SAN FRANCISCO: Catholic charity might stop adoptions

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/11/6 | Wyatt Buchanan

[SmithL]

Vatican prohibits placement with same-sex couples.

The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Francisco could be forced to stop its adoption services because of an order from its former archbishop, Cardinal William Levada, who is now the second-in-command at the Vatican.

The archdiocese received an e-mail this week from Levada stating, "Catholic agencies should not place children for adoption in homosexual households." In the past five years, under Levada's watch, five children out of 136 were adopted by same-sex couples through the San Francisco agency.

"We are going to be looking at this, but I can't speculate what might happen further down the line," said Maurice Healy, spokesman for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Levada's e-mail came in response to questions from a Boston Globe reporter about his role in those adoptions to the same-sex couples.

On Thursday, the Catholic Charities of the Boston Archdiocese announced it would no longer be involved in any adoptions because of state laws barring discrimination against gays and lesbians, which conflicts with church teaching on same-sex couples adopting children.

There are many parallels between the Boston situation and that of the three-county San Francisco Archdiocese, said Brian Cahill, executive director of the Catholic Charities program in the Bay Area, although he would not say what that situation means for San Francisco.

"For me, it would be premature to say. It would be speculating," Cahill said.

The five children in San Francisco had "special needs" and were hard to place, Cahill said.

"The great majority of these kids present problems and, God love them, they need a home, and our primary focus is to find a home for them," Cahill said.

...Levada was aware of at least three of the adoptions,

[SmithL]

Ping from the Religion forum

---

Follow-up to yesterday's similar thread about Boston: Boston Catholic Charities Halts Adoptions

[starfish923]

Levada was aware of at least three of the adoptions, which happened before 2003 when the Vatican issued a statement on same-sex unions that included instructions on adoption. It said in part, "Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would actually mean doing violence to these children."

Sad that homosexual couples just HAVE to adopt children. It's not from altruism, I don't really think, because they could be big sisters, big brothers to lots of kids. They adopt because they insist on trying to appear "normal" and adopting children in need fits the bill.

[plck]

I reject homosexual couple having adoption children. When they grow up, how they gonna describe GOD. When did Jesus approve Homosexual? "...i would be happy see a person repent and live, rather sin and die...", "...that is no such thing Freedom, but 10th Commandment...", "...can't serve two master...GOD or Money..." Homosexual, please wake and tell us what is bothering you? what is your problem? we didn't outcast you coz' we fear might fall into your trap. Unless you're honestly!