Editor's note: The California Catholic Conference website offers the following information in reference to Proposition 85, the Parents' Right to Know and Child Protection Act, which appears on the November 7 state ballot. The California Catholic Bishops support a "yes" vote on Prop 85.
The facts are that in California, abortion is legal for any reason, at anytime during pregnancy.
---A minor girl does not need the consent of her parents or guardians prior to obtaining an abortion, nor does she need to inform them of her intentions.
---There is no mandated 24-hour "waiting period" between requesting and receiving an abortion.
---There are no requirements to provide pictures and facts depicting fetal development, information regarding possible complications and health risks, or alternatives like adoption.
---Although a surgical abortion must be performed by a licensed physician, the venue may be a free-standing clinic that is not inspected by the State Department of Health nor held to the standards of all other medical clinics.
---There is no requirement to keep statistics on the numbers of abortions performed, the ethnicity of the women, the number of repeat clients, and most importantly, the number and types of complications.
Which means that:
---Girls as young as 12 years of age can obtain abortions without their parents' knowledge.
---Girls who cannot afford abortions can apply to tax-funded Medi-Cal.
---Without parental knowledge or permission, public schools may arrange for an abortion for a 7-12 grade student and transport her to an off-campus site for the surgery.
The Church --- as noted in Charter of the Rights of the Family (1983), Familiaris Consortio (1981) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church --- teaches:
---The family is a community uniquely suited to teach and transmit cultural, ethical, social, sexual and religious values.
---Parents have the original, primary and inalienable right to educate their children and must be acknowledged as the first and foremost educators of their children.
---Public authority must respect and foster the dignity, lawful independence, privacy, integrity and stability of every family.
---Parents cannot entirely delegate these rights to others or allow them to be usurped.
Proposition 85 will curb the abuses of parental prerogatives and rights that currently exist in California law and public school policy. Proposition 85 will:
---Mandate that except for medical emergency, no abortion can be performed on a minor unless the physician notifies her parent or legal guardian at least 48 hours before the procedure.
---Provide a judicial bypass for cases of physical or sexual abuse by the parent or guardian.
---Allow a minor access to juvenile court if she is being coerced to have an abortion.
---Require the filing of reports with the Department of Health Services (DHS) by the physicians who perform minor abortions.
---The California Catholic Conference of Bishops supports the passage of Proposition 85. In their statement, they write:
"...Proposition 85 contains public policy that is both sensible and realistic which will benefit not only our families but our society as a whole. It is a sensible policy to encourage a minor girl faced with a serious decision like an unexpected pregnancy to go to her parents for their love, their wisdom, and their counsel. It is a realistic policy that a minor girl's parents be notified of her request for an abortion whether or not she chooses to consult them. Society will benefit because parental notification laws have the effect of discouraging teenage pregnancies --- as documented in a recent study.* And individual rights and unborn babies will be protected because a minor girl will be afforded protection in the unfortunate circumstance in which she is being coerced to have an abortion."
"We believe that society's common good is enhanced when family integrity is honored, parental responsibility is respected, and nascent human life is preserved." * "Analyzing the Effect of Pro-Life Legislation on the Incidence of Abortion Among Minors," Michael J. New, Ph.D., University of Alabama, June 2005. |