Hot off the Press: Boston Archdiocese Gospel of Life Non-Referral Memo

Cardinal O'Malley Gets Support of Leading Theologians on a confidential hot off the press Non-Referall Memo for diocescan standards of care to Boston's poor and vulnerable citizens.

• You're eligible for an abortion but we don't do them here, call the 24-hour abortion hotline and they'll set up the appointment.

• We don't do Mercy killings here but here's a quarter. Go call Jack Kevorkian.

"For some of these prolife groups, no cooperation with evil is ever justified, but that's more of a prophetic stand, a new way of applying the tradition," said Cathleen Kaveny, a professor of law and theology at the University of Notre Dame.

• We don't sell blow. Here's a crack pipe and the number of the neighborhood dealer.

• We're not permitted to kill. Take this scalpel and a copy of OJ Simpson's "If I did it" and we'll see you for follow up in six weeks.

Those who are 'appalled' by these actions are of course entitled to their opinions, but not their own facts. Neither the Catholic moral tradition, nor the current Magisterium of the Church, has said that we absolutely cannot cooperate (or tolerate) in systems and/or actions that might be considered objectively immoral, said Rev. James Bretzke, professor of moral theology, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

• These old sick priest are sucking our wallets dry. When retired priests get sick, throw them out of Regina Cleary, cut off their health insurance, reduce their salary to 500 a month and refer them to the shelters. We need resources to care for the sick and poor.

At a time when the Cardinal and Archdiocese are striving to combat the morally unacceptable fact of 47 million uninsured people in this country, it will already be a scandal if the most vocal Catholic response is a debate about 'the principle of cooperation.' Where is the Catholic debate about the best way to ensure health care for all?", said Lisa Sowle Cahill

• Thou shall not steal. You have a new baby. You're poor. The mother of those triplets in the bed beside you will never miss her Coach bag.

• If the contract compels us to promote abortion to the women, we can wash our hands of it. We'll give out Centene's number but not for the purposes of attaining the abortion (nudge-nudge/wink-wink). Centene's employees will be guilty of dialing the abortionist's number. If they're dumb and misguided enough to carry out the plan, I won't be held responsible. Let them eat cake.
  

"As I look at the way Caritas Christi has structured this arrangement, it allows them to be participants with the state in the care of the poor and the most vulnerable citizens of the state of Massachusetts in a way that brings the richness of their system and the caring nature of that system to the poor, without in any way violating any of the religious directives or the moral imperatives of our faith," said Sister Keehan of the Catholic Medical Association.

• We're not "willing" the cabbie to arrive at the abortionist from Caritas just because we give him the voucher to take her there. The abortionist would be killing children even if the Cardinal didn't order his employees to send them there. To hell with them all. Not my responsibility. They're pagans.

In other words, material cooperation refers to actions that may entail assistance in evil doing without the agent willing the evil action; formal cooperation signifies acts that are done with the agent’s will directed to the aim of attaining the evil, said Rev. Kenneth Himes, chairman of the theology department, Boston College:

• There's no hookers in the building. You can find them at the corner of Columbus and Mass Ave. Can I call you a cab?

"To be perfectly clear, Caritas Christi will never do anything to promote abortions, to direct any patients to providers of abortion, or in any way to participate in actions that are contrary to Catholic moral teaching, and anyone who suggests otherwise is doing a great disservice to the Catholic Church," the cardinal blogged. "We are committed to the Gospel of Life, and no arrangement will be entered into unless it is completely in accord with Church teaching."

Julia Fleming, associate professor of ethics, Creighton University

"By their nature, decisions about scandal and mediate material cooperation require prudence, as well as sensitivity to the local conditions and particular circumstances surrounding such choices. This is why the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services emphasizes the discernment of the local bishop, rather than claiming that a simple rule can resolve all difficulties. The document also observes: 'Scandal can sometimes be avoided by an appropriate explanation of what is in fact being done at the health care facility under Catholic auspices' (No. 71). One should read Cardinal O¹Malley¹s careful statement in that light."

Oh, do we ever my dear.

Do we ever.