Melinda Gates, practicing Catholic, pro-contraception in family planning

CNN has an interesting interview with Melinda Gates, a practicing Catholic who was educated at Ursuline Academy in Dallas, about the need for contraception in family planning around the world. Naturally, the anti-abortion blog, Lifesitenews.com, has responded with blistering attacks on Ms. Gates.

According to CNN: "As far as the broader Catholic church stance on the Gates program, CNN requested a comment from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, but did not get a response." Meanwhile, Sr. Mary Ann Walsh, the U.S. bishops conference spokeswoman who just penned another essay for the Huffington Post complaining about the Affordable Care Act, declined CNN's request for a comment.

Here are the opening graphs from the CNN report:

Responding to simmering controversy among Catholic bloggers about her new birth control program, Melinda Gates -- a practicing Catholic -- said she will not shrink from her role as an advocate for poor women.

"Part of what I do with the (Gates) Foundation comes from that incredible social justice I had growing up and belief that all lives, all lives are of equal value," said Gates during a recent interview with CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

About the flak over her Catholicism she said: "We're not going to agree about everything, but that's OK."

Gates is promoting an ambitious family planning program -- which includes raising billions of dollars to provide contraceptives to 120 million women worldwide -- at the London Summit on Family Planning July 11.

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