Catholic World News

Disgraced cardinal stalled investigation
of abuse in Scotland
CWN - August 23, 2013

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who retired in
February after reports of homosexual
misconduct, derailed plans for an independent
investigation of sex-abuse problems in the
Catholic Church in Scotland, another Scottish
prelate has revealed.
In a letter to The Tablet , Archbishop Mario
Conti, the retired head of the Glasgow
archdiocese, said that Cardinal O’Brien was
the only Scottish bishop who opposed a
proposal for an investigation of the Church’s
response to sex-abuse complaints. The
investigation proceeded in other Scottish until
2012, but ended when planners concluded
that they could not provide useful statistics
without the participation of the Edinburgh
archdiocese.

Washington state attorney general:
hospitals must perform abortions
CWN - August 23, 2013
The attorney general of the state of
Washington has announced that any hospital
in the state that receives public funds must
perform abortions.
Bob Ferguson based his ruling on the text of a
1991 law that stipulates a public hospital “may
not provide maternity care without abortion
and birth control.”
The attorney general’s ruling does not apply to
private hospitals, but does apply to public
hospitals—including those with religious
affiliations. The ruling also applies to hospital
districts, and prohibits public contracts with
private hospitals that do not provide abortion
services.