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February 27, 2008

Catholic Dioceses Ask Members Not to Support a Breast-Cancer Charity

Several Catholic dioceses are joining together to discourage their members from supporting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, a charity that fights breast cancer, the Associated Press reports.

The groups, which include dioceses in Charleston, Little Rock, and Phoenix, have taken issue with the foundation’s support for the organization Planned Parenthood. The Komen charity provides Planned Parenthood with money to finance breast exams and to offer education to women in its clinics.

A diocese statement, however, says that donors “cannot control how an organization designates its funds” and that such support “directly frees up funds to support other areas of an organization’s agenda.” Marianne Linane, director of the diocese’s “respect life” office, said those other agendas include abortions and contraceptive services, which the church opposes.

Rebecca Gibson, a spokeswoman for the Komen foundation, said that Planned Parenthood received less than 1 percent of the $69.6-million the foundation awarded for education and screening programs during 2007.

“I think it’s just really unfortunate undue attention is being shed on organizations that are providing vital services in those communities,” Ms. Gibson said.

Wednesday February 27, 2008 | Permalink

Comments

1. What part of “restricted funds” does the Catholic Church not understand? The Korman Foundation provides funds “to finance breast exams and to offer education to women in its clinics.”
   Sounds like restricted funds to me.

   — jim boin    Feb 27, 02:00 PM    #

2. Shame, shame on the Catholic Church yet again. If only THEY would help provide such vital services to women in need. If only…

   — Vicki Joseph    Feb 27, 03:24 PM    #

3. Lots of sadness has been generated via religion – and not just by radical fundamentalists advocating suicide bombings. Mother Teresa claimed it more acceptable for poor sick mothers in Calcutta to die giving birth to children who could not survive, than to provide them birth control – and many millions of dollars have been rasied in her name.

   — Denise K. Maguire    Feb 27, 04:02 PM    #

4. Planned Parenthood has centers in only 13 percent of U.S. counties by its own admission. Plenty of other options exist for women to receive breast exams and education. The Catholic Church can provide funds for breast exams to lots of other organizations that do not abort hundreds of thousands of unborn children every year.

   — Bill Poehler    Feb 27, 06:04 PM    #

5. The point is, restricted funds or not, any money given to Planned Parenthood supports abortion and artificial contraception. Both are anti- life and ANTI-WOMAN. I have fought this battle in my local diocese, and we are close to a similar victory here. Komen refuses to tell women that having an abortion increases their risk of getting breast cancer. Stop abortion, drastically reduce breast cancer. But they won’t spread the word, the question must be WHY? Why would a group ‘committed’ to reducing breast cancer NOT educate women on this vital fact? Think on that one for a while….

   — Irene Alderman    Feb 27, 07:19 PM    #

6. Um, probably because it’s not a fact at all. Much less a vital one.

   — Dennis    Feb 27, 08:39 PM    #

7. Irene – Dennis is right, your “fact” isn’t a fact at all. Komen relies upon and dessiminates thoroughly proven, clinically-driven scientific information in helping women prevent and early detect BrCa. It’s no wonder Komen – or any other science-based organization – won’t spread this unproven propaganda as fact.

   It is a crying shame that one-issue fanatics are acting against the best interests of women everywhere, simply because of Komen’s funding of mammograms through PP – in areas wherein PP is the sole or best provider of mammos.

   Presumably, the Catholic Church prefers that women in those localities forego their mammos, a proven, life-saving technology? As a woman and a BrCa survivor, this saddens me beyond words.

   — Terri    Feb 28, 09:30 AM    #

8. Irene, the point REALLY is that you are never going to open your eyes past the abortion issue. You and your religous zealot clones won’t be happy until the world is ruled by a catholic theocracy. THEN everyone will be happy, right? Once we all find god (or your interpretation of that anyway) all our problems will simply melt away. You are typical of most religious zealots who will simply come up with “facts” out of thin air to try and validate your argument. As long as the vatican refuses to change with the times, membership will continue to dwindle in industrialized nations to the point (I hope) that it simply fades away. If it were up to me, these diocese would lose their tax exemptions for politicizing their churches. Not much chance of that with dubya in the WH.

   — Devil Dog 21    Feb 28, 04:33 PM    #

9. As a practicing Catholic; that is anti-abortion and whose wife died in her 30’s as a result of breast cancer; I am embarrassed that the Church has once again shot itself in the foot. As Jim stated; they’re missing the point about “restricted gifts”; (probably because the emotions are taking over). Speaking of emotions; as to your comments; Irene, spelling everything in caps (or shouting) doesn’t make it correct; and; frankly; weakens your argument. The fact is; according to the NCI; there is no proven link between abortion and breast cancer. Finally, Irene; although this is not a forum for theology; I do feel compelled to mention that my late wife; a stay-at-home mom, and a member of the Catholic Charismatic Movement; never felt less of a woman for practicing birth control after having 4 children.

   — Greg    Feb 28, 05:04 PM    #

10. Good for the Catholic Church. I hope they divert their funds to another organization or hospital that supports breast exams. How can any Catholic support an organization that takes a life. If you believe ALL life is precious you can not defend the actions of Planned Parenthood. No matter what other services they provide.

    — Joe    Feb 29, 05:59 PM    #

11. I was shocked to see that the Catholic church chose to decline education and mammograms for underserved women.

    They seem to turn their heads to other things going on in the Catholic Church with all of their molestations that are occurring.
    Perhaps, they should recommend another charity that would support to provide these much needed services to those women with out insurance and cannot afford these exams.

    — Sherry    Mar 11, 02:44 PM    #

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