In two articles today, the Boston Globe (here and here) reports that Catholic Charities of Boston has announced that it will end its adoption work, rather than comply with state law requiring that gays be allowed to adopt children. Catholic Charities of Boston began in 1903 as an adoption agency. Officials in government, social services, and gay-rights groups all expressed disappointment about the decision. Catholic Charities is widely respected and has handled more adoptions of foster children than any other private agency in Massachusetts. [Thanks to Rick Duncan via Religionlaw for this.]
The Globe also reports that Governor Mitt Romney said yesterday that he plans to file a bill that would exempt religious organizations from the state's antidiscrimination laws so that Catholic Charities and other religious groups could refuse to provide adoption services when doing so violates their faith.
According to the Associated Press, Massachusetts' four Catholic bishops earlier this month said that the law on gay adoptions threatens the church's religious freedom by forcing it to do something it considers immoral. Eight members of Catholic Charities board later resigned in protest of the bishops' stance. The 42-member board had voted unanimously in December to continue considering gay households for adoptions.
The Archdiocese of Boston has posted an interview with Dr. John Haas, president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, explaining the Church's position.
