LA Archdiocese Rents Out Property to Abortion Conference

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UPDATE, June 21, 2017: The archdiocese has released a statement on Wednesday regarding the event.

Dear Friends of Life,
Thank you for bringing the Uncertain Times: Charting a Path Forward for Women's Health event to our attention at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The information was acted upon immediately, and the event has been moved.
The topic for the event, as well as the occupations of both speakers listed in the promotional material, stands in direct contradiction to Catholic moral doctrine and violates our policy for the use of our facilities in the ADLA handbook, which states, "speakers should not contradict the mission and principles of the Catholic Church, especially in the area of objective Catholic moral teaching."
The Office of Life, Justice and Peace, under the leadership of Archbishop Gomez, are committed to the dignity of every human life and the protection of the right to life for all. We ask that you join us in prayer today and every day for an end to the tragedy of abortion and a commitment to supporting women and families in need.
"God is our Father and he calls us to take responsibility for our brothers and sisters, to promote and protect human life, beginning with the most defenseless members of our human family." Archbishop Gomez, For Greater Things You Were Born

UPDATE, June 20, 2017 Los Angeles archdiocesan spokesman Adrian Marquez Alarcon responded to Church Militant's inquiries Tuesday afternoon in an email: "The Archdiocese became aware of the matter yesterday evening. The event will not be taking place at the Center on the Cathedral Plaza."

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LOS ANGELES (ChurchMilitant.com) - A building complex owned by the archdiocese of Los Angeles, California is being rented out to abortion activists for a conference featuring Planned Parenthood.

Church Militant confirmed with Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC) that the event, Uncertain Times: Charting the Path Forward for Women's Health, sponsored by the Policy Cafe Breakfast, will be held Friday at the Center at Cathedral Plaza, on the grounds of the Los Angeles Cathedral, and that the event will focus on how to continue with pro-abortion activism without getting "burned out."

The event description reads:

From beltway debates to mass marches on Main Street, women's issues, in particular women's health, have taken center stage in U.S. policy. Whether it is maintaining coverage for basic health services or ensuring access to timely care, the future of women’s health in the US is uncertain. Join us for a timely discussion with two of California's leading women's health advocates, Kathy Kneer and Sue Dunlap. We will reflect on the progress made and the path ahead with the leaders of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and Planned Parenthood Los Angeles.

The CCALAC is an organization that claims its members share a mission of "expanding access to quality comprehensive health care for every individual" — code word for abortion and contraception access. The website houses a support page for abortion activists and features training on how to provide medical care for LGBT patients.

The Center at Cathedral Plaza is owned by the archdiocese of Los Angeles, and is part of the complex of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral. The archdiocese rents out space for various groups in its conference center, describing its services thus:

From the simple to the elaborate, our sales team at The Center draws on years of collaborative catering and event experience to create custom events unique to the individual palate, timeline, and budget. We make your event planning easy with our professional staff known for their prompt response time for customized proposals. As a full service conference meeting facility, we check availability in minutes, offer a competitive rate and product, and have the team and equipment to deliver a great meeting.

The Center also touts its "gourmet catering services" provided for business meetings, seminars, gala events, cocktail parties and wedding receptions. An informational video highlights photos from various events hosted at the Center, beginning with exterior and interior shots of the Cathedral.

"Each tree and plant species in the Plaza and around the Cathedral grounds was chosen for one of several reasons," the site declares, "their Scriptural meanings, Catholic garden traditions, especially as represented in the Franciscan Missions of California, their significance in the Liturgical Calendar and in the diverse cultural communities of the Archdiocese."

Speakers for the Friday pro-abortion conference include Kathy Kneer, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, the public policy office for the seven affiliates throughout the state. Kneer's biography flaunts her work in defeating three parental notification bills proposed in California and working to expand access to emergency contraception and early abortion care.

Susan Dunlap is the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, which boasts of being the largest abortuary in the state, seeing 250,000 patients per year and providing "comprehensive" sex education to children throughout the state.

In June, a pro-life coalition sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to continue its investigation into Planned Parenthood for its profiting off aborted babies. The letter was signed by 17 pro-life leaders and references two separate congressional investigations, which resulted in judgments that Planned Parenthood was likely guilty of criminal activity, and which recommended that the DOJ criminally prosecute the abortion giant for its illegal sale of aborted baby parts.

Archbishop Jose Gomez, head of the archdiocese of Los Angeles, holds himself forth as pro-life, saying at a 2016 pro-life congress, "The fundamental injustice in our society is the killing of innocent unborn life through abortion and the killing of the sick and defenseless through euthanasia and assisted suicide."

Even so, in March, Abp. Gomez was featured at an event honoring Cesar Chavez with California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a pro-abortion Catholic who brought 15 felony charges against pro-life hero David Daleiden for his undercover videos exposing Planned Parenthood's illegal trafficking of aborted baby parts.

Gomez also hosts the yearly L.A. Religious Education Congress, which has featured a host of pro-gay, pro-transgender speakers who advocate dissent from Church teaching. In spite of being made aware of such speakers, Gomez has done little to prevent their yearly return to the stage.

Church Militant reached out to the archdiocese of Los Angeles for comment, and as of press time was told by Adrian Marquez Alarcon, spokesman for the archdiocese, that he is "looking into this."

The Planned Parenthood conference will be held Friday, June 23, at the Center at Cathedral Plaza, from 8:30–10:30 a.m. "Tickets include parking at the Cathedral and breakfast," per the event description.

Contact Abp. Jose Gomez:
phone: (213) 637-7215
email: mediarelations@la-archdiocese.org

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