Last chance to send your support to Sr McBride
by Anji Capes // 1 June 2010, 19:21
Today is the last day in which to send messages of support to Sr McBride of St Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.
For those who don't know, Sr McBride has been declared excommunicated from the Catholic church for her part in allowing an abortion at the hospital. The mother in question, aged 27 and eleven weeks pregnant, had become very ill and was told that if she continued the pregnancy she would die.
As Catholics For Choice say, "Sister Margaret McBride was part of the ethics panel at St. Joseph's that decided that the young woman could have the abortion she needed. As a result, the woman's life and health were preserved, but the bishop of Phoenix declared Sister Margaret McBride excommunicated."
To me, one of the founding tenets of feminism is the right to choose - whether that is choosing to have a baby, choosing to give your baby up for adoption or choosing to terminate your pregnancy. Sr McBride, as a Catholic nun, most likely doesn't see things the same way as I do; certainly her Catholic faith was probably at great odds with her decision to allow this termination. That makes the part she played even more courageous and admirable.
Sr McBride clearly acted in good conscience and helped save a young woman's life in the process. Whatever her personal beliefs, she did the best thing for this young woman and has received one of the worst punishments she as a nun could receive.
You can send your own message of thanks and support to Sr McBride by visiting the Catholics For Choice page which has been set up specifically for this purpose. Today is the last day they are taking notes for her, so please spend a few moments writing to her and lending her your support at what must be a difficult time for her.
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Ruth // Posted 01 June 2010 at 21:38
Wow, a Catholic nun helped allow a woman to have an abortion? Courageous, and sad that this has happened (though not really surprising, unfortunately).
And, yay! Anji! You're blogging at the F Word! I'll have to start reading again now! :-)
Wendy Tatroult // Posted 01 June 2010 at 23:59
Thank you, Sr. McBride, for standing up for what you know is right.
Lynne Miles // Posted 02 June 2010 at 12:51
Hi Anji welcome to the blog! And thanks for flagging this up - what a brave woman.
Feminist Avatar // Posted 02 June 2010 at 15:39
It's not just McBride that was ex-communicated by this decision. The entire ethics committee (who presumably were all catholics at a catholic hospital), any doctors and nurses involved in the procedure and the woman who the abortion was performed on were also ex-communicated.
Marissa // Posted 04 June 2010 at 14:13
People of all faith tradition and secular people work at Catholic hospitals and in Catholic healthcare systems. Patients who are treated at Catholic hospitals are not all Catholic either.
It is wrong to assume otherwise.
penelope carter // Posted 30 June 2010 at 22:08
Sister Margaret McBride has the entire Entire Elizabeth Seton of New York fan club applauding her !!!!!! She is a special star, chosen by God, whose light is a comfort to us all !!!!!! It's about choice and conscience !!!!! Seems to me, if I correctly recall, even at the ANNUNCIATION, Mary was given a CHOICE !!!!!!! This was a decision difficult to make and Sister made the right one !!!!! Thank you. A 1951 NY Foundling of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton ! (and mother of two, as well !)