Bishops say Catholic agencies can't help same-sex couples adopt

Published: 2006-03-01

BOSTON (CNS) -- If Catholic agencies in Massachusetts were required to facilitate adoptions by same-sex couples in violation of church teaching prohibiting the practice, it would present "a serious pastoral problem" and threaten religious freedom, according to the bishops of the state's four Catholic dioceses. "We are asking the commonwealth to respect the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom and allow the Catholic Church to continue serving children in need of adoption without violating the tenets of our faith," the four said in a Feb. 28 statement. On the same day, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney indicated through a spokesman that he would be open to discussions about exempting Catholic social service agencies from the state's anti-discrimination policy in the matter of adoptions by same-sex couples. "We respect and honor the free practice of religion, and we look forward to meeting with representatives of the Catholic Church to discuss this issue," Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said, according to a report in The Boston Globe.

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