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Catholic hospitals in Spain accused of providing abortions

Several Catholic hospitals in Spain's Catalonia region have been accused of providing abortions by the Spanish newspaper ABC, reports Matthew Cullinan Hoffman, LifeSiteNews.com.

ABC reports that the health ministry records of two Catholic hospitals, the Sant Pau (Saint Paul) Hospital and the Hospital of Granollers, show that they have for years performed "Voluntary Interruptions of Pregnancy." ABC also reports that it has confirmed that in just one year, Sant Pau Hospital has performed twenty such abortions. The same hospital has lobbied in favor of the legalization of the abortion-inducing "morning after pill," RU-486, ABC reports.

The Archdiocese of Barcelona, which has a very close relationship with the Sant Pau Hospital, responded to the reports on August 31, denying that any "voluntary" abortions had occurred, and claiming that the abortions were the result of medical procedures.

However, following the archdiocese's denial, ABC has issued a follow-up report stating that the Sant Pau Hospital has not only lobbied in favor of RU-486, but actually distributes it. ABC also reports that two other Catholic hospitals in Catalonia are distributing the deadly drug, including the Sant Joan de Déu (Saint John of God) de Esplugues de Llobregat Hospital, which is run by the Saint John of God order, and the the Sant Celoni (Saint Celedonius) Hospital, which has representatives of the Catholic Church on its board of directors.

The newspaper states that its reports were confirmed by the management of the hospitals, who claimed that the distribution of RU-486 is "within the dictates of the current guidelines" followed by the institutions.

The Archdiocese of Barcelona has not responded to the latest revelations by ABC.

Josep Miró i Ardèvol, leader of the Catholic activist group E-Cristians and a Catalonian, writes of the situation that the leadership of the Catholic Church in Catalonia "is living in a poorly resolved dichotomy. On one hand, fidelity to the Magisterium of which they themselves are carriers ... on the other a cosmopolitan participation in very superficial entities and institutions, in the sense that the Christian presence is not made evident, not by word, nor by testimony, nor in the prophetic sense. Instead it's about 'being open to the world.'"

"The numerous and nefarious laws and governmental actions of the government of Catalonia have found pure ignorance, indifference, or in the majority of cases, 'don't get involved' as the answer," adds Miró i Ardèvol. "The result of all of this is not good."

The revelations regarding the hospitals come only weeks before a scheduled visit to Catalonia by Pope Benedict XVI.

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TAGS: Spain Catholic hospitals abortions Sant Pau Hospital Hospital of Granollers Pope Benedict XVI

[09/09/2010]

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