Read what Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield and Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria have to say about the court decision against Catholic Charities in the organizations' efforts to continue contracting with the state for foster care and adoption services.
Judge John Schmidt on Thursday ruled the state does not have to contract with Catholic Charities. The organizations' 40-year history of providing foster care and adoption services does not create a protected property interest in the renewal of their contracts, the judge wrote.
Catholic Charities in the dioceses of Belleville, Joliet, Peoria and Springfield sued the state over the implementation of the new civil unions law. The organizations do not place children with any co-habiting couples, and sought to continue referring same-sex couples wanting to serve as foster care or adoptive parents to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Read Bishop Paprocki's Statement here , and Bishop Jenky's Statement here.