By Gudrun Schultz
POTSDAM, New York, April 13, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Canton-Potsdam Hospital has pulled out of a land deal with a local Catholic church after learning of a clause in the deed that would have prevented the hospital from performing abortions on the site.
Saint Mary’s Catholic Church stipulated in the deed that church land must not be used for “sordid and profane” purposes, which would include abortions, reported the Associated Press today.
After learning about the clause, the hospital board decided to drop its purchase plans, saying it could not agree to the restriction because it has a mission to serve everyone in the county.
Hospital spokeswoman Rebecca Sutcliffe told the Press there are no hard feelings.
The hospital had pursued the land purchase since the former Saint Mary’s Catholic School and convent closed down in 2005 due to enrolment and financial difficulties. The hospital intended to use the location for possible offices, with the long-term goal of building a hospital at the site.