Planned Parenthood Thanks Catholic Nuns Who Backed Pro-Abortion Health Care
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
March 29, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The nation’s largest abortion business is thanking a small group of Catholic nuns whose letter endorsing the pro-abortion health care bill is seen by many observers as helping its passage. With their numbers grossly distorted by the mainstream media, the nuns gave Catholic lawmakers cover to vote for the bill.
In an opinion column posted on the pro-abortion Huffington Post last week, Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards praised the sisters from the group Network that signed the letter.
She said they deserve thanks from pro-abortion activists for making “a critical demonstration of support” for the pro-abortion bill via their letter.
Richards applauded how the nuns "broke with the bishops and the Vatican to announce their support for health care reform" at a time when the nation’s Catholic bishops were urging a no vote because of the massive abortion funding and promotion in the legislation.
“This brave and important move, demonstrating that they cared as much about the health care of families in America as they did about church hierarchy, was a critical demonstration of support,” she wrote.
While the USCCB, as Richards wrote, “threatened to bring down health care completely over their narrow demands … these women stood in the way of plenty of men in Congress who were ready to cut a deal, whether with Bart Stupak or the National Conference of Catholic Bishops."
“Bart Stupak may not ask the nuns for advice, as he recently announced to the press, but maybe next time he should,” Richards wrote.
Although mainstream media outlets reported the group of nuns who signed the letter represented 59,000, USCCB spokeswoman Sr. Mary Ann Walsh said Network “grossly overstated” their numbers. There are just 59,000 Catholic sisters total in the United States.
"A recent letter from Network, a social justice lobby of sisters, grossly overstated whom they represent in a letter to Congress that was also released to media," she said. "Network’s letter, about health care reform, was signed by a few dozen people, and despite what Network said, they do not come anywhere near representing 59,000 American sisters."
"The letter had 55 signatories, some individuals, some groups of three to five persons. One endorser signed twice," she noted. "There are 793 religious communities in the United States. The math is clear. Network is far off the mark."
Also, the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious spoke out against the letter endorsing the pro-abortion health care bill, saying it is “directly” opposed to Catholic Church teachings.
The CMSWR represents over 103 women religious communities and 10,000 members.
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