Statement by Massachusetts Citizens for Life
Massachusetts Citizens for Life sent a letter on Thursday to the President and CEO of Caritas Christi, Dr. Ralph de la Torre, requesting a meeting as soon as possible to address the concerns members of the organization have about the Caritas Christi joint venture with Centene Corporation that offers insurance through the Commonwealth Care Health Plan.
Caritas Christi has said it will provide a full range of family planning services. The public has learned that this terminology is code for abortion and abortion-related services. Mass. Citizens sought the meeting to give Caritas Christi the chance to refute these assumptions and to assure the general public that it would not be providing such services.
Since we have not heard from Dr. de la Torre, Mass. Citizens must regretfully assume that, in fact, Caritas Christi would abandon its twenty-three year commitment to protecting the lives of unborn babies and their mothers.
Our members will be contacting the offices of Caritas individually to express their outrage that Caritas would take this anti-life position.
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Massachusetts Citizens For Life was incorporated in 1973 and is the Commonwealth's largest pro-life organization. MCFL, which is non-sectarian, is an affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee.
Mass Citizens for Life, Schrafft Center 529 Main St., Charlestown, MA 02129-1100. www.masscitizensforlife.org
March 5, 2009
Caritas Christi
Dr. Ralph de la Torre, President
736 Cambridge Street
Boston, MA 02135
Dear Dr. de la Torre,
Last night the Executive Board of Massachusetts Citizens for Life met because of our concern over the proposed state contract bid by the Centene Corporation/Caritas Christi joint venture to offer insurance in the Commonwealth Care Health Plan.
For the twenty three years Caritas Christi has been in existence, we, and hundreds of thousands of other Massachusetts residents, have had great respect and gratitude for the Caritas Christi hospitals, knowing they were leaders in the Culture of Life, not only offering superb health care but not aborting babies, referring mothers for abortions, or providing abortifacients. Indeed, I am personally very grateful. My husband and I switched out of his MIT Health Plan at cost and hassle so that we could go to Saint Margaret’s instead of Brigham and Women’s because we knew we could trust the neonatologists at St Margaret’s.
At our meeting, all members of the Board expressed concern about your statement that you, “will contract with providers, both in and out of the Caritas network, to ensure access to all services required by the Authority, including confidential family planning services”. In our experience that terminology is code for abortions and abortion-related services.
Massachusetts already has the seventh highest abortion rate in the country. We are very concerned that Caritas Christi may be abandoning its practices supporting all unborn life. This would be a loss not only to the pro-life community, but also to the distinct gifts Caritas brings to the culture here in Massachusetts.
We find it unusual that there has been such a lack of public clarification of your position and no mention of conscience rights for Caritas workers. We, therefore, request a meeting with you at your earliest possible convenience. Since state regulators will be voting on this next Thursday, it is imperative that your position be clarified as soon as possible.
We look forward to meeting with you about your agreement with Centene, and your proposed role in the Commonwealth Care Program.
Sincerely yours,
Anne Fox
President
Cc: Cardinal Sean O’Malley
Mass. Citizens is still waiting to hear about our request for a meeting with Caritas Christi. Many people have called Caritas Christi. They have not felt that their concerns were answered. They have been told to email their concerns to CaritasMission@caritaschristi.org. Please do that as soon as possible.
We have posted our response to Obama's opening the way for tax funded experimentation on human embryos and to "therapeutic" cloning. He specifically ruled out "reproductive" cloning. That means he plans to clone but kill the little ones early on. There is already a move in Congress to remove the current cloning ban. Obama Abortion Agenda
Five Questions
New questions arise about Caritas Christi
One week after receiving state approval for the Caritas Christi / Centeme partnership but before the recommendations of the National Catholic Bioethics Center have reached the Cardinal, Caritas Christi has started a vigorous ad campaign. Double full page ads appeared Thursday in daily papers in Boston and online. View the ad below
Massachusetts Citizens for Life has asked to meet with Caritas Christi to clarify their statement that they will provide a full range of "reproductive health services".
Although Caritas Christi has not yet responded to this request, Cardinal O'Malley has assured the public that partnership can go forward only if it receives approval from the NCBC.
Mass. Citizens for Life still questions the statement about full reproductive health care. The organization now has another serious concern. Caritas Christi has mounted an expensive and well planned advertising campaign. Why is the campaign starting now before the NCBC response?
Many individual members of Mass Citizens have responded negatively to the ads. We have grouped their questions into five areas of concern.
There are now more questions than ever! Please email http://www.bostoncatholic.org/About-The-Archdiocese/Contact-Us.aspx?id=262 Ask how this campaign could have started when the Cardinal has said the partnership can go forward only if it receives approval from the National Catholic Bioethics Center.
Caritas Christi: where is the opinion from the National Catholic Bioethics Center?
On Monday, March 30, Mass. Citizens fot Life sent a letter to Cardinal Sean asking about the Caritas Christi / Centene opinion he had solicited from the National Catholic Bioethics Center three weeks ago. As of the close of business on Thursday, April 2, we have not received an acknowledgement. We feel the question is too important to languish, so we are making the letter public.
Archdiocese of Boston March 30, 2009
66 Brooks Drive
Braintree, MA 02184
Dear Cardinal Sean,
I am writing to you about your request to the National Catholic Bioethics Center for an opinion on the Caritas Christi / Centene partnership.
As we are sure you know, we at Massachusetts Citizens for Life have the most sincere admiration and gratitude for your commitment to life at all stages of development. We have taken great comfort in your assurance that the partnership can go forward only if it receives approval from the NCBC.
We have always had immense respect for the pro-life position and practices of Caritas Christi. We have been confused by their aggressive advertising campaign which is proceeding as though there were no question about the partnership.
Some of us, including myself, have studied with the NCBC, are certified by them, and have a sense of how they proceed. We are truly amazed that we have not heard the results of their work by now. It would seem that their opinion must be imminent.
The state of uncertainty in the pro life community as well as in the Catholic community is most unfortunate. We certainly hope we will be informed of the NCBC opinion expeditiously.
Please be assured of our best wishes for a blessed Easter season.
With sincerest thanks,
Anne Fox,
President, Massachusetts Citizens for Life
