Catholics and other “Right to Life” conservative Christians have long argued that life begins at conception. For them, this staunch position is the very foundation of their faith and is non-negotiable. So why then is a Catholic hospital arguing in a lawsuit against them that an unborn fetus is not a real person and therefore not protected by the law?
Jerry Stodghill is the plaintiff in a wrongful death lawsuit following the death of his wife at St. Thomas More Hospital in Canon City, Colorado. Lori Stodghill was 7 months pregnant when she suffered a blocked artery in her lung and went into cardiac arrest. Doctors couldn’t save Lori, but also opted against a cesarean section to save her unborn twins. Lori and her twin sons died, which prompted Stodghill to sue because he believes the hospital should have performed the C-section.
But Catholic Health Initiatives has another side to this story. They have argued that Lori couldn’t be saved. They have also argued that despite the teachings of the church, Colorado law does not define a fetus as a person and therefore the wrongful-death lawsuit against them regarding the unborn twins should be dismissed. HUH??
How can Catholicism teach that life begins at conception (which is why the church is so against abortion), yet flip that rule when it is not advantageous to them and claim that Samuel Edward and Zachary James Stodghill shouldn’t be protected from fatal negligence, simply because they weren’t born yet??
Catholic Health Initiatives released a statement last week saying it couldn’t comment on pending litigation, but “St. Thomas More, Centura Health and Catholic Health Initiatives, as Catholic organizations, are in union with the moral teachings of the church.”
Catholic theologian Richard Bulzacchelli, agrees that Catholic Health Initiatives is playing loose with its own teachings so as to protect itself against liability.
“But there is certainly reason for scandal, since the church is arguing elsewhere that this loophole is not in conformity with the natural moral law, and therefore, according to Catholic teaching, invalid as law,” Bulzacchelli said.
