SPRINGFIELD, Ill.(EWTN News/CNA) — An Illinois judge’s July 12 order will allow Catholic Charities to continue its foster care work in three dioceses, despite an attempt by state officials and the governor to end the partnership.
“This is a great win for the 2,000 children under the care of Catholic Charities, protecting these kids from the grave disruption that the state’s reckless decision to terminate would have caused,” said Peter Breen, executive director and legal counsel at the Thomas More Society.
Breen said that Catholic Charities, with the legal assistance of his organization, “will continue this fight” to continue “the high-quality foster and adoption care that the Catholic Church has provided for over a century to Illinois children.”
Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria, one of the dioceses that sought the injunction, said he was “encouraged by the judge’s recognition today of the grave harm that would result” from forcing Catholic Charities out of foster care.
“We continue to believe we can adhere to our religious principles and operate within Illinois law,” Bishop Jenky said. “Our focus has always been on living the Gospel mission by serving and protecting vulnerable children throughout our communities, and we will continue our faithful mission building a future filled with hope.”
Illinois’ Department of Children and Family Services had stated in a July 8 letter that it was ending its relationship with Catholic Charities in three dioceses over the Church ministries’ alleged refusal to comply with the recently passed Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act.
The three branches of Catholic Charities have maintained they are following the law, even as they continue their practice of placing foster children only with married couples and non-cohabiting single persons.
Breen told EWTN News on July 11 that the state was dropping Catholic Charities on illegitimate grounds and attempting an “end-run” around Catholic Charities’ lawsuit against the state over the same issue.
At the July 12 hearing, Judge John Schmidt expressed a similar sentiment, saying the Department of Children and Family Services’ termination letter had the “appearance of gamesmanship.”
Schmidt also rejected Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s attempt to have Catholic Charities’ complaint dismissed on the grounds of “mootness.” Madigan attempted to argue that the present position of both parties would make any judicial decision in the matter irrelevant.
The judge, however, disagreed, and will decide on the merits of the case in a hearing on Aug. 17.
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When I read cases such as this, I always wonder if the state (Illinois, in this matter) have the resources and families lined up to take care of the children that the Church now watches over?
The same is true of pressure on Catholic schools to conform to ridiculous rules or home schoolers who are threatened by state’s to conform to teaching standards (i.e. sex ed) or be forbidden to teach their own children.
Do these officials really want all the Catholic school children and, to a smaller degree) home schoolers showing up at their local schools looking for an education? The overcrowding of classes and overwhelmed teachers would be staggering.
And, we won’t even do into what happens when you shut down a Catholic hospital…but the gov’t officials will keep telling you it’s all about the kids!! No, it’s all about an agenda.
Lisa Madigan IS moot. She’s a feministic power-tripper. I’m glad to see that there is still justice in the courts.
This is a great win for morality. I have heard a story in the past that some orphanage in MA had to shut down becuase the govt. cut funding because they would not adopt out children to same sex couples.
The public and the govt. forget that the CATHOLIC church are the ones that started orphanages—Along with the first hospitals, nurses and schools in this country.
There needs to be a new respect given to the church and what the church has and still does for the greater good of mankind. This story shows this is a step in the right direction.
“Do these officials really want all the Catholic school children and, to a smaller degree) home schoolers showing up at their local schools looking for an education? The overcrowding of classes and overwhelmed teachers would be staggering”
My reply—This is already happening with the closings of Catholic Schools due to the economy. Public school education, especially for grade school children is a joke. They enjoy educating children on accepting immoral behavior, such as abortion, the smoke and mirrrors of what a “family” is and promoting certain sex acts and lifestyles at a very early age.
Hooray! My diocese is one of the three!!!
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