News
Featured Image
 Shutterstock.com

SAN FRANCISCO, California, December 2, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – On Tuesday, a federal judge handed the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) a temporary victory by allowing a lawsuit against pro-life religious government grantees to move forward.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler refused to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Northern California, which says that religious groups who receive federal money to assist illegal immigrant minors should be forced to cooperate with the provision of abortions.

The government had moved to dismiss the case on the grounds that the ACLU didn't have standing to bring the case forward, but Beeler ruled that the ACLU of Northern California does.

The ACLU is using the story of a 17-year-old named Rosa who became suicidal after Catholic Charities refused to help her obtain an abortion to argue that religious institutions receiving government money shouldn't be allowed to refuse to provide or refer for abortions. Refusing to participate in abortions would be “imposing” their views on others, the ACLU argues.

Rosa eventually aborted her child without assistance from Catholic Charities.

“The mission of Catholic Charities is to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same,” its mission states. “We believe that every person has inherent dignity from the moment of conception to natural death and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.”

An ACLU attorney told Courthouse News that abortion is “critical reproductive health care” and that the organization is pleased with Tuesday's ruling. 

The U.S. Catholic bishops have received tens of millions of dollars in federal funds relating to immigration and migration services.