Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options

The executive committee of the Catholic Health Association met with officials of several top Vatican agencies for talks that focused in part on the association’s support for health reform legislation that the U.S. bishops opposed. Carol Keehan, a member of the Daughters of Charity who is president and chief executive of the C.H.A., said that the meetings at the Vatican were “useful and positive,” but she would not comment on particular issues raised in the talks. “We were very cordially received and had a wonderful exchange of ideas,” she said. This spring, Sister Carol and the C.H.A. expressed public support for the final version of U.S. health care reform legislation passed by Congress in March, convinced it would not fund abortions. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops opposed the measure, saying its provisions on funding for abortions and conscience protections were morally unacceptable. Vatican officials were known to have been perplexed at the C.H.A.’s unwillingness to follow the bishops’ position on the issue.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Few events inspire a media spectacle quite like the election of a pope. Zac and Ashley talk with church historian Miles Pattenden to learn how conclaves evolved—and how they might change in the future.
JesuiticalApril 26, 2024
Asa Butterfield and Jude Law star in a scene from the movie ‘Hugo’ 
In “Hugo,” Scorsese’s only family-friendly feature to date, he reflects on how dreams give meaning to our lives and help us persevere through life’s hardships.
John DoughertyApril 26, 2024
The Archdiocese of New Orleans had been ordered by a New Orleans criminal court to turn over records relating to a long-running criminal investigation involving multiple accused priests.
“Inside the Vatican” host Colleen Dulle shares how her visit to Argentina gave her a deeper understanding into Francis’ emphasis on “being amongst the people” and his belief that “you can’t do theology behind a desk.”
Inside the VaticanApril 25, 2024