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D.C. Catholics End Foster Care Program


CATHOLIC X390 (PHOTOS.COM) | ADVOCATE.COM

Citing the city's move to legalize same-sex marriage, Washington, D.C.'s Catholic diocese has ended its 80-year foster care program, TheWashington Post reports.

The National Center for Children and Families assumed the 43 children, 35 families, and seven staff members who were tied to Catholic Charities' foster care program February 1.

Catholic Charities had received about $20 million annually from the city under a contract to provide foster care and other services. However, since it is a Catholic operation, it does not condone same-sex marriage and therefore would turn down gay and lesbian couples seeking to become foster parents. Since such discrimination is against city policy, it transferred its foster care services to the nonsectarian National Center, which has reported no difficulties with the move.

A Catholic Charities spokesman said the group is looking for ways to provide other services for which it is under contract to the city, including assistance to the homeless and victims of domestic violence, without coming into conflict with the new same-sex marriage law, which was passed by the district council in December and will take effect within a few weeks. City officials said no other faith-based group has mentioned any problem with city contracts.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Brian
    Date posted: 2/19/2010 5:09:57 PM
    Hometown: Washington

    Comment:

    I live in Washington and am a Catholic. This is not about same-sex marriage primarily. The D.C. governement has put the Church in a tough spot, with no wiggle room, by forcing it to comply with a law that is against its teaching. In a country that relishes separation of church and state, I applaud the Church for living up to its end of the bargain by not allowing the state to dictate what it can and cannot do. The Church is simply sticking up for what it believes in. Everyone should be free to do that.

  • Name: Jim Guinnessey
    Date posted: 2/18/2010 2:40:24 PM
    Hometown: West Palm Beach

    Comment:

    I suspect that Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. is acting soley on the mandates of its narrow-minded Vatican-appointed archbishop. This is just another example on how dogmatically bigoted toward LGBT persons has become with the ''Church of Compassion." LOL!

  • Name: mikeLT
    Date posted: 2/18/2010 9:45:19 AM
    Hometown: boston

    Comment:

    So, they're looking to "provide other services for which it is under contract to the city, including assistance to the homeless and victims of domestic violence,"...... but would they provide or deny services to victims of domestic violence in same-sex/married households?

  • Name: Rizaldo Goes
    Date posted: 2/18/2010 4:22:42 AM
    Hometown: New Orleans, LA

    Comment:

    It is very difficult to watch the hypocricy. I'm no better, I became so disgruntled with the Church's secret double standards that I stopped funding their requests, and severed all support and association with gay priests I'd known for many years, and in a way did what the Church does, insist on some adherence to ethics and honesty. If they were going to stay inside that organization, I could no longer find the basis for truth and support. One doesn't support such error with impunity. I've seen too many good gay priests inevitably become corrupted by their host system.

  • Name: Tod
    Date posted: 2/18/2010 3:04:12 AM
    Hometown: West Hollywood

    Comment:

    It sounds like it's all working out nicely. The children, families and programs are not affected, and the Catholics there can hold on to their beliefs while working within our common laws. Looks like everyone's happy!

  • Name: Jon Jenkins
    Date posted: 2/18/2010 2:39:55 AM
    Hometown: Brighton

    Comment:

    So...the Catholic Church decided to give up on helping children for Lent?

  • Name: melvin
    Date posted: 2/17/2010 10:37:04 PM
    Hometown: South Dakota

    Comment:

    This does not surprise me. They said they would do it, and good riddance. There are plenty of other places that will take up the slack. The church knows the rules. They are cutting their own noses off to spite their faces, principle or no principle. Those ideas are driving folks away from their pews. They should lose their tax status because they become involved in political matters. Wonder if the MCC has increased their membership. The American Episcoplains seem to be walking the walk on this love issue more then the catholics.

  • Name: Julie
    Date posted: 2/17/2010 10:15:38 PM
    Hometown: Ohio

    Comment:

    As the old saying goes... don't let the door hit you in the backside on the way out..

  • Name: Scott
    Date posted: 2/17/2010 8:08:36 PM
    Hometown: Portland

    Comment:

    @hyhbt, it's all very simple. Churches don't pay taxes because they claim they provide social services, such as the adoption program. So the Catholics not only dodge taxes but they get 20 million in tax money too?? That is double dipping, and I stand by my opinion that they are unethical and greedy. I only wish I had known about this sooner so I could have called my congressman about it. It makes my blood boil really, and I'm sure the service doesn't cost that much to operate anyway, where did the rest go? Did it help fund their campaign against gays? I hope in the future some checks and balanced are put in place to avoid such problems.

  • Name: Dan in Florida
    Date posted: 2/17/2010 7:09:39 PM
    Hometown: Palm Harbor

    Comment:

    Rude - you're mistaken. The children are very important to the catholics - how else are the priests supposed to achieve sexual gratification? Another thing: If you assume a family averages 4 people, we're talking about 20 million dollars to care for 183 people. There must be a long line of charities waiting to take over from those homophobes. Their accountants are probably saying "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

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