Florida school asked to reconsider rejection of pro-life student group

Washington D.C., Jul 9, 2018 / 04:00 pm (CNA).- After critics charged that US delegates threatened Ecuador to prevent a World Health Organization resolution supporting breastfeeding, President Trump and administration officials say the U.S. supports breastfeeding.

The New York Times reported July 8 that during a WHO meeting in May, American officials threatened Ecuador with sanctions if it would not withdraw its sponsorship for a resolution in support of breastfeeding. US officials say the matter is more complicated.

The resolution was primarily meant to prevent dishonest or inaccurate marketing of baby formula, subsequently promoting breastfeeding as the healthiest choice for babies, Britain’s Baby Milk Action Policy Director Patti Rundall said in an interview with NPR.

Rundell said the resolution was “all about trading, and trading goods that really are misleadingly marketed.”

The resolution, sponsored by the Ecuador, encouraged governments to oppose marketing that claims baby formula is better for babies than breastfeeding.

But an HHS spokeswoman said that “the resolution as originally drafted placed unnecessary hurdles for mothers seeking to provide nutrition to their children,”

Caitlin Oakley, a spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement that “”The issues being debated were not about whether one supports breastfeeding.”

“The United States was fighting to protect women’s abilities to make the best choices for the nutrition of their babies.

“Many women are not able to breastfeed for a variety of reasons, these women should not be stigmatised; they should be equally supported with information and access to alternatives for the health of themselves and their babies.”

The New York Times reported that the US attempted to “water down” the wording of the resolution, focusing on two passages, the article said: one requiring that countries “‘protect, promote and support breast-feeding,’” and another that would place restrictions on companies selling baby formula that is, according to health officials, harmful.

Their efforts were unsuccessful, so, according to media reports, the US reportedly “threatened” any country that supported the resolution, including Ecuador and several South American and African countries. The US has denied allegations it threatened any country during negotiations.

Though Ecuador withdrew its support for the resolution, Russian delegates took up its sponsorship, and the measure passed, amended partially by the US in two ways: language was removed offering WHO support for nations trying to stop ‘inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and young children,”  and the phrase “‘evidence-based” was added to some provisions about advertisements supporting breastfeeding.

Critics charge that the US delegation is unduly influenced by lobbyists for formula manufacturers.

Erroneously advertised baby formulas, while claiming to be authentic, can be detrimental to babies’ health. They can sometimes even cause death, Rundall said.

“I don’t think people thought about it very much,” she said, “that… marketing could lead people to the extent… that you would actually have babies dying.”

In a tweet Monday, President Trump said that the “U.S. strongly supports breast feeding but we don’t believe women should be denied access to formula. Many woman need this option because of malnutrition and poverty.”

[…]

Harrisburg, Pa., Sep 10, 2018 / 04:28 pm (CNA).- An allegation of misconduct has been filed against Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend and is being investigated by the district attorney’s office. The nature of the alleged misconduct is not clear.

“Bishop Rhoades adamantly denies any validity to this accusation and the insinuation of inappropriate behavior. He did nothing wrong, and is confident any investigation will bear this out,” the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend said.

According to PennLive, the Harrisburg diocese – where Rhoades served as bishop from 2004-2009 – reported the allegation to the office of District Attorney Fran Chardo and to the child protective services program, PA ChildLine.

The district attorney said the accuser, who died in 1996, was a male and about 18 years old when the alleged incident occurred. He said there is no first-hand account of the incident, but that the report received by his office “alleged that they perceived the relationship as odd” but “did not witness any inappropriate conduct.”

According to PennLive, the district attorney’s office is investigating the allegation against Rhoades, who has not been charged.

“We would stress that this is an allegation,” Mike Barley, a Harrisburg diocesan spokesman, told PennLive. “We will have no further comment until the investigation of the Office of the District Attorney is concluded.”

The alleged incident involving Rhoades took place before he became a bishop. His previous work in Harrisburg included serving as assistant chancellor, pastor of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish, and a faculty member and later rector at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary.

The diocese of Harrisburg was one of the six dioceses covered in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report that was released last month. The report found more than 1,000 allegations of abuse at the hands of some 300 clergy members in six dioceses in the state. It also found a pattern of cover up by senior Church officials.

Bishop Rhoades said last month that he would release the names of priests in his Ft. Wayne-South Bend diocese who have been accused of child sexual abuse.

“As leaders, we have an obligation to protect the vulnerable who cannot protect themselves. As a bishop, I have worked to expose and punish those responsible for abuse,” Rhoades said.

“If the Pennsylvania grand jury report taught us anything, it’s that victims deserve to see the names of their abusers made public for all to see. For everyone to know the pain caused by these priests.”

[…]

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 3, 2020 / 05:00 pm (CNA).- As public officials debate whether prison populations should be among the first or last to receive a COVID vaccine, ethicists say that incarceration should not be the deciding factor.

“Wh… […]