Top Administrator at San Francisco Catholic Charities Is A Gay Adoptive Father
San Francisco, March 21, 2006 _ The chief administrative officer of San Francisco’s Catholic Charities is an openly gay man who has a daughter he adopted four years ago with his homosexual partner.
That fact summarizes the challenge confronting the new archbishop of San Francisco, George Niederauer, in the face of the burgeoning controversy over Catholic Charities’ adoption placements with homosexual couples.
The controversy was brought to the boiling point by a March 9th directive from Archbishop William Levada, former archbishop of San Francisco and now prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine for the Faith. Levada acknowledged that children had been placed with homosexual parents under his watch, and said it could no longer occur, in line with the 2003 statement by Levada’s predecessor, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger – now Pope Benedict XVI – saying homosexual adoptions "mean doing violence to these children, in the sense that their condition of dependency would be used to place them in an environment that is not conducive to their full human development." [More]
That fact summarizes the challenge confronting the new archbishop of San Francisco, George Niederauer, in the face of the burgeoning controversy over Catholic Charities’ adoption placements with homosexual couples.
The controversy was brought to the boiling point by a March 9th directive from Archbishop William Levada, former archbishop of San Francisco and now prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine for the Faith. Levada acknowledged that children had been placed with homosexual parents under his watch, and said it could no longer occur, in line with the 2003 statement by Levada’s predecessor, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger – now Pope Benedict XVI – saying homosexual adoptions "mean doing violence to these children, in the sense that their condition of dependency would be used to place them in an environment that is not conducive to their full human development." [More]
Dr. Jean, I don't understand this action by Catholic Charities at all. Children are going to be raised by sinners, whether they are born into the family or adopted into a household. Further, do we deny sinners the opportunity to perform the corporal works of mercy because they are obstinate in sin? Do we deny adoption to those who are divorced and remarried as well, which is also sexual sin? Do we abandon hope that individuals can overcome troubled, problematic upbringing and turn to faith? I appreciate any comments you have that might help me reconcile this - it seems greatly uncharitable and short-sighted, especially considering the fact that adoption should be an alternative to abortion - isn't saving that life the most important goal?
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