Abp. John Vlazny directs Catholic Community Services to sever ties...

... with United Way, new sugar daddy for Planned Parenthood here in western Oregon. From today's edition of my local newspaper, The Register Guard:

The Catholic Community Services Board has decided to immediately forswear the use of United Way dollars for its charity work because United Way of Lane County gives money to Planned Parenthood.

The discussion began in March after Archbishop John Vlazny of the Portland Archdiocese visited Eugene to sprinkle holy water around the 58-year-old charity’s new Sixth Avenue service center for homeless and low-income clients.

The visit came just before Planned Parenthood of Southwest Oregon began its first-time offering of the abortion pill, RU-486, which some church leaders regard as the moral equivalent of surgical abortion.

The archbishop advised Catholic Community Services to contact United Way and explain its objections to Planned Parenthood, said Bud Bunce, archdiocese spokesman.

“If there was going to be no changes made, his recommendation was they (Catholic Community Services) would need to withdraw from United Way,” Bunce said. “Planned Parenthood is now offering abortion services in Lane County. Abortions are contrary to Catholic moral teachings.”

The folks from Planned Parenthood, of course, offer the usual opaque, deflective spin on matters:

Planned Parenthood of Southwest Oregon decided to provide the abortion pills at its Eugene and Ashland clinics because agency leaders could see that abortion would eventually be unavailable as doctors who perform surgical abortions near retirement, said Cynthia Pappas, CEO of Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood has 28,000 clients and eight clinics in Southwest Oregon. The agency offers a wide range of family planning and gynecological services, but it doesn’t provide surgical abortions, Pappas said.

“We are very grateful for our strong relationship with the United Way,” she said. “The money we receive is tied very specifically to education programs and to expansion of our West Eugene Health Center. I want to make sure it’s very clear that we do not use United Way funding to fund abortions.

“There’s a strong connection between unintended pregnancies and the health and financial security of families,” she said. “That’s why the United Way funds Planned Parenthood, and Planned Parenthood does more than any organization to prevent unintended pregnancies. And we’re very proud of that.”

Read the entire piece.

Comments

[mel]

"Planned Parenthood does more than any organization to prevent unintended pregnancies. And we’re very proud of that.”

Really, and how do they measure that?

[Scott]

It's about time. It is not just the direct funding of abortion in local areas but even if you designate your dollars to go to an organization other than PP, a large portion of every donation is skimmed off the top as an "administration fee". These dollars are forwarded to United Way's National organization which in turn gives millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood.