The Government recently announced its decision to award the Pregnancy Telephone Helpline tender to McKesson Asia Pacific, a private company that intends to subcontract the Catholic Church welfare agency, Centacare Sydney, to help develop an information manual.
In the heated debate that followed the Government’s announcement, a number of public commentators were unrestrained in attacking Catholic social welfare services, and aired the ill-informed view that such services are incapable of providing professional pregnancy counseling, given the Church’s moral and ethical stance regarding abortion.
To suggest that Centacare Sydney should not be involved in this service is to misunderstand the practice of non-directive counselling, mistake the purpose of the Helpline, and mistrust the well-established professionalism of Centacare. One can only hope that this will not discourage women from using the Helpline, an outcome which would, ironically, be 'anti choice'.
While not providing counsellors, Centacare Sydney is well placed to work with McKesson, playing a relatively minor role, along with clinicians from the Caroline Chisholm Society and specialists in obstetrics, psychiatry and sexual health to assist in the development of the Information Manual which will be used by McKesson's trained counsellors. They can do so without compromising either their commitment to the value of human life or their commitment to improve women's access to unbiased and objective information and non-directive counselling.
While the Catholic Church has a clear moral position on abortion, this does not limit its ability to work with those people suffering grief and loss resulting from an earlier abortion.
Catholic agencies can provide counselling which is client-centered and non-directive, and which aims to help an individual come to a decision. This is done by providing emotional support, time and space, so that a woman can make a considered decision that is not motivated by panic.
These counselling services can help a woman to talk through the problem(s) she is facing by examining all options, and their implications. Counselling can also help a woman to clarify her own sense of self in relation to a new problem, and to make reasonable decisions for herself about what she wants now, and in the long term.
And of course existing Catholic services provide information about the availability of emotional and other forms of support.
A client of these counseling services is also made aware of the need to seek medical or other professional services in relation to her pregnancy and encouraged to seek that assistance from her own doctor.
It is understood that it is appropriate that in Australia, where abortion is legally available, that the counsellor discusses this option and provides information about what may be involved, including demonstrated risks and ill-effects. However, referral for medical procedure is done after medical assessment and is not the task of a pregnancy support agency.
People who come to Centacare and other professional Catholic community service organisations for assistance can expect to be met by well qualified, courteous and respectful counsellors and staff who have a genuine and heartfelt desire to work with all people, whatever their needs.
It is common knowledge that Catholic organisations like Centacare cannot advocate, directly refer, or assist in the procurement of abortions. But this Helpline is not an abortion referral service.
As the health minister and McKesson have both made clear, the Helpline will provide professional, non-directive counselling to women, their partners and family members who wish to explore pregnancy options. It will improve the availability of timely, confidential pregnancy counselling, particularly in rural and remote areas, and it will be a source of information regarding the services available to support all pregnant women.
The Church’s opposition to crime does not limit its capacity to support prisoners; its disapproval of divorce does not limit its capacity to support men, women and children going through the pain of separation; its opposition to the abuse of drugs and alcohol does not limit its desire to accompany and support those caught in the traps of addiction.
Through its various welfare services the Church does more than any organisation across Australia to reach out to and treat with dignity and respect people in distressing situations such as these.
Catholic Social Services Australia is the Catholic Church’s national peak body for social services. Its 63 members, including Centacare Sydney, provide social services to over a million Australians each year in metropolitan, regional and remote Australia. Thirty of these members operate under the Centacare banner.
Fr Joseph Caddy is Board Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia and Director of Centacare Melbourne.