Catholic Charities of the East Bay (CCEB) in California is remaining firm in its conviction against referring teenage victims of sex trafficking for contraception and abortions at a new facility, while emphasizing that medical care is not the new facility’s primary mission.
“We are not licensed to provide medical services,” said Mary Kuhn, spokesperson for CCEB. “We provide therapeutic services, shelter, case manage, and make sure the girls are getting either homeschooling or the right school, all of that…We’re not involved in their medical decisions.”
Catholic Charities is planning to open a home for teenage victims of sex trafficking, but has faced opposition from neighbors and critics who oppose the Church’s teaching on contraception and abortion.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the planned home will house up to 12 teenage sex-trafficking victims, ages 12 to 17, in Sequoyah, a forested neighborhood of the eastern Oakland hills. The facility, a former rectory, is still awaiting state approval to begin operations.
Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley had approached the diocese with an initiative to tackle human trafficking in the area. The new facility will be named “Claire’s House,” after O’Malley’s mother.
The young people that the house will be serving will primarily be referred to the house by the county social services agency, and will be children that are already in the foster care system.
In alignment with Catholic teaching on the immorality of artificial contraception and abortion, the facility will not make appointments for clients at clinics that provide contraception or abortion and will also not provide transportation to those facilities.
Instead, the home will post a sign in a common area that explains the teens’ medical options. It will be up to the teens’ parents or guardians to arrange for abortion or contraception if they so choose.
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
I suppose a good question would be why is posting a sign in a common area explaining medical options even necessary? Is that sign mandated by the state or county? At what point does being constantly reminded of “medical options” stop being a reminder and begin being a suggestion?
The wolves lie in wait, knowing that some of these girls will get pregnant, and they can corrupt them further.
Hey people! there is not one of us who does not have a rapist, or should I say rapists, in our background after these thousands of years of our ancestors having lived on earth. Rape is a terrible thing, but punishing the child for the sins of the fathers does not help the cause, and the contraceptive pill is a carcinogen (cancer causing). Which one of our ancestors should have been aborted?????
By the way, Planned Parenthood rarely, if ever, reports statutory rape. The whole idea is to get rid of the “evidence”.aka the child.
I did not mean to judge harshly those women who have had abortions under such conditions, but I do wonder how many would have had abortions if their families and others had supported them to carry the child to term and possibly adopt out. I just want people to stop and think about what they are advocating when they encourage such a procedure that kills the child in a horrible manner and is dangerous for the woman too.
As far as any guilt on the part the woman, I will leave that judgement up of God..
Another indicator of the crazy world we live in: a former employee of Catholic Charities is concerned that these victims of sexual trafficking will not have access to contraception and abortion. Was Ms. Persson a Catholic? Is she familiar with the teachings of the Catholic Church regarding the sanctity of human life and abortion? Has she not thought through about what these girls really need? Perhaps a stable environment provided by adults with good boundaries who really care for them?
Ingrid Persson should be excommunicated