Joliet Diocese, Two Others File Suit to Stop Civil-Union Couples from Adopting

Catholic Charities in the dioceses of Joliet, Peoria and Springfield filed an emergency injunction Tuesday that would allow them to reject adoption requests from any unmarried couple, including same-sex partners joined in a civil union.

The request, filed in Sangamon County Circuit Court in Springfield, seeks a temporary restraining order to stop the state from forcing the agencies to comply with anti-discrimination policies that were part of the civil union legislation that kicked in June 1, according to a story in the Chicago Tribune. 

The Joliet Catholic diocese includes all of Plainfield. St. Mary Immaculate Parish in Plainfield is the largest Catholic church in the state.

According to the suit, the agencies are trying to "avert an imminent risk of irreparable harm to many thousands of vulnerable and needy children, families and adults across the state of Illinois and to avoid the collapse of a critical network of social service agencies at a time when our state's budget crisis already has stretched vital social services resources to the breaking point."

Instead, Catholic Charities wants permission to grant adoptions and foster parent licenses only to married couples and single people living alone, referring civil union couples to other child welfare agencies, the story said.

"Not a single prospective foster parent is being denied the right to apply by not having Catholic Charities work with them," Peter Breen, executive director of the Thomas More Society and the lawyer representing Catholic Charities, told the Tribune.

Natalie Bauer, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office, told the paper her office had agreed to meet with Catholic Charities to discuss the situation.

"Unfortunately, instead of working with the state to ensure compliance with child protection and civil rights laws, the dioceses have opted to go to court," Bauer said.