The Secularist, The Archbishop, And "Plan C" by Doug Wrenn

The Secularist, The Archbishop, And "Plan C"

By Doug Wrenn

May 11, 2007

Somebody pinch me. I think I'm dreaming. In the same country in which the Kansas City Airport has been allowed to install foot baths in the rest rooms for Muslim taxi drivers in preparation of their prayer, Connecticut legislators under the big tarnished dome in Hartford have decreed that Catholic doctors in Catholic hospitals must help rape victims abort their babies. Constitutionally speaking, this paradox could be called, "The separation of Church and State with an attached on/off switch."

Alas, there are some who get it, some who don't, and some who either don't care or have their own agenda. The consummate illustration of that analogy came to me this week, courtesy of two columns, one written by Gregory Hladky in the May 7th edition of The New Haven Register, and the other by Hartford Archbishop Henry Mansell in the May edition of The Catholic Transcript.

The only credit I can attribute to Hladky is that he at least kept his drivel in an opinion column. This is the kind of bone-headed bilge that The New York Times would plaster all over the front page and try to pass for news.

Hladky joined in on the currently popular Catholic bashing trend by ridiculing and castigating the Catholic Church, saying that it gave itself a "self-inflicted wound," especially after the "publicity about pedophile priests," and that the Church's stance in opposing the recent Plan B controversy in which doctors in Catholic hospitals are now mandated to give the abortifacient drug to rape victims, was "one of the worst public relations moves." Hladky claimed that according to rape counselors, rape victims only had difficulty obtaining the so-called Plan B pill in Catholic hospitals 16 months ago. He also claimed that "activists" conducted a "survey" and found that there was no standard for dealing with rape victims in religious or secular hospitals. He then cited that Catholic dioceses in New York and New Jersey had no objection to a compromised plan of administering Plan B in Catholic hospitals and that "the lack of convincing response" (by the Connecticut dioceses) gave final approval to the bill, which Gov. Rell (no pillar of morality herself) has already waffled on and now promises to sign into law. Being apparently less than satisfied with his ignorant and vitriolic Catholic bashing, Hladky repeated himself by ending his column saying that the Catholic Church hierarchy has again dealt itself "another public relations blow." Those are all mighty strong statements for a guy who spells his own name wrong.

Churches are not like governments, and they are not like the UN. Popularity need not apply, nor is it accepted as a measure of right and wrong. Churches rule by high standards, not by trendy, politically correct, knee-jerk public opinion and moral relativism from such deep thinkers who need to watch Conan O'Brien or Rosie O'Donnell to formulate an opinion. For the same reason, public relations by Hladky's low and shallow bar of being liked is also not on the Church's list of concerns. The Church is about holiness, purity and salvation of souls, including by protecting the sanctity of life. Hladky is also wrong about the more often than not "pedophilia" scandal within the church that had much more to do with homosexuality than pedophilia, but of course, for liberals, the disorder of homosexuality is now a badge of courage. Mr. Hladky also gives a pass to other faiths that have also had similar sex scandals within their ranks, and like with the Catholic Church, only among an infinitesimal percentage of their clergy members, but of course, with far less publicity than the Catholic scandal. The only self-inflicted wound that may occur should be to Hladky if he actually reads what he wrote. To the charge that rape victims only began having problems acquiring contraception from Catholic hospitals about 16 months ago, Hladky himself cites that is when the Church updated its rules. We are talking about a very large and old institution here, even older, and yes, even larger than Senator and President-wannabe Hillary Clinton, who has flip-flopped on her support of the Iraq War with far less introspection and criteria, but I'd be willing to bet that Hladky is willing to give the former First Waffler a pass. To the anonymous "activists" conducting unheard of "surveys," nothing else really needs to be said. Somehow, I doubt Zogby and Quinnipiac ever entered into the mix. To the extent that bishops in the equally liberal states of New York and New Jersey have compromised on this issue, I am actually not surprised at all, so that's a moot point. What does surprise me is that our bishops actually upheld a higher standard. Bravo for them. To those who rightfully consider a fetus a human being and not a lump of tissue, the Church's stance was convincing. The only "lack" that existed was morality and common sense by the secularists and socialists in Hartford, including the state's Chief Executive Liar herself. No great surprise there, either. Getting moral laws passed by this majority of myopic hedonists, who at their core are really trying to preserve abortion, is like going to the opera and expecting to hear country western music. This is a vital matter and its fight was a noble cause. The Church took a shot, but the only people who ultimately lost were the ones who upheld the opposition's argument, and those far too young and helpless to save themselves from a death sentence imposed by hypocrites and bureaucrats, afflicted with deep and gnawing Napoleon complexes, while playing God and revoltingly pontificating about "compassion, complexity and rights."

For his part, Archbishop Mansell articulately explained that Traditional Catholic moral teaching allows for emergency contraception, but not abortion for rape victims. If a woman is ovulating, which can be determined by a simple urine test, the pill may not be administered, as it "prevents the fertilized ovum from adhering to the wall of the uterus." If the woman is not ovulating, the pill may be administered, but the language of the bill prevents doctors from also conducting a urine test to determine ovulation, despite the fact that urine tests are frequently conducted for other diagnostic purposes. The Archbishop also cites that Plan B may now be purchased in pharmacies without a prescription, as per newly passed law. A rape victim also has 72 hours to take the pill. Denial at an emergency room does not prohibit the victim from procuring the pill, yet in her melodramatic testimony during the debate, Rep Deborah Heinrich (D-Madison) protested that only trained and qualified medical professionals should administer this over-the-counter medication in the ER. That's kind of like hiring a respiratory therapist to blow your nose for you. Nice performance, but a loopy plot. Once again, Hartford goes Hollywood. Deborah, meet "Oscar." For that matter, each of the state's four Catholic hospitals are located in the same cities as secularist hospitals who embrace infanticide about as much as they do Medicare. The Archbishop also explained that the Church cannot in good conscience consider the "third party" compromise, because that still violates the Church's ethical principles. Drive the get-away car for a bank robber, and you both go to prison. Drive a woman to an abortion clinic and you have both committed mortal sin. Ditto with referring rape victims to "third parties." Perhaps if some of our legislators spent a little more time in their own respective churches they would have been less flabbergasted and would have better understood that this was no compromise. There never is a compromise between good and evil. The only compromise would have been to the Church's high ethical principles to protect life, and that is unacceptable, but such a lofty ideal is as impossible for our secularist legislators to grasp as rocket science is to the infant who somehow miraculously dodged the abortion bullet from his or her Democrat mother. Archbishop Mansell also stated that other Church ethicists (apparently beyond New York and New Jersey) were also consulted and agreed with the decision of the Connecticut bishops.

The hideous Plan B bill is formally called, "An Act Concerning Compassionate Care For Victims Of Sexual Assault" (Senate Bill 1343). As usual, liberal euphemisms are as (unintentionally) ironic as they are (intentionally) deceptive, kind of like how "a woman's right to choose" always seems to preclude the option of choosing life. Rape victims who need an over-the-counter pill within 72 hours, which is available from numerous chainstore pharmacies in just about any strip mall in almost any community and in other hospitals just minutes away do not need this sham, falsely dubbed as "compassionate care" from medical personnel in a Catholic hospital. It's bad enough that Plan B is now forced upon Catholic pharmacists, now Catholic doctors and nurses are being tyrannized as well. The Archbishop is absolutely correct when he calls this matter one of "free exercise of religious principles." There lies the true, albeit camouflaged issue at hand, religious liberty, vs. the secularists who wish to suppress it. And what about "compassionate care" for the baby? Why should an innocent and defenseless baby be executed for the crime of its father? How many of these rape victims would have opted for abortion over life if they could have been "surveyed" by "activists" while still living in the womb? What about adoption as an alternative to abortion? That's called making lemonade out of lemons. With abortions since Roe vs. Wade in 1973 now numbering well over 40 million and still climbing, it is little wonder why so many prospective parents languish for years on waiting lists to adopt children. What does that say about us as a "civilized" society when we kill more babies in the womb than we can place into homes? As I recently read somewhere, it is indeed better to give than to receive, including life. God gives us free choice, even to disobey Him and commit evil, but He doesn't make junk. Impregnated rape victims who have given the extreme sacrifice to bear their children have been rewarded a thousand fold for their courage in many cases with immeasurable love from those grateful children who were not denied the precious gift of life.

Jesus taught us to focus more on the next life than on this current one. He told His people that we are of His world, not this current world. I would only add that a little revolution is good every once in a while. I received a forwarded email to participate in a protest in Waterbury against the legislature's vote this past Sunday. I didn't go. First, I don't do protests. That's just me. Second, beyond merely exercising our ever-shrinking right to free speech, and with all due respect to the many very decent people who did protest, what exactly was the substantive goal to achieve of that post-vote protest? Would this majority of socialist secularist jackals in Hartford listen, change their minds, or undo their vote? No. While slamming the barn door may give the owner five seconds of gratification, that fleeting gratification won't bring the escaped horses back into the barn.

Perhaps citizens may have recourse through the courts. I say citizens because as Martin Neimoller so brilliantly illustrated in his poem, circa World War II, for those of other denominations who apathetically and naively look the other way, their day is coming soon, too, and who will be left to fight for them then? The current and more accurate interpretation of the "separation of church and state" seems to be the separation of the Catholic Church and state.

In this liberal bastion, which has historically persecuted Catholics since its founding as a state, I see only a slight glimmer of hope in the state courts as well, and the US Supreme Court takes on very few of the many cases referred to it, and typically at astronomical legal expense to the petitioner.

This is a time for civil disobedience. Without civil disobedience, we would all still be drinking high-taxed tea in the afternoon and blacks would be doing so at the other end of the lunch counter. Our fight over "Plan B' failed. It is now time for "Plan C." I have to chuckle every time I hear some Catholic, or some Republican announce his or her religion or affiliation and then say he or she supports abortion, as if that argument even makes any sense, let alone adds any credence. Real Republicans and real Catholics don't make excuses and exceptions for abortion. The Catholic Church has far too many "cafeteria Catholics" nowadays. Just look and you won't see them. Those would be the "Catholics" who have created roughly 70% of unoccupied pews on Sunday mornings and who consider abortion a "woman's right to choose." "Thou shalt not kill" is a commandment, not a helpful suggestion. Our God is a loving God, but he doesn't do democracy. Such stark but significant contrast is the difference between rule of law and mob rule. There is nothing at all moral about moral relativism.

It is now time to separate the cafeteria Catholics from the true Catholics, or, if I may so reach, "martyrs." I am not referring to willingness or even necessity to sacrifice one's own life for his or her faith here, but perhaps one's job. Catholic pharmacists, doctors, nurses, and all health care workers who are mandated to either directly or even indirectly administer or provide the Plan B pill, or in any way assist with an abortion, or more appropriately, conspire to commit an abortion must now draw a line in the sand and defiantly proclaim, "NO!" It is time to choose sides. Those sitting on the fence will only fall off when God's wrath eventually shakes it. Yes, I am asking for a lot, that being possibly loss of a job, and that is extremely difficult, but St. Peter was crucified upside down, Joan of Arc torched, St. Lawrence literally barbecued, St. John The Baptist beheaded, and St. Blasé literally skinned alive. They were martyrs for their faith too. Is your possible fate worse than theirs? And what if all health care workers banded together and said no? What would the secularists do then? Who would replace all those Catholic martyrs in all those hospitals and pharmacies? When Our Blessed Mother appeared to the children of Fatima in 1917, she emphasized the need for more sacrifice. I'm not proposing that anyone risk their life, but rather, maybe save one, and by a lesser but equally noble sacrifice. George Washington had an army. In a sense, so did Martin Luther King. We Catholics have sufficient numbers for an army, too. We have the empty pews to prove it. We have recently seen cowardly British sailors and marines renounce their country and cowardly Fox News reporters renounce their religion when both groups were captured by radical Muslim terrorists, and in our twisted, morally bankrupt and fleeting world, those cowardly traitors were welcomed home as brave and virtuous heroes. They weren't heroes, any more than "The Emperor" was wearing new clothes. If these guys are modern-day heroes, no wonder our kids now idolize the corner drug dealer with more bling than brain. In our microwave, drive-up hedonistic world of self-gratification and incessant narcissism, isn't any cause worth fighting for any more? Don't faith and country even come close to being as sacred as money and sex today? Edmund Burke succinctly admonished us that all that is necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing. Where does it end? We now increasingly kill off our very young and our very old when they become inconvenient. The sage insight of Martin Niemoller clearly shows that it is only a matter of time before the rest of us in the middle of the age scale will become the next victims, unless we unite, fight, and vehemently refuse to go quietly into that good night.

If you don't believe that, then don't hold your breath waiting to see a Nativity scene in the Kansas City Airport this December, or for that matter, a Menorah, although an anatomically correct "Chocolate Crucified Jesus" statue at Easter time may have some potential.