Philadelphia, Pa., Jun 14, 2007 / 09:10 am
The National Catholic Bioethics Center joined its voice to that of Cardinal Justin Rigali yesterday regarding the decision of Philadelphia’s City Council to proclaim the metropolis pro-choice.
The City Council passed the resolution June 7, by a vote of 9 to 8.
According to 2005 statistics released from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, more than 42.5 percent of all abortions performed in the state were in Philadelphia. This percentage represents 14,858 aborted babies.
Almost half of the abortions performed in Pennsylvania were repeat abortions, with over 1,000 women having had at least four abortions.
At a time when the homicide rate continues to rise (171 homicides in 2007 as of June 5), City Council has the responsibility to foster a culture which respects human life, said the National Catholic Bioethics Center in a statement.
The organization commended the eight councilors who voted against the resolution. It also expressed concern that the resolution was crafted with the assistance of the local chapter of Planned Parenthood — which is the most extensive network of abortion clinics in the country.