CT Bishops at Odds With Local Crisis Pregnancy Centers

Church Militant ^ | 2/6/20 | Paul Murano

[marshmallow]

Bishops against 'confrontational' approach saving babies from abortion

HARTFORD, Conn. (ChurchMilitant.com) - A Connecticut crisis pregnancy center (CPC) that confronts women before they enter abortion mills has been told it's "too confrontational" to be part of a coalition of CPCs that receive funds from the diocese of Norwich and its parishes.

The Connecticut Catholic Conference, which includes the state's bishops, formed a coalition of CPCs in the area called Connecticut Pregnancy Care Coalition (CPCC). Since it launched in July 2017, it has required its member-centers to take a softer approach to crisis pregnancy help that some believe is not optimal for preventing abortions.

Bishop Michael Cote of the diocese of Norwich stated: "I would expect any pro-life pregnancy center operating within the diocese of Norwich, and receiving funds from the diocese or local parishes, to be a member of [the CPCC]."

He has expressed that if CPCs wish to access financial and moral support from the diocese they will become member-centers that fall in line with the "softer-sell" approach of the CPCC, which includes communicating up front that the center does not perform abortions, and which does not include sidewalk counseling in front of abortion mills to dissuade abortion-minded women. This more transparent and less confrontational approach, he says, is "in line with Catholic teaching and always welcomed by the diocese."

Pregnancy Counselors' Viewpoint

One such center that has not joined the CPCC, Pathways Pregnancy Center of Norwich, has been refused funds from the Knights of Columbus in the diocese, which they hoped to use to purchase an ultrasound machine. Ultrasounds are typically used by CPCs since abortion-minded women who see moving images of their live baby in-utero usually decide against an abortion. Pathways, however, which does employ tactics to communicate with abortion-minded women, does not qualify.....

[ebb tide]

Ping

[Fedora]

Cote's a piece of work: A bill to abolish the statutes of limitations to help the victims of sexual abuse claim compensation (House Bill 5473) was opposed by the bishops of Connecticut, Bishop Henry J. Mansell, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford, Bishop William E. Lori, Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, and Bishop Michael R. Cote, Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich. . .the Bishop collected more than $300,000 on behalf of his charity, Haitian Ministries for the Diocese of Norwich. None of the money was received by the charity, and in December 2010 the Bishop closed down the charity, firing its executive director and creating a new charity on behalf of Haiti. . .: Michael Richard Cote

[Fedora]

In Maine, Cote lived at a rectory with a priest who participated in a gay Web site that contained sexual references to children. When lay activists exposed the priest’s involvement in the Web site, Cote and Bishop Gerry of Portland refused to say what they had done to discipline the priest, who remained in active parish ministry. . .: BishopAccountability.org

[Psalm 73]

"The Connecticut Catholic Conference, which includes the state's bishops..."

How much time have any of them spent in front of an abortion mill?
Do they really even know what's going on, or just read about it?

[DuncanWaring]

They serve a different master.