Boston cardinal: Approval of health-care agency’s state contract not final

March 13, 2009

As Massachusetts regulators approved a joint venture between the Archdiocese of Boston’s health-care agency and hospitals that provide abortion, Cardinal Sean O’Malley issued a statement saying that he has not issued his final approval:

While I appreciate the opportunity given to Caritas Christi to serve the poor through this agreement, I wish to reaffirm that this agreement can only be realized if the moral obligations for Catholic hospitals as articulated in the Ethical and Religious Directives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops are fulfilled at all times and in all cases. In order to assure me that this agreement will provide for the integrity of the Catholic identity and practices of Caritas Christi Health Care System, I have asked the National Catholic Bioethics Center to review the agreement and to assure me that it is faithful to Catholic principles.

 

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Further information:

• Cardinal warns Caritas approval not final (Boston Globe)
• Mass. regulators OK joint Caritas-Centene healthcare venture (Boston Globe)
• Boston Catholic health-care agency wins state contract- including abortion coverage (CWN)
• Cardinal to seek advice from bioethics center on health care proposal (The Pilot)