Just say 'no' to blood money

In the state of New York there is a "moderate" pro-abortion Catholic vying for the governor's post. His name is Tom Suozzi. While I will not comment on his candidacy (American Life League is not a political organization), his actions as a Catholic certainly concern me. Those actions have helped him charm even the most discerning of groups including, apparently, the Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island. Currently, Suozzi is a Nassau county executive, but he is clamoring to build "New York: A United State."

This may sound a bit innocuous to you until you peek beneath the surface and discover that one of Suozzi's proposals, at least at the county level thus far, would "unite" Catholic Church entities with the likes of Planned Parenthood. In his post as county executive, Suozzi proposed doling out $909,000 to a variety of organizations providing adoption services, housing services for unwed mothers and sex education including chastity education. Though the grants must be OK'd by the New York state legislature, the scheme is all too clear.

He recommends providing $330,000 to Catholic Charities Regina Residence and $95,000 to Planned Parenthood Nassau County for its "health teen sex ed program." Regina Residence offers temporary housing to expectant mothers along with counseling services. Planned Parenthood offers children the opportunity to learn how to have sex, what to use to avoid getting pregnant and where to go if pregnancy results and a quick fix is needed. Yes, I mean abortion.

So while Regina Residence is doing good deeds, Planned Parenthood is sitting at the bottom of the scum barrel making sure as many kids as possible get a sexually transmitted disease, a soured conscience or both.

When Suozzi announced his proposal, Planned Parenthood, as you might guess, did not waste a moment in declaring its enthusiasm for this proposal, saying, "It's a big first step to sort of work together to sort of solve or start to solve the problem that we all deal with."

If I could have spoken to the Planned Parenthood spokeswoman who made that statement, Audrey Shein, I would have asked, "What problem is that, Ms. Shein?" After all, Planned Parenthood is dealing with so many "problems" and devising such unique, deceptive, seriously deranged ways of funding solutions, one wonders what they could possibly mean by intimating that they would like to strike up a relationship with Catholic Charities.

Planned Parenthood's community-based fund raising, after all, has never been more disturbing. Planned Parenthood uses its funding to support activities designed to appeal to our children, such as the sale of condoms packaged into key chains, or expired birth control pills fashioned into jewelry. And for the teen who perhaps doesn't need a key chain, there's always the condom lollipop, available for those times when a serious piece of chocolate just won't do the trick.

Yes, I am being a bit flip, but it is subject matter such as this that always brings out the best in me. If I didn't try to poke a sarcastic finger, I would be weeping!

As I reflect on these lollipops, key chains and jewelry, one thing keeps nagging at the back of my mind: what in the world is Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rockville Centre doing partnering with an organization like Planned Parenthood, even under the most cordial of circumstances? What's in it for them, other than $330,000 and the appearances of doing something to collaborate with the world's leading proponent of child killing by abortion?

Whatever happened to taking a stand for truth, saying no thanks to the grant and explaining in a well crafted news release why there is no room in the Diocese of Rockville Centre and its related offices for making deals with the devil, even if that means denying the funds. They might be surprised to find out that Catholic people would be so proud of their moral fortitude, that tons of money would pour in for every ethical activity Catholic Charities could imagine doing.

But so far, I have not seen a statement from Catholic Charities, from Bishop William Murphy or even from the night watchman at the offices of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. One wonders if perhaps the word has not yet reached them. Maybe they do not know that Suozzi is creating scandal by supporting abortion, describing himself as Catholic and making an overt effort to "unite" New York over the dead bodies of only God knows how many preborn children.

Maybe nobody has bothered to sit down and tell the good people at Catholic Charities that Planned Parenthood has ghoulish ways of solving the very "problems" (i.e., babies), that Regina House is attempting to nurture, love and protect from evil.

I shall now stop making excuses for what is clearly a case of political posturing. We know that as many times as Planned Parenthood has been battled in New York, headlines have told the story. One would have to live in a cave not to know the threat that Planned Parenthood poses to children, born and preborn. Valiant Catholic pro-life leaders have led the battle to save babies and expose the evils of abortion, perhaps right on the very door steps of Planned Parenthood offices in Nassau County.

So, what's up? Bishop Murphy tells the media that he upholds Church teaching, and that every human life is precious. But he also says he applauds Suozzi "for his courageous and positive call to move beyond polemic and to work together to find alternatives to abortions."

While I could go on and quote the balance of his excellency's statement, there is no need. It appears that the bottom line in this end game for money is that declaring in no uncertain terms that dancing with the devil is abhorrent is simply not going to happen. And that, my friends, is so very sad, so tragic, so wrong that words fail me.

As I said, I'm steamed. How about you?

Judie Brown is president and co-founder of American Life League, the nation's largest Catholic pro-life educational grassroots organization. She is a recognized expert on the sanctity of human life, member of the Pontifical Academy for Life and the author of three books.