "crimes," which he suggested had been misconstrued as individual rights in a growing "culture of death."

Building on his predecessor's thematics, Pope Francis has since criticized a "culture of indifference and waste" and urged families not to allow themselves "to be poisoned by the toxins of selfishness."

"We are victims of the throwaway culture. ... Today [abortion] has become a 'normal' thing," he said in an address on September 27, 2021, "a habit that is very bad; it is truly murder."

This summer, the pope told Reuters that he respects the Supreme Court's June 24 ruling, which overturned Roe v. Wade. While admitting he did not understand the full legal significance of the court's ruling from a "technical point of view," he emphasized that abortion "is a problem."

He suggested that the science is clear. "Science today and any book on embryology ... tells you that 30 days after conception there is DNA and the laying out already of all the organs. ... It's a human life — that's science. The moral question is whether it is right to take a human life to solve a problem."

While aboard the papal airplane on September 15, Pope Francis said, "It is true that the West degenerates. ... The West has taken the wrong paths." Contrary to Biden's suggestion, the Roman pontiff stated, "If you kill — with motivation, yes — in the end you will kill more. It’s not human. Let’s leave killing to the animals."

Not according to the Catholic Church

"The Catechism of the Catholic Church" is an official document that summarizes the main beliefs of the Catholic Church. It indicates the church's explicit condemnation of abortion along with its procurement, its provision, and its support. Furthermore, it indicates that those who formally cooperate in an abortion are excommunicated and thereby cut off of from the church.

With scriptural and theological reasons and corroborates also provided, the catechism states the following :

  • "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception" (2270);
  • "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law" (2271);
  • "Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life" (2272);
  • "The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin" (2273); and
  • "Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being" (2274).

According to its catechism, the Catholic Church not only condemns abortion of the kind Graham's bill seeks to ban, but would similarly support the prohibition of abortions before 15 weeks, including the killing of embryos.

American bishops speak out

After the Dobbs decision, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore issued a statement saying, "In response to the Dobbs decision, I called for the healing of wounds and repairing of social divisions ... and for coming together to build a society and economy that supports marriages and families, and where every woman has the support and resources she needs to bring her child into this world in love."

\u201cBishop Chairman Responds to Executive Order on Abortion Access | Background resources and full statement by Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore here: https://t.co/YcNdUXg7dX\u201d
— U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (@U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) 1657399465

Furthermore, he said, "It is deeply disturbing and tragic that President Biden is choosing instead to use his power as President of the United States to promote and facilitate abortion in our country, seeking every possible avenue to deny unborn children their most basic human and civil right, the right to life."

Archbishop Lori said that after the Dobbs ruling, Biden sought to use "the power of the executive branch ... to facilitate the destruction of defenseless, voiceless human beings."

In August, responding to Biden's executive order facilitating abortion, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities stated: "Continued promotion of abortion takes lives and irreparably harms vulnerable pregnant mothers, their families, and society. It is the wrong direction to take at a moment when we should be working to support women and to build up a culture of life.

In 2008, then-Vice President Joe Biden was similarly called out by Bishop Joseph Martino (now bishop emeritus). "I cannot have a vice president-elect coming to Scranton to say he's learned his values there when those values are utterly against the teachings of the Catholic Church."

At the time, Kansas City's Archbishop Joseph Naumann said of self-declared Catholic politicians who support abortion: "They cannot call themselves Catholics when they violate such a core belief as the dignity of the unborn."

Graham's bill

According to Graham, by adopting his bill, "We would be in the mainstream of most everyone else in the world. ... There are 47 of 50 European countries that have banned abortion from 12 to 15 weeks."

Graham explained the significance of the 15-week mark. Besides the fact that over 90% of abortions in the U.S. are executed before 15 weeks, it is at that point in a pregnancy that "science tells us" that unborn babies have the requisite nerve endings to feel pain.

He asked, "If you need to provide anesthesia to keep the baby from feeling pain to help save its life, should we as a nation be aborting babies that can feel excruciating pain from an abortion?"

Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, claimed, "Politicians voting against this bill will stand against science and the American public, not to mention compassion for women and babies."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another self-declared Catholic who has suggested it is "sinful" to restrict abortion, suggested that Graham's bill is the product of "those in the party that think life begins at a candlelight dinner the night before," those she would also refer to as "extreme MAGA Republicans."

The bill, as proposed, would, among other things, eliminate "particularly gruesome or barbaric medical procedures," preserve "the integrity of the medical profession," and mitigate fetal pain.