PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island State Right to Life Committee has condemned State Attorney General Patrick Lynch's decision to join a lawsuit filed January 15 against the federal government over new rules guaranteeing protection for doctors and other health-care workers who refuse to participate in abortions.
Lynch joined Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in the suit along with the attorneys general of five other states: California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Oregon.
The Diocese is disappointed in AG Lynch for joining a lawsuit that works against protecting conscience rights, according to Father Bernard A. Healey, diocesan Government Liaison. “While the folks at Planned Parenthood might be happy with Lynch, I would hope that the top lawyer in Rhode Island would advocate to protect conscience rights for health care workers, not undermine them. The many Catholics and others in the health care industry who morally oppose the killing of unborn children should be protected from being disciplined, fired or worse if they refuse to participate in the evil of abortion. Playing politics with personal conscience is shameful and Rhode Islanders, especially good Catholic nurses, pharmacists and doctors, expect more from their Attorney General,” he said.
The lawsuit stems from regulations published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on December 18, 2008. The regulations require that recipients of federal funds comply with long-standing federal conscience protection laws. Those laws prohibit discrimination against health care professionals who conscientiously object to performing abortions for personal moral reasons.
At issue, RI Right To Life reported, is not the legality of abortion or contraception, but rather the right of doctors, nurses and pharmacists to follow their personal beliefs in deciding whether or not to perform either surgical or chemical abortion – the so-called "Plan B" contraception pill.
Deirdre A. McQuade, the U.S. Catholic bishops' spokesperson on abortion, said "Respect for conscience rights on abortion should be a strong point of agreement among those considering themselves 'pro-life' and 'pro-choice.'"
