Catholic Leaders Speak about Planned Parenthood

Through the years, a number of Catholic leaders have made specific statements concerning the organization Planned Parenthood. Presented below are some of those statements. You may forward others you know of to Stop Planned Parenthood (STOPP), to whom we are grateful for providing these excerpts.

 
Planned Parenthood has a history of distorting the truth. On October 3, 1980 it ran an advertisement in the New York Times with the headline: "There Is A Group That Would Sooner See You Dead Than Allow You An Abortion." Another Times ad on October 5, 1980 was headlined: "There Is A Group That Would Force You To Bear Your Rapist's Child." And, on January 5 [1997] Planned Parenthood ran a full-page ad in the Times insinuating that pro-life people are terrorists and provocateurs. These claims are, of course, nonsense.

In addition to lies about pro-lifers, Planned Parenthood also distorts the truth about itself. It claims to be "pro-choice" while fighting against informed consent legislation that would ensure women are told the truth about abortion. I find it difficult to take any Planned Parenthood claim seriously.

John Cardinal O'Connor
Archbishop of New York
19 January 1995

 

Anyone who supports, belongs to, [or] sits on Boards of Directors of Planned Parenthood are promoting the legacy of Margaret Sanger which is the outline for Nazi Germany's "human weeds and genetically inferior races."

...I hope you will raise an indignant cry against this cancer in our society.

Most Rev. Charles V. Grahmann, DD
Bishop of Dallas, Texas
8 August 1997

 

The faithful are prohibited from maintaining membership in any condemned, prohibited or disapproved societies or organizations. These include ... Planned Parenthood ... Any members of the Diocese of Lincoln who retain membership in [Planned Parenthood] after having learned of [its] forbidden nature, are bound by an automatic interdict after the passage of one month. If after the passage of a second month, they have likewise failed to dissociate themselves from membership, they are bound by an automatic excommunication. This means they may not participate in the sacramental life of the Church, and, if their membership is public and well known, then other ecclesiastical rites may likewise be denied to them.

Most Rev. Fabian W. Bruskewitz
Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska
1 January 1998

 

As your bishop and shepherd, I ask all Catholics not to use Planned Parenthood's services, not to belong to any of their boards, not to serve as a volunteer and not to be employed there. In resigning your employment there, I will be happy to assist you in finding employment elsewhere so you will not be cooperating in these immoral practices and being a source of scandal both within and outside the Church and community. I make this plea, in love, as my duty to continue the mission of Jesus Christ: to teach, to sanctify and to govern.

Most Rev. John W. Yanta
Bishop of Amarillo, Texas
1 October 1998

 

The move of Planned Parenthood near a high school, day care and church is abhorrent and disturbing. . . [We must educate people on] what Planned Parenthood is, what it is about, what the effects of abortion are.

Most Rev. Robert Carlson
Bishop of Sioux Falls, South Dakota
3 January 2000
(commenting on relocation of PP abortion facility)

 

From its inception, in philosophy and actions, Planned Parenthood has been contrary to Catholic teaching about the sanctity of life and its origin in the heart and mind of God.

Roger Cardinal Mahony
Archbishop of Los Angeles
23 February 2000

 

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America is the largest promoter of abortion in the United States. Through their extensive sex education programs and their teen website, teenwire.com, PPFA targets youth and young adults, educating them that any and all forms of sexual expression are not only valid but encouraged.

Not only is Planned Parenthood responsible for countless abortions, leaving so many women hurting after the loss of their children, the organization is largely responsible for our culture's disintegrating respect for traditional marriage in exchange for "partnerships" and "sexual self-expression." The goals of Planned Parenthood are made painfully clear in the statement of Gloria Feldt, as quoted in the Washington Times, January 22, 1997, "Reproductive choices (including abortion) are not just legal rights but are recognized as moral necessities without which there can be no liberty."

Most Rev. William J. Levada
Archbishop of San Francisco
1 March 2000

 

In 1991, as bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, I had personal experience with Planned Parenthood seeking to intrude itself into western South Dakota. I spoke at a STOPP national convention in Rapid City. In my talk, I noted that Planned Parenthood is "not a friend of the family ... It is a pro-abortion organization with a set of values vastly different from the values of Jesus Christ. I would certainly reaffirm that conviction today.

Planned Parenthood is an organization based on falsehoods about the human person, the family and community life.

Planned Parenthood calls itself pro-child. When a minor comes to Planned Parenthood, she is provided information on contraception and abortion without parental notification. A minor is given materials on sexuality with an implicit message that fertility is a disease and pregnancy is to be attacked. Planned Parenthood opposes any restriction on abortion of the unborn child through nine months of pregnancy. Planned Parenthood opposes a Partial Birth Abortion Ban. In light of this, how can Planned Parenthood justify calling itself pro-child?
Planned Parenthood calls itself pro-woman. Yet Planned Parenthood vigorously opposes any legislation to provide advance medical information pertaining to an abortion procedure. Planned Parenthood vigorously opposes any legislation to provide a woman seeking an abortion knowledge of her unborn child's development. Planned Parenthood vigorously opposes any legislation to require a 24 hour waiting period before a woman has an abortion. How can Planned Parenthood justify keeping vital information on abortion away from a woman and yet call itself pro-woman? How can an organization which helps to facilitate the killing of unborn children in huge numbers call itself pro-woman?
Planned Parenthood calls itself pro-family. Yet it simultaneously provides counsel for contraception and abortion under the guise of "freedom of choice." The two questions to ask are: "choice for what and choice for whom?" Planned Parenthood vigorously opposes any law that would inform parents before a minor child receives contraception or an abortion. How can Planned Parenthood justify calling itself pro-family when it intrudes itself between a child and parent?

I would urge any community today, as I did in 1991, to defend itself against Planned Parenthood by every legal and ethical means at its disposal.

Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Denver
16 March 2000

 

Planned Parenthood's record over the years leaves no room for any doubt whatsoever regarding its ideological stance on human life and family issues. It is a stance diametrically opposed to Christian truth regarding the sanctity of each human life from the moment of conception onward, the unbreakable God-given bond between the unitive and procreative purposes of sexual activity, and the unique role of monogamous, heterosexual marriage as the only legitimate context of genital expression.

More than any other single organized group today, Planned Parenthood International represents the hedonism and moral relativism which are fueling that "culture of death" which Pope John Paul II has warned against and denounced throughout his pontificate. I warmly endorse and support the efforts of STOPP to counteract the influence and activity of this evil organization.

Most Reverend Fremiot Torres Oliver
Bishop of Ponce, Puerto Rico
18 February 2000

 

I denied Planned Parenthood access to this campus not because of what they say, but because of what they do. They are one of the largest abortion providers in the United States and have an aggressive political agenda to promote this. The Catholic Church interprets abortion as "the killing of an innocent." According to this interpretation, I consider Planned Parenthood's actions to be blatantly contrary to the Catholic and Jesuit character of the University and to its mission.

Our Guest Speakers Policy states, "The President reserves the right to deny usage of Gonzaga's facilities to any person or groups of persons whose values are blatantly contrary to those of the University or whose presence would, for some reason, seriously embarrass or compromise the University." In as much as Gonzaga is a Catholic and Jesuit University, and Planned Parenthood's actions are blatantly contrary to this Catholic and Jesuit identity, I exercised my right as President to deny usage of Gonzaga's facilities to them.

Robert J. Spitzer, S.J.
President
Gonzaga University
14 April 2000


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