NCBC in the News

It is always nice to receive a little good news. At The Center, really good news comes a little at a time and is always welcome. News of a small but meaningful victory arrived recently when The NCBC was notified by The Christian Legal Society of the successful completion of a case being pursued in the Illinois Fourth District Appellate court:

ILLINOIS PHARMACISTS PREVAIL AGAINST “BLAGOJEVICH RULE”

"WASHINGTON – In a significant victory for medical professionals’ religious liberty, the Illinois Attorney General announced today that the State would not appeal a judicial ruling that protects Illinois pharmacists’ conscience rights. In September 2012, an Illinois appellate court ruled against the “Blagojevich Rule,” a regulation that would have forced Illinois pharmacists to dispense abortion-inducing drugs despite their religious and moral convictions. The State had been expected to appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court. But fortunately, after seven years of litigation, the Attorney General today finally bowed to judicial rulings telling the State to respect pharmacists’ conscience rights...The Christian Legal Society filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the Christian Pharmacists Fellowship International, the Catholic Conference of Illinois, and the National Catholic Bioethics Center [page 3 of the brief]. The brief was prepared by Kevin Todd and John Lillig of the law firm of Hoogendoorn & Talbot LLP, Chicago, Illinois."

• News post et al. from clsnet.org

The NCBC was signed as a friend-of-the-court for its significant contribution to the research needed to make an informed decision in the case and for the help of The NCBC's consultation, particularly from Marie Hilliard, regarding the matter at hand. We are so proud of our staff here, and are overjoyed for this victory in Illinois. Most importantly, we are glad to assist the defense of life and protect the morals and ethics of pharmacists across the nation. 

 It seems to be particularly difficult for pharmacists with moral convictions these days. They are the men and women who are confronted, in seemingly innocuous places like grocery stores, with the direct consequences of moral and ethical transgressions in our nation. They often fight alone, or worse, are cowed into silence. In the daily struggle to uphold the dignity of the human person, The National Catholic Bioethics center works to protect the consciences of these individuals and of all.

As one of our pharmaceutical experts, Father Pau, would say: "Aren't pharmacists just the best!"