Washington, D.C. (17 February 2009) – American Life League calls upon Father Paul Locatelli, S.J. to reject an award from Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, an organization with ties to the nation's largest killer of children – Planned Parenthood.
The Secretary of Higher Education for the Society of Jesus, former Santa Clara University president, Fr. Paul Locatelli is slated to receive the 2009 David Packard Award for his commitment to the Silicon Valley community. Becky Morgan, president of the Morgan Family Foundation will present the award.
Morgan received the "President and Chair's Courage and Integrity Award" from Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte in 2002 for her efforts to defeat a parental notification measure that would have required a minor wait 48 hours after parental notification of an abortion.
Morgan has donated almost a million dollars to the defeat of parental notification laws in California. Her family foundation has provided thousands of dollars to Planned Parenthood affiliates through funding grants.
In addition, Linda Williams, a member of the Executive Committee of the Joint Venture Board of Directors, is also CEO of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte – which operates 31 clinics, 17 of which commit medical and surgical abortions.
"This award is tainted by the Joint Venture's connections with Planned Parenthood," said Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League. "The agenda of Planned Parenthood is utterly opposed to the Catholic faith. We urge Fr. Locatelli to affirm the Catholic Church's opposition to Planned Parenthood's agenda by rejecting this award.
"Fr. Locatelli would be sending a clear message to his Catholic flock by rejecting this award. Rejecting the award will reassert that Catholics must expose and reject the evil of Planned Parenthood at every juncture – even while being recognized for what otherwise is a worthy accomplishment."
American Life League was cofounded in 1979 by Judie Brown. It is the largest grassroots Catholic pro-life organization in the United States and is committed to the protection of all innocent human beings from the moment of creation to death. For more information or press inquiries, please contact Katie Walker at 540.659.4942.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
- California Catholic: Deeply Honored and Grateful (9 February 2009) http://www.calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=3d9333f2-cbb2-47e5-907f-758d23c8e4d6
- Santa Clara University: Paul Locatelli, SJ to receive 2009 David Packard Award (21 January 2009) http://www.scu.edu/news/releases/release.cfm?action=viewpost&c=76832
- Morgan Family Foundation: http://www.morganfamilyfoundation.org/grants.htm
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