Catholic Care High Court hearing opens tomorrow

The agency Catholic Care works on behalf of the Diocese of Leeds, offering a variety of services in the Yorkshire area, including adoption services. Since 2007, Catholic Care has been engaged in a legal battle to remain open as a Catholic adoption agency and operate in accord with Catholic belief in the face of the Equality Act which would require the agency to be open to placing children with homosexual couples.

The other Catholic adoption agencies have either closed or transferred their adoption provision to a newly-formed non-Catholic charity. It is most heartening that three Bishops have made it clear that "Neither of these options is acceptable to us or to the Trustees of Catholic Care." Bishop Roche of Leeds, Bishop Rawsthorne of Hallam, and Bishop Drainey of Middlesbrough issued a Pastoral Letter last weekend explaining these matters to the faithful and asking for their prayers.

The Charity Commission refused to allow Catholic Care to change its objects so that it could take advantage of Regulation 18 of the Sexual Orientation Regulations, which would allow it to discriminate in order to pursue its aims effectively. Catholic Care appealed to the Charity Tribunal which (in its first ever judgement) dismissed the appeal. Catholic Care has now appealed to the High Court and the case starts tomorrow.

Do remember the case in your prayers tomorrow, especially asking for the intercession of St Thomas More.

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