DEACON FOR LIFE

Were there to be no support in the whole history of ethical and moral thought, were there no acknowledged confirmation from medical science, were the history of legal opinion to the contrary, we would still have to conclude on the basis of God's Holy Word that the unborn child is a person in the sight of God. He is protected by the sanctity of life graciously given to each individual by the Creator, Who alone places His image upon man and grants them any right to life which they have.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Catholic Colorado Governor Signs Bill Mandating Catholic Hospitals Provide Abortion Drug

Governor Ritter, a Roman Catholic, ran as a pro-life candidate in last fall's election.

By Gudrun Schultz

DENVER, Colorado, March 16, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Colorado Catholic hospitals must offer abortifacient drugs to victims of rape under a controversial new law signed by Gov. Bill Ritter Thursday, the Denver Post reported earlier today.

Although Senate Bill 60 contains an exception allowing physicians or medical practitioners who object to the drug on religious or moral grounds to opt out of recommending it, all hospitals, including Catholic, are required to retain staff that will offer information on so-called "emergency contraception."

Colorado Right to Life opposed the law, saying the drug is falsely marketed as contraception when in fact it can cause early-stage abortion. Pro-life groups had successfully lobbied against previous versions of the bill, under the administration of former Republican Gov. Bill Owens.

"We reject the claim that it is emergency contraception because we know that in many cases…it prevents implantation of a newly created embryo, and that's a human life," said Leslie Hanks with Right to Life.

Additionally, opponents of the bill said the measure should have included a clause requiring that parents be informed before the information was given to minor girls.

"The problem is circumventing the parents in giving this very important information," said Rep. Marsha Looper. "You don't know what type of religious implications there may be by educating the young lady. I think it's always helpful to have the parents or guardian there," the Colorado Springs Gazette reported.

Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput challenged Ritter in January to ensure his actions as governor reflected his professed Roman Catholic faith. Ritter ran as a pro-life candidate in last fall's election.

"Mr. Ritter's stated commitment to 'restore eligibility requirements for state funding for pregnancy prevention and family planning programs' is seriously flawed public policy," wrote Archbishop Chaput in his column in this week's Denver Catholic Register.

"It's hard to have a future 'for our children and our children's children' without children, and in practice, Planned Parenthood specializes in the business of preventing them," the archbishop stated, referring to Ritter's pledge to create a better future for coming generations, in his State of the State address last week.

To contact Gov. Bill Ritter:
Bill Ritter, Governor
136 State Capitol
Denver, CO 80203-1792
Phone (303) 866-2471
governor.ritter@state.co.us

See related LifeSiteNews coverage:

Denver Archbishop Challenges Governor Over Proposed Funding to Abortion Clinics
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jan/07011701.html

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"In Cordibus Jesu et Mariae"

LIFE IS SACRED

An example of the traditional magisterial teaching which indicates that it is never morally licit to intentionally kill a child through abortion in order to “save the life of its mother” comes from the teaching of Pope Pius XII:

“Every human being, even the infant in the mother's womb, has the right to life immediately from God, not from the parent or any human society or authority. Therefore, there is no man, no human authority, no science, no medical, eugenic, social, economic or moral ‘indication’ that can show or give valid juridical title for direct deliberate disposition concerning an innocent human life-which is to say, a disposition that aims at its destruction either as an end in itself or as the means of attaining another end that is perhaps in no way illicit itself. Thus, for example, to save the life of the mother is a most noble end, but the direct killing of the child as a means to this end is not licit.”