California Catholic Daily exclusive.
On June 23, two of Planned Parenthood’s top officials, Sue Dunlap and Kathy Kneer, will be leading a discussion on ‘women’s healthcare’ at Our Lady of Angels Cathedral Plaza.
“Uncertain Times: Charting the Path Forward for Women’s Health” will be part of the Policy Café series hosted by the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles. According to the event page, tickets include parking at the Cathedral and breakfast.
The Community Clinic Association describes Kneer and Dunlap as two of California’s leading women’s health advocates. Kneer, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, and Dunlap, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles have both worked for over twenty years to expand abortion access in California. It can be assumed that women’s health means access to abortion and contraception in this context.
Kneer is described in her bio as having worked to expand access to the abortion pill and early abortion care. She was campaign chair for the Campaign for Teen Safety, the organization that worked to defeat three pro-life parental notification initiatives, Propositions 73, 85 and 4. These initiatives were supported by California bishops, including Los Angeles archbishop Jose Gomez. In fact, in 2012 the archbishop encouraged signature gathering for the parental notification initiative, and many were collected at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Dunlap heads one of the largest Planned Parenthood affiliates in the country that performs thousands of abortions each year. She is a registered lobbyist for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and works towards furthering abortion access across the country. Dunlap was recently a featured speaker at the LA Pride Dyke March in West Hollywood.
The event space for the upcoming Policy Café meeting was designed for “not only for a multitude of liturgical uses, but also for civic and cultural events, informal gatherings, and solitary prayer and contemplation”. It is “part of the cathedral” and is not considered a separate complex, according to the church office.
It is unclear who decided that the pro-abortion discussion should be held on the Cathedral grounds.
Update 6/21: The Archdiocese of Los Angeles issued the following statement regarding “Uncertain Times: Charting the Path Forward for Women’s Health”: “this was not a Cathedral or Archdiocesan event. The Archdiocese became aware of the matter yesterday evening. The event will not be taking place at the Center on the Cathedral Plaza.”
Oh, but as long as we’re welcoming (illegal) immigrants everything’s cool with the archbishop.
Seriously, Archbishop Gomez has been a total failure. The Religious Ed Congress is a heterodox mess, gays have infiltrated the chancery and have established significantly influential presences in parishes and Catholic schools, there is white flight and youth and young adult flight from attending Mass and going to confession, and now the cathedral complex will host a banquet and forum dedicated to the slaughter of unborn babies. Time for a catastrophic earthquake to reduce the cathedral to rubble.
Covfefe, You should not say that
Arch Gomez is ” a total failure ”
A colossal failure is more accurate.
So deeply disappointing.- He is a
champion of mediocrity, when defence
of the Faith is called for.
TIs there going to be Equal Time for Pro-Life Speakers at their events?
Or is this just another Our Way or the Highway scam – part of the Pander or Perish Pogrom?
What’s next? Will they be performing abortions in the Cathedral?
This is just terrible beyond belief! Where is Archbishop Gomez, to loudly say “NO!”??? I once happened to see a similar event being set up at a major cathedral in which I once was involved. I went straight to the Archbishop’s office, just as the set-up by the evil organization was taking place, and all the guests were starting to arrive. In deep horror, I told them what was happening. It was revealed to me, that this horrible group PAID MONEY to rent the cathedral space! I was in tears– and next, they canceled the event, and sent everyone home! The employees administrating the cathedral and grounds rentals- were also not Catholic, and didn’t care what they did!
Good for you Linda Maria. You spoke up when it was necessary to do so. Brothers and sisters in Christ when you see mortal sin being promoted it is your duty as a Roman Catholic to stand up and proclaim the word of God even if it is unpopular to do so. This is a public scandal for a Catholic Church to allow this event to place on its property. As Pope John Paul ll declared, “Be not Afraid.” Let your voices be heard loud and clear. The abortion of unborn baby children cries out to Heaven for God’s mighty and powerful wrath and judgement. End abortion now! Adoption is the loving option. Pray America Pray.
Is there no Fear of the Lord?
Blood money!
I was baptized a Catholic less than one month after my birth; by the grace of God I have been a practicing Catholic all of my life; I don’t know where the Church is going these days. My faith is in the Lord Jesus and not in any man, else I would leave the Church that I no longer recognize. Starting from the top down, I have begun praying that the Lord Jesus will call Pope Francis home to himself before he does any more damage to the Church. I pray that he enjoys the grace of a happy death. I pray also that our next Pope will be someone more traditional that will crack the whip and make these Bishops and Archbishops responsible or lose their jobs. LORD JESUS, SAVE YOUR CHURCH!
UPDATE [from Church Militant], June 20, 2017: Los Angeles archdiocesan spokesman Adrian Marquez Alarcon responded to Church Militant’s inquiries Tuesday afternoon in an email: “The Archdiocese became aware of the matter yesterday evening. The event will not be taking place at the Center on the Cathedral Plaza.”
Could someone please tell us what Planned Parenthood considers Women’s Health Care. They do not own one Mammogram x ray machine. Their main purpose in life to perform abortions and dispense contraceptives.
Every now and then incompetence just rises up and slaps you in the face. Who, at a Catholic Cathedral of all places, would allow a gathering in which the lead speakers were anti-Catholic in their beliefs and practices? This, supposedly, is a conference on women’s health issues. That’s OK, If the subject is health. It’s no OK if “health” includes abortion or if the speakers are leaders in the pro-abortion movement and industry. Someone at the Cathedral must be responsible for approving who gets to use the facility and under what conditions. This meeting doesn’t meet the smell test. Could it be that the Archbishop doesn’t know what is going on or that he trusts others too much to do what is right without verifying?
Bob One, it’s almost sweet how naive you are. “Women’s Health” always means abortion unless another illness or condition is specifically mentioned.
I agree with Bob One. Clearly the Archdiocese needs tighter procedures to fully vett organizations and speakers when they first apply. Sounds like if two more days had passed, the event would have been held on Cathedral grounds. The optics of this are not favorable to the Cathedral staff.
“This meeting doesn’t meet the smell test.” B-1
For once – we agree.
The question is should we hold our noses and donate to their ‘appeals’ anyway – or vote with our attendance by seeking Authentic Catholic places of Worship
Why is this still up? Click bait?! Shame on you for continuing to spread this story. It was a mistake that has already been corrected, but your headline — which you know is what most people read– does not reflect the correction. W
Angela, It still warrants criticism for ever having happened in the first place. We need to raise the bar for Our bishops and their badly informed priests and employees NOT
lower it. Our Catholic Church is meant to be the ” flagstaff of truth” not the Planned Parent opposite.
Whoever allowed this to be scheduled in the first place, I mean the whole chain of staff, needs to be fired.