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Bishop Refuses to Answer Questions on Catholic Hospital Award for Abortion Supporter

By Hilary White

ST. BONIFACE, November 23, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Catholic St. Boniface General hospital in St. Boniface Manitoba is set to go ahead with plans to grant an award to infamous anti-Catholic abortion promoter Stephen Lewis. The Catholic archbishop of St. Boniface, Emilius Goulet, has refused in a telephone interview to say unequivocally that he will urge the hospital to rescind the award.

Yesterday, LifeSiteNews.com received the text of a public statement from the archbishop of St. Boniface, Emilius Goulet, as well as a private letter addressed to Mrs. Maria Slykerman, head of Campaign Life Coalition Manitoba, giving the Archdiocese’ response to the award.

Mrs. Slykerman had told LifeSiteNews.com that she had been very surprised by the tone and confusing content of the statement that she said was different from the private letter she received. Today, the archbishop responded to LifeSite’s story by telephone denying that his statement had been ambiguous and saying that LifeSiteNews.com’s coverage had quoted him selectively.

The full text of Archbishop Goulet’s statement reads:

“Many people have expressed their disagreement regarding the decision of the St. Boniface Hospital & Research Foundation to acknowledge Mr. Stephen Lewis as co-recipient of the 2005 International Award. I had no part whatsoever in the present selection.

“In granting this Award, the Research Foundation wishes to bring to the forefront the efforts of three individuals in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa and the hope given to those struck by this disease. It is unfortunate, in the present circumstances, that the granting of an award to Mr. Stephen Lewis appears to have an ambiguous connotation.  However, the granting of an International Award is a legitimate means to show our common effort in relieving human suffering, though this should obviously be done in respecting the moral principles and values of the Catholic Church.

“Moreover, the St. Boniface General Hospital, of which I am an Administration Board member, has a clear and precise mission statement with regard to the inalienable right to life of every human individual.  The Hospital is respectful of this vision in carrying out its mandate.”

Archbishop Goulet reiterated to LifeSite that he had said the granting of awards ought to be done while “respecting the moral principles and values of the Catholic Church.” He said, “I am totally against abortion or anything against life and the doctrines of the Church.”

When asked directly if he would make an intervention to stop the hospital presenting the award to Stephen Lewis, he refused to answer, however, saying only, “Let me do what I have to do in this archdiocese. I have criteria that I use in this archdiocese to teach the doctrines of the Church.”

When asked again if he would urge the hospital to rescind the award, he said, “I will be there and I will say what I have to say to the hospital.”

Read previous LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/nov/05112204.html

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