Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Catholic Agency Hiring Standards: Richmond

There's a big mess brewing in Virginia, and it's not over yet.

Federal authorities are investigating the actions of a Catholic charity in Richmond which helped a 16-year-old Guatemalan girl to receive an abortion in January, in possible violation of Virginia law.

Officials have called the matter to the attention of U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) headquarters in Washington, urging it to prevent any repetition of the incident.

Four employees of Commonwealth
Catholic Charities, Richmond, (CCR) have been fired and one supervisor with the bishops' Migration and Refugee Services agency has been suspended, according to federal sources and a secret April 29 letter written by three bishops to 350 bishops nationwide.

Well, it's not a secret any more. First exposed by The Wanderer, then by the Washington Times, the story just gets worse and worse.

The Roman Catholic bishop of Richmond was told that a diocesan charity planned to help a teenage foster child get an abortion in January and did not try to prevent the procedure.
Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo "was told erroneously that everything was in place and there was nothing he could do to stop it," said Steve Neill, Bishop DiLorenzo's communications officer. "He is very apologetic about the whole episode.


"It is very awkward, it is very embarrassing. A human life was taken. He certainly has not taken it lightly in any way. He is clearly opposed to abortion."

Mr. Neill said the bishop was informed Jan. 17, the day before an abortion was performed on the 16-year-old Guatemalan girl, who was a foster care client of Commonwealth Catholic Charities of Richmond (CCR), a group incorporated under the diocese.

CCR Executive Director Joanne Nattrass also knew about the planned abortion, Mr. Neill said.
"The director was very upset about it and it clearly went against all she stood for as a director of Catholic Charities," he said.

The Bishop had a FULL DAYS' NOTICE and 'was unable to do anything'?

Who is kidding whom here? How long does it take to fire up the car, get to the CCR office in the SAME town, and slap the living s&^% out of someone?

But this brings up another question: exactly on what basis are CCR employees hired? On the basis of having an advanced degree in Social Work?

Or having a 5th-grade understanding of morals?

2 comments:

Al said...

The whole story from the Diocese doesn't pass the smell test for me.

The Bishop could have spoken out, he copped out instead.

& why didn't the executive director do anything?

It sounds to me like the excuses etc are all spin to cover up everyone who should have done something's not doing so. The Bishop should resign immediately.

Lord have mercy on them all.

Joe of St. Thérèse said...

Deposition of Bishops time!