I started this post with the assumption, based on the absence of any news articles, that the NH Catholic Diocese, of which I am a member, had given up on any attempts at stopping the repeal of NH’s parental notification law. Further investigation revealed I was wrong, the Diocese has, in fact taken a stand and issued a letter stating its position. Good for them. A letter from the Bishop in this past Sunday’s bulletin might have been helpful, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
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As a believer in parental rights when it comes to children, the passage of NH HB 184, the repeal of the right of parental notification prior to a minor girl receiving an abortion, is something that must not happen. Call or email your state senators and representatives today. The clock is ticking.
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This is the letter from the Diocese:
Hon. David E. Cote, Chairman
Judiciary Committee
New Hampshire House of Representatives
Room 208—Legislative Office Building
Concord, New Hampshire 03301.Dear Representative Cote and Members of the Committee:.As Chancellor of the Diocese of Manchester and on behalf of Bishop John B. McCormack, I am writing to express our opposition to HB 184. The Parental Notification Prior to Abortion Act recognizes the fundamental and constitutionally-protected role of parents in caring for their children and should not be repealed..The Catholic Church vigorously promotes the dignity and sanctity of both human life and the family as essential elements of human society. The Diocese of Manchester strongly supported enactment of the Parental Notification Prior to Abortion Act. Indeed, when its constitutionality was questioned before the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and the United States Supreme Court, the Diocese of Manchester, along with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged the Courts to uphold the law..Diocesan support is rooted firmly in the natural law that when any significant issue confronts a family member, the family should come together to resolve it. A pregnant minor will benefit from parental involvement as she faces a life-altering decision that involves not only her unborn child, but also her own physical health and emotional well-being. Parents have an equally fundamental interest in the welfare of their children as well as a right and a responsibility to care for them.
The Parental Notification Prior to Abortion Act advances the health and welfare of children. As the United States Supreme Court has said:.Parental involvement laws are based on the quite reasonable assumption that minors will benefit from consultation with their parents and that children will often not realize that their parents have their best interests at heart.¹.Often due to their lack of experience and knowledge, teenagers cannot make informed choices about the medical care and treatment that take into account both the immediate and long-term consequences of a decision to have an abortion. Their abortion providers, peers, and sexual partners do not always have the perspective or knowledge to provide sound advice..This is not just a matter of maturity; it is a matter of responsibility. Parents are responsible for the care and welfare of their dependent children. Abortion is significant and irreversible surgery that involves innocent life and can have life-threatening physical complications. A parent is in the best position to ensure that the child’s health and family history are considered, that the child is receiving the best medical advice, and that the child obtains appropriate follow-up medical care..Abortion also can have long-term mental health consequences. A doctor or other health care provider, no matter how compassionate, is not responsible for the child’s mental health—parents are responsible for their minor children..It would be a grave mistake to divest parents of meaningful input into the health care of their own dependent children. Opponents of the law falsely assume a conflict between the right and responsibility of parents to care for their children, on the one hand, and the best interests of their children, on the other. In every other context, the law assumes that parents are the natural guardians of their children’s health and best interests. It is folly to believe that third parties are in a better position than parents to protect the interests of their children. Such a view is inconsistent with how the law generally treats parents and children. Indeed, the State of New Hampshire has long recognized the fundamental role of parents in caring for their children by requiring parental consent–not just parental notification–to a long list of health care and non-health care matters.².For the foregoing reasons, the Diocese of Manchester urges your Committee to find this bill inexpedient to legislate..Thank you all for your service to the people of the State of New Hampshire..Very truly yours,/s/ Diane M. QuinlanChancellor
Of course, the committee didn’t listen and has released it to the full house.