UN and US trade criticism over abortion during coronavirus
May 30, 2020 CNA Daily News News Briefs 1 Print
CNA Staff, May 30, 2020 / 01:00 pm (CNA).- United Nations Human Rights Council has criticized some U.S. states for using the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to restrict abortion.
"UN experts are concerned some U.S. states – such as Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Iowa, Ohio, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee – appear to be manipulating #COVID19 crisis measures to restrict access to essential #abortion care," tweeted the United Nations Special Procedures account on Wednesday, May 27.
The tweet linked to an article published Wednesday on the United Nations Human Rights Council's Office of the High Commissioner's website that further cited the states for classifying elective abortions as a non-essential medical procedure.
"We regret that the above-mentioned states, with a long history of restrictive practices against abortion, appear to be manipulating the crisis to severely restrict women's reproductive rights," said Elizabeth Broderick, vice-chair of the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls, quoted in the article.
"This situation is also the latest expmple illustrating a pattern of restrictions and retrogressions in access to legal abortion care across the country. We fear that, without clear political will to reverse such restrictive and regressive trends, states will continue pursuing this pattern," Broderick added.
She further expressed fears that the measures introduced to conserve medical resources to fight the coronavirus would result in women staying pregnant past their state's legal limit for abortion and "render abortion services completely inaccessible," and reiterated her belief that "abortion care constitutes essential health care and must remain available during the COVID-19 crisis."
Abortion access in the United States has remained a contentious issue throughout the pandemic. Several states sought to halt elective abortions as well as other medical procedures deemed non-essential, such as knee replacements.
Courts throughout the country reached differing conclusions on the legality of these rules. Some of these bans, such as the one in Texas, have already expired.
The UN's criticism of the abortion policies in the U.S. comes less than 10 days after acting USAID Administrator John Barsa sent a letter United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on May 18, criticizing the United Nations for putting abortion access and other sexual health issues on the same priority as other basic human needs, such as access to food and shelter.
"The U.N. should not use this crisis as an opportunity to advance access to abortion as an 'essential service,'" wrote Barsa.
"Unfortunately, the Global Humanitarian Response Plan does just this, by cynically placing the provision of 'sexual and reproductive health services' on the same level of importance as food-insecurity, essential health care, malnutrition, shelter, and sanitation. Most egregious is that the Global HRP calls for the widespread distribution of abortion-inducing drugs and abortion supplies, and for the promotion of abortion in local country settings."
Barsa cited President Donald Trump's priority of "defending innocent life" in his letter, and reminded Guterres that Trump told the U.N. General Assembly that the organization has "no business attacking the sovereignty of nations that wish to protect innocent life."
"To use the COVID-19 pandemic as a justification to pressure governments to change their laws is an affront to the autonomy of each society to determine its own national policies on health care," said Barsa. "The United States stands with nations that have pledged to protect the unborn."
Three days later, on May 21, the U.N. refuted this claim and said that they would not use the pandemic to promote abortion.
"Any suggestion that we are using the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to promote abortion is not correct," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at the time, noting that "we do not seek to override any national laws."
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Arlington diocese launches addiction support for families
Arlington, Va., Apr 24, 2019 / 05:19 pm (CNA).- At the request of Bishop Michael Burbidge, the Diocese of Arlington has launched a multifaceted program to get parishes involved with the healing of addicts and their families.
Organized by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, the project is composed of five parts – clinician training, workshops, addiction resources, family support, and prayer.
Art Bennett, president of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Arlington, told CNA that the apostolate comes as the damages of opioid abuse have extended into the suburbs. Fairfax County, a generally well-off area, has the highest rate of opioid-related deaths in Virginia, he said.
"Bishop Burbidge has long been concerned about the opioid problem in our diocese; we cover 21 counties in the northern part of Virginia," he said, noting that parishes have seen an increase in funerals for people who have overdosed.
After the bishop challenged the diocese to respond to the opioid crisis, a conference was held in September to gather interested parties and to brainstorm. A psychologist was brought in to speak on the challenges faced in addiction recovery.
There are four parishes involved: St. John the Evangelist in Warrenton, Good Shepherd in Alexandria, St. Bernadette in Springfield, and St. John Neumann in Reston.
As part of the program, 17 mental health clinicians have already been trained on the opioid crisis, its growing impact in the United States, and the best means to respond to it. These clinicians are now able to travel and run workshops for other parishes and Church staff.
Arlington's Catholic Charities has also piled together a virtual collection of resources for immediate intervention, including crisis intervention hotlines, case management services, and evaluations for treatment.
The new ministry will seek to add resources for families of addicts, including Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Families Anonymous, and parent support groups. It will also offer literature and the contact info of therapists.
"Catholic Charities has been asked to focus on providing clinical support to those secondarily impacted by the opioid crisis – providing counseling to the children, families, and loved ones of those struggling with addiction. This is a broadly under-served population in the current response to addiction," Michael Horne, director of clinical services for Arlington's Catholic Charities, told CNA.
Bennett said two of the major components of this apostolate are the prayer teams who intercede on behalf of addicts, and parish resource committees to support families. Both will be discussed in upcoming workshops, he said.
The next seminar will take place April 29 at St. John Neumann and will continue at a different parish every quarter. Here, Bennett will give an overview of the project, and former nurse Sandi Sale will discuss the boundaries volunteers should put in place.
Susan Infeld, a parent of an addict and a parish nurse in charge of the project at St. John Neumann, will also discuss both successful measures and those that have failed in the past.
Bennett said prayer, while a simple way to support the addicted and their families, is "also the most powerful thing that can be done."
The apostolate may bring about new opportunities for prayer, but it could also be tacking on the intentions to already-established prayer groups.
"Any parish can have that; they might already have Eucharistic adoration or rosary groups and they just add on the intentions of the families suffering from the opioid crisis so that healing power in prayer and Christ can be involved with them," he said.
The parish committee programs will provide opportunities for the laity to be supportive of the families of addicts. "That support could be encouragement, referrals, or someone to talk to if there kid is in jail or very sick," he said.
Addiction is especially rough on the family, as young people are sometimes forced out of the house when they start supporting their addiction with thieving. The family of addicts is an untapped area for ministry, he said, noting that many parents feel ashamed and ostracized from the Church when a child is going through addiction.
"The families pretty much felt like they are hung out to dry," he said. "They feel very harshly judged, they feel weak," and he emphasized the importance of compassion in the situation.
At the Arlington Catholic Herald, Infeld gave insight into her own struggles as a parent of alcoholic. She said addiction ministry is an opportunity to share the message of God's mercy and to promote healing.
"Families are being destroyed by this disease. Grandparents are raising their grandchildren in retirement because the parents are addicts. Parents are going into debt trying to pay for rehab not just once, but sometimes multiple times. Families most often suffer in silence, not getting the tremendous support and tools that a (ministry or support group) can offer," she said.
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UN and US trade criticism over abortion during coronavirus - Catholic Mass Search
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