Mass Bishops, Catholic Conference Silent on Abortion-Promoting Site

The headline in an AP article published in the Boston Globe reads, “Mass. lawmakers say sex ed website ‘disgusting’“. 

The Boston Herald reported “Pols call for end to sex ed Web site.”

Appalled lawmakers yesterday demanded Gov. Deval Patrick take down the controversial state-funded “Maria Talks” sex education Web site, which critics say steers teens toward secret abortions.

“This is a blatant agenda by the liberal part of our society to introduce children to sex and give them the opportunity to have an abortion without their parents’ involvement,” said state Rep. Colleen Garry (D-Dracut). “It’s a slant in one way. There’s not much said about adoption on it.”

What have the Massachusetts Bishops and Mass Catholic Conference said about this?  Nothing.

Not a word by the Massachusetts Bishops or Mass Catholic Conference in the last week since news broke about the contoversial state-funded “Maria Talks” sex education Web site that tells teenage girls it is “cool” to get an abortion.

We realize this is a little off the mainstream governance issues for BCI, but it is so egregiously bad that we felt we needed to say something. 

Here is a note of advice to new Mass Catholic Conference executive director, James Driscoll. When $100,000 in taxpayer money is shelled out to promote abortion to teenage girls, this IS the kind of issue that the Catholic Bishops and MCC should be speaking out on.  Fr. Bryan Hehir may think this is yet another “complicated multi-dimensional problem” and the Catholic Church should just be silent and coexist nicely with our “complex, pluralistic society,” but we urge you to disregard that input if given.

In case Mr. Driscoll is not reading BCI, we would ask someone in the Pastoral Center to notify fund-raising chief, Kathleen Driscoll–whose press release announcing her appointment mentioned her membership in Women Affirming Life–and ask her to tell her husband, Kevin, about this situation and pass word to Kevin’s cousin, Jim, that the clock is ticking. If that does not work, someone should tell Jim Brett, who was on the search committee that hired Jim Driscoll for the MCC role, since Brett knows the Driscolls from serving with them on the Catholic Charities Board, and maybe he can reach out to the new guy.

The Herald reported last week that Mariatalks.com, funded by $100,000 in annual grants from the Department of Public Health, describes abortion as “much easier than it sounds.”  A Herald columnist called for defunding the effort last week:

What kind of person pays for a Web site that makes abortion seem cool? Who would use the Internet to target teen girls with the message that abortions are “easy,” “common” and no big deal? What sicko would spend money showing underage girls how to secretly get an abortion behind their parents’ backs?

That “sicko” would be you.

As the Herald reported yesterday, the Patrick administration is using your money to promote abortion. Not merely to educate or inform, but to push the abortion “choice” itself — in particular, abortions without parental knowledge or consent.

Maria apparently studied writing in the Obama White House. In the spirit of “spending reductions in the tax code,” she describes an abortion as a procedure “when the contents of the uterus are removed.”

Hey, Mom — remember all those times when you were expecting, rubbing your belly and talking to the “contents of your uterus?” It’s a beautiful thing . . .

As for the contents of this Web site, how the heck could anyone in the Patrick administration sign off on this? MariaTalks.com doesn’t just explain abortion, it encourages teens to make this life-and-death moral decision. It downplays the emotional aspects, ignores research on possible long-term negative effects, and as for going off to get an abortion without telling your parents, MariaTalks.com says:

“I know it sounds crazy . . . this really can be done and young women do this all the time here in Massachusetts.”

The AP report says the following:

“Gov. Patrick, take down this website,” demanded state Rep. Marc Lombardo, R-Billerica, one of about 20 members of a bipartisan group that held a Statehouse news conference.

In response to the question “Can I get an abortion if I am under 18?” the character says that while the information can be confusing and intimidating, “I promise you the reality of getting an abortion is much easier than it sounds here.”

The site tells girls who are seeking an abortion that they can call a Planned Parenthood hotline and speak to counselors who could help them discuss the issue with their parents, or refer them to a free lawyer who will help them go through the courts.

“This website describes abortion in an extremely insensitive manner, downplays the medical and psychological damages and advises teenage girls on how to circumvent parental notification requirements,” Lombardo said.

In the meantime, as we wait for the Mass Catholic Conference and Massachusetts Bishops to get their act in gear, here is a message from Catholic Citizenship telling you how to take action. Kudos to them for pouncing on this while the Massachusetts Bishops and MCC apparently twiddle their thumbs.

Tell Governor Deval Patrick to Defund “Maria Talks”.

There has been a lot of discussion about the controversial Maria Talks after the Boston Herald did an article about the tax-payer funded website.

The website not only tells teenage girls how to obtain an abortion, but it also counsels them on how to keep it a secret from their parents. This site provides pornographic instructions on how to perform certain sex acts. It is paid for by the state Department of Public Health.

Call Governor Patrick’s office at 617-725-4005 and ask that the site be defunded.

You can e-mail the Governor and your State Representative and ask that the site be defunded. Please click on the following link: http://www.votervoice.net/Groups/Catholic/Advocacy/?IssueID=24845&SiteID=-1

The Church reminds everyone that parents are the primary educators of their children. While government can be a resource, it should never undermine parents’ rights.

BCI feels the site is an appalling use of taxpayer dollars and should be shut down. We urge everyone reading this to call Gov. Patrick’s office today at 617-725-4005 and ask that the site be defunded immediately.