March 10, 2006 - Statement By Archbishop Seán O'Malley on Catholic Charities Decision To Withdraw From Adoption Services
Most Catholic Charities in the United States had their beginnings in providing adoption services for children from Catholic working class families who had lost their parents. Prior to Catholic Charities providing adoption services, the state might have placed these children in non-Catholic homes. Excercising constitutionally guaranteed religious freedom, Catholic Charities stepped forward to provide placement for orphaned children in a manner that was in accord with the faith and religious practice of the children´s parents. Over time, Catholic Charities expanded its adoption services so as to provide placement services for children of many faiths and circumstances, always seeking to care for the children. Sadly, we have come to a moment when Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Boston must withdraw from the work of adoptions, in order to exercise the religious freedom that was the prompting for having begun adoptions many years ago. As Fr. Bryan Hehir, President of Catholic Charities, and Mr. Jeffrey Kaneb, Chair of the Board, have assured all concerned parties, Catholic Charities will fulfill its contract obligations to the state during the time of withdrawing from adoption services, and will always hold the interests of the children to be paramount.
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