I just sent this out:
Dear Patrick Burns, Fr. Clem Metzger, S.J., Barbara Leggott, Father Robert J. Scullin, S. J., Father Jurcak and Father Estock,
It has come to our attention that the Jesuit Retreat House in Cleveland is having a fundraiser on February 2, 2003. The featured speaker is Regina Brett, a columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Here are a few quotes excerpted from a recent Regina Brett column, where Ms. Brett discussed her ambivalence over the abortion issue:
* Don't tell us to oppose sex education. We should try everything to prevent unplanned pregnancies, including teaching abstinence and birth control.
* Don't lump pregnancies from rape and incest with those who choose abortion out of convenience or use it as birth control.
* Don't tell us you are proudly pro-life but refuse to discuss stem-cell research that could save existing lives.
* Don't tell us we should make every abortion illegal, even when a mother's life is in jeopardy. Is it pro-life to let a pregnant woman die?
* Don't tell us that a full human being begins at conception. It's not that simple, when we have embryos conceived in petri dishes and frozen for years for infertile couples. .
* Tell us what you will do to make sure all insurance companies cover birth control.
As you can see, Regina Brett holds views in direct opposition to Catholic Church teachings.
In an age where the crimes and sins of many priests and misfeasance and malfeasance of many bishops has caused incalculable damage to the credibility of Catholicism and the faith of many rank and file Catholics, it seems incredulous that a Jesuit Retreat House would cause further scandal by inviting such a a speaker, whose positions are obviously stated in her recent column, posted below for your review.
I would hope that, at a minimum, this speaker's engagement would be canceled, and further that an investgation begun into why such a speaker would be invited in the first place.
I will await your responses before we seek further publicity regarding this scandalous situation.
In Christ,
Dr. Brian Kopp
Vice President, Catholic Family Association of America
cc: Tim Chichester, President, Catholic Family Association of America
Caught between Roe and Wade
Regina Brett
01/12/03
The invitation to a local "Roe vs. Wade 30th Anni versary Celebration" arrived in my mailbox by mistake.
A celebration?
No matter where you stand on the issue, it's hard to "celebrate" terminating 40 million pregnancies in 30 years.
This month marks three decades since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that women have a constitutional right to abortion. It's time to brace ourselves for the vigils and rallies.
Before all that happens, the majority in the middle would like to send both sides a message: We're tired of the rhetoric.
Put away the coat hanger symbols that remind us of the back-alley abortions. Put away the placards of torn fetuses that remind us of medical procedures.
Stop the name-calling. We don't care if you call yourselves pro-choice or pro-life, or call abortion a murder or a choice.
To those of us in the middle, every abortion is a tragedy.
Don't tell us it isn't a life being aborted. We all know that by the 12th week, that life has a beating heart and brain waves. That life can squint, swallow, sleep, and curl its toes. We've seen it in the ultrasound pictures we stick under refrigerator magnets and glue into photo albums under "Baby's First Picture."
Don't tell us that any restriction on abortion hurts women's reproductive rights. We don't want late-term abortions. We've seen the babies who survive early births, babies who fit in the palm of a hand after 24 weeks.
Don't tell us that abortion makes it so every child is a wanted child. Women are still tossing newborns in Dumpsters.
Don't tell us to oppose sex education. We should try everything to prevent unplanned pregnancies, including teaching abstinence and birth control.
Don't lump pregnancies from rape and incest with those who choose abortion out of convenience or use it as birth control.
Don't tell us to respect life when you won't speak out against attacks on clinic workers.
Don't tell us you are proudly pro-life but refuse to discuss stem-cell research that could save existing lives.
Don't tell us we should make every abortion illegal, even when a mother's life is in jeopardy. Is it pro-life to let a pregnant woman die?
Don't tell us the "It's my body, it's my choice" motto hasn't hurt child support. Many men figure, "It's your body, it's your baby."
Don't tell us that a full human being begins at conception. It's not that simple, when we have embryos conceived in petri dishes and frozen for years for infertile couples.
Instead, tell us something new. Tell us you are going to put aside politics and put your time, money and power into solutions.
Tell us what you will do to prevent unwanted pregnancies, encourage adoption and support women who keep their babies.
Tell us what you will do to help women get affordable day care, health insurance, job training and child support.
Tell us what you will do to make adoption more socially acceptable, so our society glorifies women who give the gift of life.
Tell us what you will do to make sure all insurance companies cover birth control.
Tell us what you will do to support crisis pregnancy centers that counsel women to keep their babies, choose adoption and prevent future unwanted pregnancies.
Tell us what you will do to prevent women from needing abortions in the first place, so that no matter what happens to Roe vs. Wade, we will all have something to celebrate.
To reach this Plain Dealer columnist:
rbrett@plaind.com, 216-999-6328
© 2003 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission.
CC:
Tim Chichester, President, Catholic Family Association of America
JRH Development Director: Patrick Burns,
pburnsjrh@att.net
Director: Fr. Clem Metzger, S.J.
c.metzgersj@att.net
Executive Assistant: Barbara Leggott
jrhcleve@att.net
Provincial: Father Robert J. Scullin, S. J.
rjssj@aol.com
Cleveland Diocese: Father Jurcak
ljurcak@dioceseofcleveland.org
Father Estock (Bishop Pilla Secretary)
eestok@dioceseofcleveland.org
Hey folks, I just got my first response. How would you reply?
----- Original Message -----
From: Fr. Ed Estok
To: Dr. Brian Kopp
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2003 3:51 PM
Subject: RE: Why is a public Abortion Advocate to Speak at Jesuit Retreat House Fundraiser?
Dr. Kopp,
Who are you and why should I engage in any conversation with someone whose identity is unverifiable and whose message is so threatening?