Belmont Abbey College in hot water for daring not to pay for contraception

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in its great wisdom, has determined that Belmont Abbey College discriminated against women when it changed a policy that had previously allowed women to have oral contraception covered by the College's medical plan.

This is discrimination against women, the EEOC says, because only women take oral contraception. Never mind the fact that Belmont Abbey also doesn't pay for male prophylactics (I presume). I guess a group of men haven't filed that suit yet.

It's interesting that Belmont Abbey College, in the policy change I mention above, also ceased paying for voluntary sterilization and abortion. I wonder if the EEOC will next say that excluding abortion as a medical "benefit" equals discrimination as well?

If Belmont Abbey College doesn't re-instate the oral contraception coverage, they could face further legal action from the EEOC. So they could use some prayers, and some free legal advice.

Just another day in the life of an institution trying to be Catholic in the United States....

update - the Cardinal Newman Society has this on their radar:

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has ruled that a small Catholic college must include coverage for artificial contraceptives in its employee health insurance plan, raising new concerns about the need for conscience protections and religious exemptions in America’s health care policies.

The Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) today sent a letter to EEOC acting chairman Stuart Ishimaru, noting that “it is ironic that the federal agency responsible for protecting against discrimination has so blatantly engaged in an inexcusable violation of religious liberty in its Belmont Abbey ruling.”

CNS also is sending a letter to all Catholic bishops in the United States, informing them of the EEOC action against Belmont Abbey College and highlighting the dangerous precedent this ruling sets to force Catholic employers to include contraceptive coverage in employee health plans.

update 2: Patrick Reilly, President of the Cardinal Newman Society, has an op-ed on this ruling against Belmont Abbey College in the Wall Street Journal.

Former Mayor Williams withdraws application after "Internet blogs" voice cocern

A gratifying, but odd, Associated Press update (underlining mine):

"Former Mayor Anthony Williams withdrew his application to join the Order of Malta after members of the Catholic service society complained he shouldn't be allowed to join because he supports abortion rights and protections for gay unions. Williams's critics used Internet blogs to voice their concerns, but order president Noreen Falcone said anonymous postings with incomplete information were unfair to Williams and his sponsors."

1) Yes ... I was one of those critical blogs.
2) Yes ... Williams was totally unacceptable.
3) ... Has anyone heard of a non-Internet blog?!
4) ... well, of course anonymous postings are going to contain misinformation. But what about the on-the-record bloggers? Where they wrong, too? Obviously not. So be willing to take one on the chin when you deserve it.

Sen. Obama and New Jersey Jesuits collaborate

Two forces meet and do the expected (not to mention, dissapointing):

Catholic College in New Jersey is coming under fire from a pro-life group for allowing pro-abortion Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama to hold a rally there last week. On Wednesday, St. Peter’s College, a Jesuit Catholic institution, allowed Obama to address a large crowd there.

Media estimates indicated Obama greeted more than 4,500 people at the rally, but Patrick Reilly, the president of the Cardinal Newman Society, said the college was irresponsible for giving a pro-abortion politician a forum there.

“It’s irresponsible for a Catholic college and its leadership to host a political rally for an aggressively pro-abortion candidate,” he told LifeNews.com in a statement Monday.

[More from LifeNews.com]

Update: "Obama appearance at Catholic college sparks protest" (CNA).

"Phan-atic" Georgetown Prof. corrected by USCCB doctrine committee

Since I'm crunched for time today, just the links:

• CNA: Bishops’ Doctrine Committee corrects theologian for relativistic book
• CNS: Theologian's book could mislead faithful, bishops' committee says
• Zenit: U.S. Bishops' Statement on Book of Father Peter Phan [of Georgetown.]
• John Allen: U.S. bishops fault Phan for 'considerable confusion' on Christ, non-Christian religions

Previously reported back in early September, when he was being investigated by CDF.

Amnesty International digs in its heels, cites uptick in donations

The head of Amnesty International in the UK has condemned as "nonsensical" the Catholic church's attack on its decision to support abortion in the case of rape, incest or health emergencies.

In her first full interview since a senior Vatican cardinal called on Catholics worldwide to stop donating to the human rights body, Kate Allen defended the change, and revealed that only 222 of the organisation's quarter of a million British members have resigned as a result.

A further 105 have increased their donations in the wake of the claim last June by Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, that Amnesty had "betrayed its mission" on human rights by abandoning its policy of neutrality on abortion in limited circumstances. - UK Guardian

Well - *whew* - if the money is still coming in then their decision must be vindicated!

As for being "nonsensical", the Church's position is only "nonsensical" if you disagree with her claim that human life in the womb should never be intentionally destroyed (no matter how it came to be). Which is really to beg the question. Either way, the Church isn't being nonsensical, it just doesn't agree with Amnesty International's way of seeing things. And by the way, Amnesty International used to look at this question same way as the Church.

... so who's really being "nonsensical" now?

Update: Pope Benedict not pleased?

Breaking: Seattle Court: Druggists may withhold "morning-after" pill

The Associated Press:

A federal judge has suspended Washington state's requirement that pharmacists sell "morning-after" birth control pills, a victory for druggists who claim their moral objections to the drug are being bulldozed by the government.

In an injunction signed Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton said pharmacists can refuse to sell the morning-after pill if they refer the customer to another nearby source. Pharmacists' employers also are protected by the order.

The complete preliminary injunction of the Judge (PDF format).

Ph/t to reader Sheila Casey for the links.

WI Bishops drop opposition to plan-b bill and Fr. Kubat responds

Franz Klein of The Catholic Beat has published a story he wrote for the Wisconsin Catholic Times.

He explains:

This talk is very notable here in Wisconsin, since our bishops have officially dropped opposition to a bill that will force Catholic hospitals to provide emergency contraception after the administration of a pregnancy test. For reasons Father Kubat lays out quite clearly, this legislation is unacceptable, as is the bishops' current position.

Notable passages:

A doctor who practiced urology in Milwaukee before he became a priest, Father Kubat is a nationally recognized bioethics expert.

“If there’s doubt of fact, you don’t act,” said Father Christopher Kubat, M.D., Oct. 17 in regard to providing the morning-after pill to victims of sexual assault.

Father Kubat said addressing the issue of providing emergency contraception to rape victims is “timely,” given that Wisconsin is currently considering legislation that would require hospitals to administer the morning-after pill, also known as Plan B, to sexual assault victims.

Although the Connecticut law took effect Oct. 1, Father Kubat said Oct. 17 that it’s not too late in Wisconsin, where the proposed law has yet to pass. To help guide bishops, he said the current USCCB statement’s ambiguity on what type of certainty is acceptable before dispensing the potentially fatal morning-after pill needs to be clarified.

But Father Kubat emphasized that “there is no appropriate testing,” and neither would there be appropriate testing until medical science comes up with a way to determine if fertilization has occurred. He said a pregnancy or urinary test won’t show up as positive until two to three weeks after fertilization, and ovulation testing isn’t completely reliable either. “So if you give Plan B,” even if these tests have come back negative, “it could cause an abortion,” he said.

According to Wadas’ testimony, the WCC’s lack of opposition to SB 129/AB 377 is conditioned upon being able to “follow testing protocols that establish with moral certitude that a pregnancy has not occurred.” The WCC argued that pregnancy and ovulation testing can and do establish the necessary certitude that a woman is not pregnant.

But Father Kubat vehemently disagreed. “If we are morally certain about anything, it is that the risk of an abortion using these drugs is significant based on the scientific data presented,” he said. “That’s what we can be morally certain of if we want to talk about moral certainty.”

“If you take an honest look at the scientific data, reliable testing” to establish absolute certitude “does not exist,” Father Kubat added. “But now, unfortunately, most hospitals regularly dispense emergency contraception, including Catholic hospitals.”

The entire article is worth a read.

It's clear that Catholic hospitals across the country are quickly introducing Plan B into their rape protocols, often through legal coercion. I think this growing movement all the more demands that an official clarification from a competent Ecclesiastical body be issued.

Catholic hospitals must be allowed in law to practice medicine according to their principles and without violating the consciences of prudent physicians and care givers. Catholic hospitals deserve the support of the Church when they attempt to challenge unjust intrusive laws. At the same time, before Catholic workers stick their necks out, they should be told if this is actually an issue that demands their heroic witness.

Mass at the Shrine and meeting Fr. Benedict Groeschel

Today was a good day.

During my lunch break I attended Mass for Festum Omnium Sanctorum at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. I guess it was broadcast on EWTN. If you saw a gangly youth in the back with a red tie, that was me.

Later in the day I was privledged to attend a lecture and Mass celebrated by Fr. Benedict Groeschel of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal at the Catholic Information Center here in DC.

Fr. Groeschel was in town for an event hosted by the Cardinal Newman Society promoting their recently-published guide to choosing a Catholic College. I received a complimentary copy of the excellent resource (now available on Amazon.com), and plan on reading through it this weekend, time permitting.

Fr. Groeschel's best one-liner (of which there were many) went something like this: "You know, if people try Catholicism - they'll discover that it works!" He had some acerbic (and truthful) things to say, but I'll keep those to myself.

Comments were also made during the night's discussion about the conspicuous absence of Jesuit institutions in the list compiled by the Newman Society. I have to say, after blogging for the last two years, it's really a small wonder with all the negative stories that regularly crop-up on Jesuit campuses these days. So. Many. Stories.

In fairness, good news has a hard time making it into my inbox, so if I'm missing anything important, let me know.

I'd like to spread the good word, if it's out there.

November papal prayer intention a medical/legal one

Today's VIS:

Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for November is: "That those dedicated to medical research and all those engaged in legislative activity may always have deep respect for human life, from its beginning to its natural conclusion."

... the "3" of a little 1-2-3 punch, I'd like to think. Or at the very least, consistent solid teaching.

Georgetown funds center for gays / opposes Tridentine Mass

LSN:

The president of prestigious Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic university in the United States, has promised homosexual activists that the school will fully fund a center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and “questioning” (LGBTQ) students by next fall. The pro-homosexual nature of the center is [a] rejection of what is considered serious Catholic moral teaching.

President John DeGioia told media, “How do we respond to legitimate requests for a more supportive environment? We can continue to do this in a somewhat informal manner … or we can move forward in a more organized way, through more formal and institutional structures and processes. In this case, it is time for the latter.”

On Wednesday October 24, DeGioia spoke to an audience of students and faculty expressing his “sadness” that Georgetown has too often been “hostile” toward the homosexual community. The campus newspaper, The Hoya, confirmed in an editorial that DeGioia “repeatedly committed himself” to each of the demands made by the campus homosexual activist group GU Pride.

DeGioia said, “At a Catholic and Jesuit university, [we] cannot advocate for policies or practices that are counter to Catholic teaching. Part of my responsibility as an administrator … is to ensure that nothing can compromise the integrity of our mission and identity.”

The co-president of GU Pride, Scott Chessare, responded by exclaiming “We won!”

Wait a second. Play that back: "At a Catholic and Jesuit university, [we] cannot advocate for policies or practices that are counter to Catholic teaching. Part of my responsibility as an administrator … is to ensure that nothing can compromise the integrity of our mission and identity."

... call me obtuse, but how is funding a campus center for gays (in other words, a univerity-sponsored place where gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered and "questioning" individuals will celebrate their harmful lifestyle instead of receiving the help they need) ... how is that not compromising the integrity of a Catholic and Jesuit mission and identity? Are we reading the same stuff?

Meanwhile, a student at Georgetown writes:

There is a student-led movement for the establishment of a Tridentine Mass at Georgetown. This has been met with stiff opposition by Campus Ministry, who are not exactly amenable to the traditional Mass. The school newspaper The Hoya has just written a story about it, and Fr. Z has picked it up.

If you are involved with Georgetown, it sounds like you have two worthy tasks to choose from.

Lemme know if I can help.

It's "National Coming Out Week", and Boston College is very prepared

Dawn Eden, who works at the Cardinal Newman Society as director of their Love & Responsibility program, notified me about this story (she's flying off to Dublin today and beginning a speaking tour that will also take her to London).

The focus of Dawn's work at CNS involves programs of campus outreach geared to promote Catholic teachings on "sexual ethics, human life, marriage, love, and personal responsibility."

Sadly, there are significant forces at work against this noble project. A case in point?

Boston College's Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Leadership Council is organizing and hosting events campus-wide as part of "National Coming Out Week" as the independent BCHeights reports.

Planned activities include:

• Tuesday night features a panel discussion lead by five professors and staff titled "How to be straight." Perez said, "This event really deals with how to get the community involved. People often support GLBT issues but don't know how to fit it into their day-to-day lives. We want to emphasize how to provide support to the GLBT community even though they might not identify themselves as GLBT."
• An open-mic discussion called "Opening Boston's Closets" takes place on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Chocolate Bar, with students expressing themselves through discussions and performances about issues of sexuality.
• "Guess who's gay," a game-show-themed event aimed at breaking down stereotypes, will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. in Gasson 305. Students will ask non-sexuality-based questions to a panel of participants to try to discern their sexuality.
• The week concludes with a fashion show titled "I feel pretty," to be held in the Cabaret Room at 7 p.m., at which models will each wear an outfit they feel uncomfortable in and one in which they feel like themselves. (Kandrach is also planning on participating in the fashion show as a model. "I'll probably wear the typical BC attire of cargo pants and a polo shirt for my outfit representing the closeted me," he said. "For my other outfit, I'm wearing a crazy rainbow shirt and white denim pants. I do dress flamboyantly normally, but I don't care - that's one of the great aspects of gay men. They just do what they want.")

With a events like this being promoted and hosted throughout BC, it's not hard to see why the services of organizations like the Cardinal Newman Society are so desparately needed.

Here is Boston College's resource page for LGBT Students & Alumni.

From Boston College's "Jesuit, Catholic Tradition: Encountering the World" page:

Boston College is committed to maintaining and strengthening the Jesuit, Catholic mission of the University, and especially its commitment to integrating intellectual, personal, ethical, and religious formation; and to uniting high academic achievement with service to others.

... keep this in mind as you formulate your questions for this week's "Guess Who's Gay" gameshow!

(For a bit more context, blogged in May of last year, it should be remembered that BC is the same university that managed to get 100 of its faculty members to sign a protest letter - originating from its theology department - upon the occasion of Condoleezza Rice's invitation as a commencement speaker, because, the letter claimed, her activity in the Iraq War supposedly conflicted with Catholic and Jesuit principles. If this isn't a clear example of selective concern with Church teaching and Jesuit tradition then I don't know what is.)