Citing a Massachusetts statute that allows gays and lesbians to adopt children, the Boston archdiocese's Catholic Charities stated that it would stop providing adoption services.
The social services branch of the Roman Catholic archdiocese, which has served in an adoption role for approximately 20 years, contended that the law runs counter to the church's teachings regarding homosexuality, according to the Associated Press.
'The world was very different when Charities began this ministry at the threshold of the twentieth century,' the Rev. J. Bryan Hehir and trustees chairman Jeffrey Kaneb declared in a joint statement. 'The world changed often and we adapted the ministry to meet changing times and needs. … But now, we have encountered a dilemma we cannot resolve.'
For two decades, Catholic Charities has occupied a small but crucial role in helping to find homes for the most troubled foster children, including those with HIV and AIDS; mental and emotional problems; and histories of abuse, the Boston Globe reported.
Earlier this month, the state's four Catholic bishops said that the law threatens the church's religious freedom by forcing it to do something it considers immoral, according to the AP. Eight members of the Catholic Charities board later stepped down to protest the bishops' position. The 42-member board had voted unanimously in December to continue considering gay households for adoptions.
The group said it would discontinue the adoption services once it completes its contract with the state on June 30.
Several organizations expressed their disappointment with the development. Lee Swislow, executive director of Gay and Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, said that ' [ a ] ll of the homes were good and loving homes and now through the pressure of the bishops, Catholic Charities is being forced to get out of the business.' Jennifer Chrisler, executive director of the LGBT organization Family Pride, said in a statement that the 'decision … to cease [ the ] adoption assistance program that once secured safe, caring, and loving homes for hundreds of children is a tragedy for the children they served.'
That was a sentiment echoed by Marylou Sudders, president of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. 'Catholic Charities has really been a gold standard in providing adoption services to children in the welfare system for a long time, so this is a tragedy,' she told the Boston Globe.
The state's Republican governor, Mitt Romney, called the state laws that led Catholic Charities to cease the services 'deeply disturbing and a threat to religious freedom,' according to BostonHerald.com . Romney vowed to file a bill exempting religious groups from the gay-adoption requirement.
Catholic officials in Chicago did not return Windy City Times' calls asking for a response and opinion about whether any changes would be forthcoming in Illinois.