Good Question: First, Be Sure of Answer; Second, Act

Lifesite News has published an article with the provocative headline: "Did a Catholic healthcare org just agree to hand out contraception under pressure from the ACLU?". Though there is plenty of smoke in the article, there is no confirmed fire to what would be a major local Catholic news story with national repercussions.SSM Health has taken over a number of Walgreen's locations and converted them to clinics. Statements by SSM Health spokesmen sure do indicate that contraceptives would still be offered, as they were at Walgreen's:The joint statement dated August 25 promised “SSM Health will continue to offer the same services that are currently available at Walgreens Healthcare Clinics today.” As for Hartwig-Mekstan, she is quoted in an August 18 story saying, Walgreens clinics “do provide a range of contraceptive services.”Merrill also was paraphrased in one story as confirming that SSM-run Walgreens clinics will dispense one-month supplies of birth control pills. When questioned further by LifeSiteNews, however, Merrill referred to the joint statement that read, in part, “SSM Health will continue to offer the same services that are currently available at Walgreens Healthcare Clinics today stated.”As bad as that sounds-- and it sounds bad-- there is no indication in the article that such a practice has begun, and no word on any altering of prior practice based on Catholic teaching.  As such, there is enough for the Archdiocese to investigate. And if contraception is given by an ostensibly Catholic institution, the Archbishop should act decisively. Says the Lifesite article:The Lepanto Institute’s Hichborn isn’t any more certain than the ACLU about SSM’s intentions. But it if were to supply birth control pills, he said, “the archbishop of St. Louis, Robert Carlson, should order them to cease calling themselves a Catholic organization.”Actually, no, the proper course is admonition and excommunication.  Hold your breath for that, of course.If you care, contact information for SSM:SSM Health, Public RelationsDiane McKillip, Manager, Public Relations10101 Woodfield Lane, St. Louis, MO 63132314-989-2119 (office)314-265-7505 (cell) diane_mckillip@ssmhc.com