c. 1996 Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY _ Accusing the United Nations aid program for children of advocating abortion and distributing contraceptives to Third World women, the Vatican has decided to withhold its annual contribution for UNICEF activities.

UNICEF officials denied the charges and said they had no evidence of support within their ranks for the objectionable work. The Vatican’s annual $2,000 contribution is largely symbolic, a token donation that constitutes a fraction of the $1 billion annual UNICEF budget.

But the decision is a highly political rebuke of UNICEF’s global activities that could reignite tensions between the Roman Catholic Church and population control advocates.

In remarks to UNICEF officials in New York on Monday (Nov. 4) released by the Vatican on Tuesday, Monsignor Renato Martino, chief of the Holy See’s mission to the United Nations, accused officials of abortion rights advocacy in legislation and distributing contraceptives and counseling women of their use.

He also said the organization had diverted funds marked for children to pay for a manual that advocates the so-called”morning after”abortion pill for refugee women in emergency situations.

Martino, who did not cite the evidence he claimed to possess, also charged officials with their”failure … to provide accountability for funds which donors have earmarked for specific and morally unobjectionable child-related projects despite numerous requests by the Holy See for such assurances.” UNICEF officials denied the charges and said the Vatican had produced no evidence.”UNICEF’s position on family planning has not changed. It remains consistent with that of the Holy See,”said Madeline Eisner, spokeswoman for the organization.”We do not advocate any particular method of family planning. UNICEF does not provide contraceptive supplies, nor does it provide counseling for abortion.” Eisner added,”it continues to be the long standing policy not to support (abortion) as a method of family planning.” During the past few years the Holy See has had misgivings about the organization’s tactics over family planning issues. But it has made symbolic contributions to the organization, of $2,000 to $3,000 a year.

It also donates money to other U.N. funds. This year it has pledged $2,500 for the U.N. Development Fund; $2,000 for the U.N. Fund for the Disabled and $1,000 for the U.N. Fund for the Victims of Torture.

In lieu of its contributions to UNICEF, the Vatican said it would give $1,000 each to the World Health Organization Multicenter Infant Growth Reference Study and the U.N. Fund for International Control of Drugs.

Two years ago, at a U.N. population conference in Cairo, the Vatican became embroiled in a contentious battle with Western nations over family planning practices. Church officials accused the United States and other countries of promoting abortion and artificial contraception in an effort to slow world population growth.

The Vatican is unilaterally opposed to either practice, which it has derisively labeled”fertility regulation.”It says family planning practices should be limited to sexual abstinence or the rhythm method.

In his remarks, Martino said that UNICEF”has assured the Holy See thatâÂ?¦it does not promote any particular family planning method”and that it”would never be involved in abortion or abortion-related activities.

However, in spite of such statements, the new involvement of UNICEF in the areas of concern has forced the Holy See to take this visible step.” KC END RNS