In Maine, Bishop Robert Deeley is calling on Congress to de-fund Planned Parenthood in light of the nine videos exposing their organ harvesting business. In a statement, he said, “The videos are shocking. Our elected officials should act to cease funding Planned Parenthood. I call on those who distribute the resources from the taxes we all pay to examine this issue and remove any funding which supports such evil as the harvesting of organs from an unborn child.”
He added, “The videos clearly display the dehumanizing effect that abortion and the scandalous trade of human body parts have on women who have abortions and the unborn whose lives are ended before they see light. This is not health care for women.”
Of course, Planned Parenthood was quick to criticize Bishop Deeley and say women shouldn’t be “shamed or judged” for their abortions. Nicole Clegg, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, said, “Abortion is a deeply personal decision and must be left to a woman, her family and her faith, with the counsel of her doctor or health care provider. Every pregnancy is unique, and every woman’s decision about her pregnancy — whether to parent, choose adoption or have an abortion — should be respected and valued. No woman should feel shamed or judged because of her decision.”
SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must De-Fund Planned Parenthood Immediately
Catholics for Choice agreed and said the following about the bishop’s comments: “It’s abundantly clear and the statistics are stark: What Catholics practice is different than the dictates of the bishops. A long time ago, Catholic women around the world worked out that they can make moral and ethical decisions about sexual and reproductive issues. Catholic women know that they can in good conscience disagree with the hierarchy and still be good Catholics in good faith.”
The president of Catholics for Choice, Jon O’Brien, also mentioned that the Vatican is “adapting” on the issue of abortion. However, this claim is simply not true and Pope Francis denied that exact presumption in 2013. He said, “I want to be completely honest in this regard. This is not something subject to alleged reforms or ‘modernizations’. It is not ‘progressive’ to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life.”
Additionally, although Planned Parenthood and Catholics for Choice believe abortion (and selling aborted babies’ body parts) is totally fine with the Church, a recent survey from the Pew Research Center found that nearly six-in-ten Catholics believe having an abortion is a sin. In fact, 57 percent of Catholics believe having an abortion is a sin, while only 23 percent say it is not. Remarkably, the poll shows that most Americans agree that obtaining an abortion is wrong, with 48 percent saying it is and 22 percent reporting that it is not.
In comments to reporters, Bishop Deeley also mentioned Pope Francis’ pro-life position on abortion. He said, “Pope Francis has called abortion the product of a ‘widespread mentality of profit, the throwaway culture, which has today enslaved the hearts and minds of so many. People have dignity and, in the words of the Holy Father, ‘are worth far more than things and are above price.’”
Catholic U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-Maine) echoed Bishop Deeley’s concerns about Planned Parenthood when asked by Bangor Daily News for a comment. He explained that he sent a letter to U.S. officials urging them to investigate the abortion company. He said, “…I sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services secretary, Sylvia Burwell, demanding a report on how federal tax dollars are distributed to Planned Parenthood and to know what management safeguards are in place to ensure that no federal funding is used for illegal operations.”
The House of Representatives will vote next week on legislation to de-fund the Planned Parenthood abortion business, which has been caught selling aborted babies and their body parts. The House will vote next week on The Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 (H.R. 3134).
Rep. Diane Black, a Tennessee Republican who is the pro-life lawmaker sponsoring the legislation and a nurse for more than 40 years, thanked Speaker John Boehner and Republican leaders in the House for putting together next week’s vote.
Black has written legislation that would freeze Planned Parenthood funding for one year while Congress conducts an investigation into its sales of aborted babies.
“Nearly two months ago, a veil was lifted giving Americans a window into the true heart and soul of Planned Parenthood and implicating the organization in the alleged trafficking of aborted babies’ tissue and organs. This callous disrespect for innocent life is heartbreaking and it demands a response from Congress. Investigations are underway now, but there are more than enough lingering questions to stop the money flow to this abortion giant while Congress conducts a full review of its activities,” Black told LifeNews in a statement.
