Trinity Health Corporation, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic healthcare delivery systems in the US, is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for its refusal to provide abortion services to women at its facilities.
"This case has no merit. A federal court already dismissed a similar ACLU claim, and we will seek dismissal of this suit for the same reason," said Eve Pidgeon, public relations manager at Trinity Health Corporation, according to the Catholic News Service.
The corporation, based in Michigan, has more than 80 hospitals in the US.
In their federal lawsuit, the ACLU and ACLU Michigan claimed that Trinity, which also receives public funding, failed to provide women suffering from pregnancy complications with appropriate emergency abortion services as required by law.
"We're taking a stand today to fight for pregnant women who are denied potentially life-saving care because doctors are forced to follow religious directives rather than best medical practices," said ACLU of Michigan staff attorney Brooke Tucker.
Trinity abides by the Ethical and Religious Directives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) including refusal to perform abortions and tubal ligations in its hospitals.
The ACLU said Trinity violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA).
A similar case brought against the USCCB in 2013 was dismissed in June by a federal district court. The ACLU is appealing the case.
Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, president of the bishops' conference, called the lawsuit "baseless," as medical directives "urge respectful and compassionate care for both mothers and their children, both during and after pregnancy."
"The Ethical and Religious Directives are entirely consistent with high-quality health care, and our clinicians continue to provide superb care throughout the communities we serve," said Pidgeon.
"We are proud that more than 25,000 licensed physicians work directly with our health system and share our commitment to people-centred care," she said.
