Supporting Disabled Babies in the Womb

Today in the nation's capital and across the country, Christians "will be focusing on the issue of helping support pregnant women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of a disability," Jeanne Monahan writes on the Family Research Council blog.

As Christians we believe that every person is willed and loved by God, and has inherent gifts and dignity. However, with new technologies in prenatal testing, this dignity is being called into question. Upon receiving an unexpected prenatal diagnosis and in the absence of comprehensive information and resources that promote the option of carrying to term, up to 90 percent of women decide to terminate their pregnancies. We uphold that all human beings have infinite value regardless of any medical conditions or disabilities, and seek to support families during this time.

From 1:00-2:30 p.m. [EST], the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) will host a national training for ministers, medical personnel, and others in the Washington, D.C. area who are interested [it's also available via webinar]. This will be followed by the Archdiocese of Washington’s Affirming Life Symposium starting at 2:45 p.m., also for ministers, pastoral workers, and medical staff. Register at www.ncpd.org. For more information, contact Peg Kolm, Department of Special Needs Ministries, at 301-853-4560.