(The diocese issued a new statement on Susan G. Komen for the Cure March 6, 2008. Click here for the new statement.)
Following the trend in several dioceses, the Diocese of Little Rock is discouraging its parishes and schools from supporting fundraising activities for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
The international organization raises millions annually for the detection, treatment and research of breast cancer. A portion of the money nationally is given to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings. Planned Parenthood is also the largest provider of abortions in the United States.
Several parishes and schools have hosted teams for the Komen Race for the Cure, which attracts more than 43,000 participants to the 5K race in Little Rock alone each October. More than 15,000 people participate in the Komen race in Springdale each April.
Marianne Linane, diocesan respect life director, said a statement saying the Respect Life Office “neither supports or encourages participation” in Komen activities was written after several inquiries from pro-life Catholics about the diocese’s position.
The diocese is encouraging Catholics to write to the Komen headquarters in Dallas and ask them to stop funding Planned Parenthood.
Issued Feb. 4 and endorsed by Msgr. J. Gaston Hebert, diocesan administrator, the two-page statement was a way to inform Catholics in the state about Komen for the Cure, Linane said. She said the diocesan statement is based on one developed by the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 2007.
Similar statements have been issued in Charleston, S.C., and Phoenix. Three years ago a Hispanic adviser quit the National Hispanic/Latina Advisory Council after learning of the Komen-Planned Parenthood ties.
Linane said one of the main reasons to distance Catholic groups from Komen is the funding to Planned Parenthood clinics in 22 states. Seventy-five percent of money raised in Arkansas stays in the state, which is not funneled to Planned Parenthood clinics. The remaining 25 percent is sent to the national office.
While Planned Parenthood clinics in Arkansas do not do breast cancer screenings and do not receive Komen grants, national grants do support their work, Linane said.
“Donors cannot control how an organization designates its funds,” the statement said. “Therefore, money donated for a specific service, i.e. breast health care, directly frees up funds to support other areas of an organization’s agenda, i.e. contraception services, ’safe’ sex education and abortion services.”
Komen for the Cure also supports embryonic stem-cell research and denies the link between abortion and breast cancer, the statement said.
Linane said Komen endorses embryonic stem-cell research as having the “most potential for cancer stem-cell research.”
The third reason is the link between having an abortion and the increased risk of breast cancer, Linane said.
“They purport to be doing women favors but how can they deny the increase in breast cancer (by those who have had an abortion)?” Linane said.
According to the statement, Dr. Joel Brind of the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute and Dr. Janet Daling, a cancer epidemiologist, said the link should not be dismissed. Both have done research in this area.
According to the Komen for the Cure Web site, the organization denies this link.
“Our hope is that the Komen Foundation will focus all funds on research to find causes and cure for breast cancer and refuse to give financial or other support to any abortion provider or organization that promotes the destruction of human life,” the diocesan statement said.
The executive director of the Ozark affiliate, based in Fayetteville, reiterated that no Arkansas Planned Parenthood clinics get local or national grants. Alison Levin provided a statement to Arkansas Catholic saying, “Komen and its affiliates do not provide any funding for abortions or for any activities outside the scope of our mission to eradicate breast cancer.”
The statement continued, “The National Cancer Institute’s review of recent scientific literature reveals that no conclusive evidence exists to suggest that abortion increases a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer.”
Levin said the organization has worked successfully with the Catholic Church over the years.
“We have partnered with St. Joseph Church in Tontitown for nine years for the pasta party,” she said.
The parish was scheduled to serve its well-known spaghetti and fried chicken April 18, the night before the Springdale race. The event is sponsored by Washington Regional Medical Center.
Parish administrator Shannon M. Stowe said Monday that the Ozark affiliate would be notified this week that the party could no longer be hosted at the parish.
Linane said the diocese doesn’t want to discourage groups from supporting breast cancer detection and research.
“Both Msgr. Hebert’s and my mother died of breast cancer,” Linane said.
She said groups should support Catholic hospitals directly that operate breast centers. These include St. Vincent Breast Center, Little Rock; St. Edward Mercy To Save A Life Program, Fort Smith; St. Joseph Mercy Health Foundation, Hot Springs; Mercy Breast Center, Rogers; and St. Bernard’s Foundation, Jonesboro.
“Your dollars will go further and will be used locally,” Linane said.
The complete statement is available on the Respect Life Office page at www.dolr.org.
