Because of the Illinois legislature’s failure to enact an explicit amendment to the new Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act, Catholic Citizens of Illinois commends the action taken by the Diocese of Rockford to discontinue offering state-funded adoption and foster care services. See:http://www.rockforddiocese.org/
Frank Vonch, director of the Rockford Catholic Charities stated, “The agency is being forced to opt out of contracting with the State of Illinois for these services because of the Illinois legislature’s failure to enact an explicit amendment to the new Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act. The failed Amendment would have allowed Catholic Charities to refer unmarried, cohabitating couples, whether same-sex or opposite sex, to other agencies so as to not violate the teachings of the Catholic faith when the Civil Unions law goes into effect on June 1.”
The Rockford Agency handles approximately 350 foster family and adoption cases in 11 counties in northern Illinois with a state budget of $7.5 million. 58 caseworkers will be terminated due to this decision. The agency is determined to do everything possible to help them find employment.
“Legally, albeit emotionally painful, we determined this was the right decision to make for the moral and financial future of the Diocese of Rockford,” said diocesan general counsel Ellen Lynch.
“The law of our land has always guaranteed its people freedom of religion. Denying this exemption to faith-based agencies leads one to believe that our lawmakers prefer laws that guarantee freedom FROM religion. We simply cannot compromise the spirit that motivates us to deliver quality, professional services to families by letting our state define our religious teachings,” said Penny Wiegert, diocesan director of communications.”
In the encyclical by Pope John Paul II (Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons), he stated: “As experience has shown, the absence of sexual complementarity in these unions creates obstacles in the normal development of children who would be placed in the care of such persons. They would be deprived of the experience of either fatherhood or motherhood. Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would actually mean doing violence to these children, in the sense that their condition of dependency would be used to place them in an environment that is not conducive to their full human development.”
A spokesperson for Chicago Catholic Charities stated that their agency will continue to work with “married” couples seeking adoption and will continue their policy of referrals to other agencies for those not “married.”
“All faith-based agencies that offer adoption and foster care services will be called upon to make these difficult decisions in keeping with the teachings of their church”, said Mary Anne Hackett, President to Catholic Citizens of Illinois. In the long run, it is the children in need of loving homes that will suffer.”
A Statement on The Catholic Conference of Illinois web site: “Unless more explicit language reflecting the legislative intent of the Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act is enacted, faith-based agencies, including Catholic Charities, will be at risk of impending legal action that aims to close their doors. This will lead to an unnecessary disruption in the lives of thousands of children in Illinois foster care.” http://www.catholicconferenceofillinois.org/newsandlegislativeupdates
A call to repeal the Civil Unions Act has been taken up by the Illinois Family Institute. They offer a free TAKE ACTION fax or e-mail to Governor Quinn and our State Legislators.
Americans for Life and Americans For Truth About Homosexuality have launched the Illinois Defense of Marriage Initiative www.DefendMarriageIl.org and urges all concerned Illinois residents to join their “Citizens’ Petition to Defend Marriage.”
