USF Update: Abortion

From The Catholic Key comes this chilling but unfortunately unsurprising news on the (Jesuit) University of San Francisco. USF will force students to sign on to a medical plan that covers abortion:

"The only way students may opt-out of USF's plan is to prove 'that they have coverage comparable (equal or better) to the University-sponsored plan'. Otherwise, 'Students automatically will be enrolled in, and have their accounts billed for, the University-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan.' (Emphasis added)

According to the plan brochure:

'The University of San Francisco Student Health Insurance Plan has been developed especially for eligible University of San Francisco students and their eligible dependents. The Plan provides coverage for illnesses and Injuries that occur on and off campus, and includes special cost-saving features to keep coverage as affordable as possible. University of San Francisco is pleased to offer the Plan, as described in this Brochure, to students and their eligible dependents.'

The specially developed plan, which is available as a pdf at both USF's and Aetna's website includes the following coverage under the heading of 'Maternity Expenses':

'Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy - Covered Medical Expenses are payable as follows:Preferred Care: 90% of the Negotiated Charge.Non-Preferred Care: 70% of the Reasonable Charge."Employers are not required to provide abortion coverage in California. Other Catholic institutions in San Francisco which offer health insurance, including the Archdiocese of San Francisco, do not provide abortion coverage.'

Unless USF's website is grossly incorrect, it would seem that the institution 'Educating Minds and Hearts to Change the World' forces those minds and hearts to fund 'an unspeakable crime'. (Gaudium et Spes)"

We call this "unsurprising" because we have been following USF for a while.

• On May 23, 2007 USF's Lane Center hosted the "Religion and Sexuality: What's the Connection" seminar. The seminar featured as guest speakers the Rev. Ignacio Castuera, President of the Clergy Network of Planned Parenthood and the Rev. Lisa Sargeant, Chaplain of Planned Parenthood Golden Gate.

Lest anyone think that the seminar was a disinterested pursuit of truth, let's examine a portion of the agenda:

1:45 – 2:30 Small Groups

• What Can Be Done to Change Policy Makers’ Understanding of Sexuality and Religion?

• What Can Be Done to Change Public Understanding of Sexuality and Religion?• How Can Scholars, Progressive Clergy, and Sexual and Reproductive Health Organizations Work Better Together?

• Recommendations for Action.

This is obviously an activists' planning session. The seminar was sponsored by the "Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing." To see where they stand on "Abortion as a Moral Decision" go here.

And speaking of "Abortion as a Moral Decision," on October 30, USF's Lane Center for Catholic Studies and Social Thought hosted a lady named Sylvia Marcos. As we wrote at the time:

Ms. Marcos also happens to be one of the signatories to this document:

"A Faith-Filled Commitment to Development Includes a Commitment to Women’s Rights and Reproductive Health--Religious Reflections on the Millennium Development Goals--Prepared for the 2005 World Summit14-16 September 2005"

The document includes the following paragraph:

"Women must have access to comprehensive reproductive health services and information to prevent unplanned and high-risk pregnancies, which often lead women to abortion, even where abortion is unsafe and illegal. Unsafe abortion is a public health concern and where abortion is illegal governments and health systems should work together to change their country’s abortion laws and make safe abortion legal and accessible to those women who voluntarily choose to have one." (emphasis added).

The signatories of this document are arguing, on the basis of religion, that a woman has the "right" to kill her child.

For a comprehensive chronology of similar events at USF, go here.