More on Catholic Bishops and Komen!

Perhaps I was overly concerned that Catholics might listen to their bishops who objected vehemently to Obama's recent requirement that Catholic hospitals provide insurance payments for those of its employees who use some type of contraceptive. (As an aside, and not at all trying for sarcasm, but when a priest breaks his celibacy vow, does he still follow the Catholic rule on contraception? Or does he only have sex with a woman during her non-fertile days?  I ask because when I was in high school, of the four priests that administered to our parish, two had affairs with women and subsequently left the priesthood and married.)

Back to the bishops, a recent Public Religion Research Institute poll of Catholics found that a majority (55%) agree with Obama on this issue.  In addition, women are more likely than men to agree that "employers should be required to provide health care plans that cover contraception (62% vs. 47% respectively)." Particularly noteworthy is the statistic concerning women.

When will the Catholic church stop dictating to women in all things, and not just regarding reproductive rights? Never, so long as women are not admitted to the priesthood.  But a more important question is when will Catholic women stop permitting men to dictate to them, not just Catholic men?  The same answer:  never, so long as they refuse to think for themselves.

Komen Again--Hot off the press.

Karen Handel, a senior vice president of public policy for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, resigned after the breast-cancer group decided to overturn a decision to end grants to Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Handel joined Dallas-based Komen after an unsuccessful run for governor in Georgia. During that race, Handel wrote in a blog that she would eliminate any state grants for organizations that supply abortions such as Planned Parenthood which, she wrote, “I do not support.”

The Komen organization’s decision to end about $680,000 in grants drew thousands of online protests and complaints and helped Planned Parenthood raise $3 million in reaction. Komen on Feb. 3 said it had changed its policies in a way that would allow New York-based Planned Parenthood to apply for grants.“Today I accepted the resignation of Karen Handel,” said Komen Chief Executive Officer Nancy Brinker, the group’s founder, in an e-mailed statement. “I have known Karen for many years, and we both share a common commitment to our organization’s lifelong mission.”

Handel’s blog posting during her 2010 gubernatorial race for the Republican nomination was in response to a campaign attack targeting a 2005 vote approving a grant for Planned Parenthood during the time she served as a country commissioner. She defended that vote in the blog, writing that it merely confirmed pass-through funding of state and federal dollars for breast and cervical cancer screening.

I suspect that Handel's resignation was not voluntary and that Komen is hoping to return to the status quo.  That's not going to happen.  Far too much attention has been focussed on Komen and its marketing practices and the huge salaries it pays to its executives. It may take another year or so but the pink campaign will come to a close.  And when that finally happens and the focus is back on finding a cure for cancer, for all cancers, that's to the good.