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Media Statement : 6 October 2010
The Trustees of Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds) ("the Charity") have confirmed that they are appealing the recent decision by the Charity Commission for England and Wales to refuse consent to change the Charity's objects regarding its adoption services. The amendment sought by the Charity would permit it to restrict the provision of adoption services on the grounds of sexual orientation.
This Charity sought the restriction so that it could continue to offer adoption services in accordance with the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church and to allow the Charity to rely on Catholic funds.
The Charity needs to draw on these funds as the funding received from local authorities is not sufficient to provide the services to the high standards offered by the Charity.
The Charity filed the appeal on 28 September 2010 with the Charity Tribunal (the First Tier General Regulatory Tribunal (Charity)) which hears appeals against decisions of the Charity Commission. The appeal requests that the Charity Commission's decision be reviewed.
As this matter has already been heard by the Charity Tribunal and the High Court, a request has been made for the appeal to be transferred to the Upper Tribunal so that this is heard by a panel including a High Court Judge.
A spokesperson for Catholic Care stated:
"We were very disappointed by the Charity Commission's ruling and the decision to appeal has not been taken lightly. We believe that we have very strong grounds for the appeal and are convinced of our case.
There are many children in need of a family and we want to continue to support families seeking to adopt and children in need of adoption. However, if upheld the Charity Commission's decision will lead to the closure of the Charity's services.
The Charity is not seeking to prevent same sex couples from adopting children; the Charity is simply seeking to ensure that it can deliver a valuable service in accordance with both the law and the religious ethos of the Charity."
No date has been confirmed for the initial hearing but the Charity hopes that it will take place before the end of the year (2010).
Notes to editors
Catholic Care is the social care organization of the Diocese of Leeds. Catholic Care acts to support all those in need of its services, especially people experiencing disadvantage and poverty, and it acts as an advocate for those unable to represent themselves.
Catholic Care has been providing specialist adoption services for over 100 years, helping hundreds of children and families. Through the recruitment, assessment, training and provision of support for prospective adoptive parents, as well as by offering on-going and post-adoption support to families, Catholic Care has assisted in the provision of security and love for some of the most vulnerable children in our society.
Catholic Care was advised by Bircham Dyson Bell LLP and queries around the legal issues relating to this matter should be directed to the firm please contact Benjamin James on 020 7783 3554 or Matthew Davies 020 7783 3445 / 0777 6 242 675.
Press Statement - 17th March 2010 - High Court Ruling
The Court has confirmed that Catholic Care was correct in its reading of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 and has agreed with us that Regulation 18 can apply to any charity subject to it being in the public interest. We look forward to producing evidence to the Charity Commission to support the position that we have consistently taken through this process that without being able to use this exemption children without families would be seriously disadvantaged.
Catholic Care has been providing specialist adoption services for over 100 years. We have helped hundreds of children though the recruitment, assessment, training and support for prospective adoptive parents as well as offering on-going and post-adoption support to families that give such security and love for some of the most vulnerable children in our society. The judgement today will help in our determination to continue to provide this invaluable service to benefit children, families and communities.
+ The Right Reverend Arthur RocheBishop of LeedsMarch 17th 2010
Press enquires contact
Press Officer Diocese of Leeds: tel. 0113 261 8022 / 0770 3341527
Catholic Communication Network: tel. 020 790 14800
Joint Pastoral Letter from the Bishops of
Hallam, Leeds & Middlesbrough
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
We are writing to thank you for your invaluable support of Catholic Care (Diocese of Leeds) which has served our dioceses for over 100 years. You will realize that during the course of the last few years Catholic Care has been making strenuous efforts to secure its rights as an adoption agency in order to continue to supply a beneficial service to the three Yorkshire Catholic dioceses of Hallam, Leeds and Middlesbrough. Since 1963, this agency has been able to assist the placing of 1,388 of the most vulnerable children to loving families in our region.
The passing of the Equality Act in 2006, however, has affected this good work and is now asking us to operate our service with disregard to the Church's teaching on marriage and family life. Despite the fact that Catholic Care has been able to find loving families for so many needy children we are being invited either to stop our adoption work or stop being a Catholic charity. Neither of these options is acceptable to us or to the Trustees of Catholic Care. Indeed, our position has been widely supported not only within the Catholic Church but from very many outside. The change in the law has been designed to widen the pool of people who are able to legally adopt, including same-sex couples. This has had the effect that most Catholic adoption agencies, depending on their circumstances, have either closed or transferred their adoption activity to other charities.
Since 2007 Catholic Care has undertaken a legal battle to stay open as a Catholic adoption agency and to operate according to our beliefs in marriage and family life. Precisely because we wish to do everything possible to remain open the next stage in this legal process will take place in the High Court this week. Our position is that it is in the interests of children to continue our work. We are not judging other agencies who accepting same sex couples for adoption, but feel strongly that we should not be forced to do so, nor is there a necessity for this to happen. We believe that in law this is a justifiable position to take; that it is a reasonable response to a legitimate end.
This service has been at the heart of the local community for over 100 years. It has been praised and widely appreciated by local authorities and social services, as well as the children who have benefited from this work, and the couples who have sought to adopt children. Children have a right to a family life. There are too many children awaiting adoption and Catholic Care has a vital and a special role, along with other adoption agencies, in helping very vulnerable children by finding loving families for them. If Catholic Care is forced to close its adoption service it is children who will lose an effective and well respected resource in the Yorkshire region.
As we write to you today, we wish to thank you for your generous support and concern throughout the years, to share this important information with you and above all to seek your prayers as the High Court case begins on Wednesday.
Bishop of Hallam - Bishop of Leeds - Bishop of Middlesbrough
Statement on the Appeal to the High Court to Retain a Catholic Adoption Service in the Diocese of Leeds
Catholic Care [Diocese of Leeds] has helped to secure loving families for 1,388 of the most vulnerable children in the Yorkshire region since 1963, through its valuable adoption work. This service has been at the heart of the local community for over 100 years; praised and widely appreciated by local authorities and social services, as well as the children who have benefited from this work and your support. Children have a right to a family life. There are too many children awaiting adoption and Catholic Care has a vital role, along with other adoption agencies, in helping very vulnerable children by finding loving families for them. If Catholic Care is forced to close its adoption service, children would lose an effective and well respected resource in the Yorkshire region.
The position of Catholic Care is that the introduction of Regulations under the Equality Act 2006 is apparently preventing this charity from operating as an adoption charity because it forces us to act outside the ideals of the Catholic Church's teachings on marriage and family life. In effect, we are being invited either to stop our adoption work or stop being a Catholic charity. Neither of these options is acceptable to our Trustees, our beneficiaries or supporters. Unfortunately a change in the law designed to widen the pool of people able to legally adopt has had the effect of closing Catholic adoption agencies. The result is that most Catholic adoption agencies, depending on local circumstances, have either closed or transferred their adoption activity to other charities.
Since 2007 Catholic Care has undertaken a legal battle to stay open as a Catholic adoption agency. The next stage in this legal process is to take our appeal to the High Court, precisely because we want to do everything possible to remain open. Our position is that it is in the interests of children to continue our work. We believe that this is a justifiable position to take; that it is a proportionate response to a legitimate end and, as a Catholic charity we should not be forced to accept same sex couples for assessment in the adoption process.
If we are forced to close, we will continue to support all those individuals and families who have been through the adoption process with us. We would also wish to promote adoption as a very positive life changing service for children and also for adults who wish to offer a permanent and loving home for a child. We thank all of you for your continued support.
Mark Wiggin
Chief Executive
February 2010
Catholic Care acts to support those in need of its services, especiallly the weak and the vunerable and it acts as an advocate for those unable to represent themselves
The primary purpose of the agency is to foster and influence a vision of how people can live together in Christian charity, love and justice, by taking the "Caring Church into the Community
