Maryland Catholic Conference - Pregnancy Support

Pregnancy Support

Set Out in Haste: Serving Women, Serving Life

Maryland’s Catholic bishops called for an outpouring of support for women facing crisis pregnancies and rejected recent proposals to single out pro-life charities that provide them with assistance in a joint statement released January 18. Set Out in Haste: Serving Women, Serving Life is signed by Baltimore Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, and Wilmington Bishop W. Francis Malooly.

Set Out in Haste: Read the bishops' statement

Set Out in Haste bulletin insert (English/PDF)

Set Out in Haste bulletin insert (en Espanol/PDF)

Parish resources (announcements, homily notes, prayers)

Pregnant women in need deserve competent, compassionate care. That care is often provided by one of Maryland's pregnancy resources centers, which offer emotional and material support to pregnant women in need (watch the video below). Sadly, these centers are facing harassment because of their pro-life mission. Learn more below.

Baltimore City Council Bill 09-0406: More resources

Montgomery County Regulation: More resources (updated 01/25/10)

Montgomery County Regulation: More resources (updated 01/25/10)

Montgomery County Pregnancy Center Regulation

UPDATE (02/02/10): The Montgomery County Council voted 7-2 on February 2 to pass the amended the regulation. The amended regulation requires centers that provide pregnancy-related services to post a sign stating if there is no medical professional on staff and that women who may be pregnant should consult a medical provider.
The Archdiocese of Washington and the Maryland Catholic Conference oppose the amendment and the final regulation (read the Archdiocese's legal brief). While it makes a bad bill less onerous, it still applies de facto only to pro-life pregnancy centers, which are already overwhelmingly successful at getting pregnant women into prenatal care. It also sets a dangerous precedent of regulation of pro-life organizations.
The original version of the regulation as introduced would have required pro-life pregnancy resource centers to tell new clients that the information they provide is not intended to be medical advice and to turn to other providers before “proceeding on a course of action regarding [her] pregnancy.” It would have imposed a fine of up to $750 per day for not doing so.

Read the amended regulation.
Catholic Standard story on the regulation.
The Archdiocese of Washington's legal brief on the problems with the amended regulation.
Fact sheet on the (original, as introduced) Montgomery County proposal.

Archdiocese of Washington statement on the regulation as introduced.

Washington Post editorial opposes regulation harassing pregnancy resource centers.

Why the Waxman and NARAL reports do not hold up as evidence of the need for these proposals

Why the Waxman and NARAL reports do not hold up as evidence of the need for these proposals

Some local lawmakers have referred to two reports - one issued by the office of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and another by NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland, as "evidence" that pregnancy resource centers give out inaccurate information. Those reports are, respectively, irrelevant and biased sources of information that should not be used as the basis to pass laws or regulations that single out pro-life charities.

Not a single actual client of a pregnancy resource center in Baltimore City or Montgomery County has come forward to say she was misled.

The only actual clients of pregnancy resource centers in Baltimore City and Montgomery County who have come forward say they received competent care and accurate information there.

The Waxman Report did not look at any pregnancy resource centers in Maryland. No pregnancy resource centers in Maryland receive federal or state funding.

The Waxman Report only looked at 23 pregnancy resource centers around the country. There are an estimated 2,500 pregnancy resource centers in the U.S., meaning that the Waxman Report is based on just 1% of pregnancy resource centers nationwide.

The NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland Report ("The Truth Revealed") was funded and conducted by a group that promotes abortion rights.

The NARAL Report is based on hearsay reported by NARAL's own interns who went into pregnancy resource centers and misrepresented themselves in order to find out information.

Pregnant and Need Help?

Real Choices Maryland - find a pregnancy center near you!

Washington-area resources

Eastern Shore resources

Hurting After Abortion?

Project Rachel Baltimore area

Project Rachel Washington area

Targeting of pro-life pregnancy resource centers

Pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) provide concrete assistance to women in need, including childbirth & parenting classes, maternity and infant clothes, formula and diapers

PRCs are great assets to the community, as evidenced by the many agencies & offices that refer women to them

Both the Baltimore City and Montgomery County bills apply only to pro-life centers and not to abortion clinics

Both the Baltimore City and Montgomery County bills would fine pro-life charities daily for non compliance

Both bills promoted by abortion lobby interest groups including Planned Parenthood and NARAL

The Maryland Catholic Conference
10 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21401
410.269.1155 / 301.261.1979
410.269.1790 (fax)
info@mdcathcon.org

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