Two of the most powerful Catholic leaders in Connecticut decided several months ago that the state's four Catholic hospitals should take a more conservative stance when treating rape victims.

Now that decision is helping to fuel a debate at the state Capitol over proposed legislation that would require all hospitals, including Catholic hospitals, to provide emergency contraception to women who've been raped.

Eight months ago, Hartford Archbishop Henry J. Mansell and Bridgeport Bishop William E. Lori wanted the four hospitals to follow the same protocol and turned to Catholic ethicists for help. They recommended what is known as the Peoria Protocol, named for a Catholic hospital in Peoria, Ill. that came up with a procedure for its emergency room physicians.

It requires that doctors attempt to determine through tests whether a woman has ovulated before giving her emergency contraception, also known as EC, "the morning after pill," or Plan B.

If she hasn't ovulated, they can prescribe the drug. If she has, nothing can be done because Catholics believe the woman could ultimately conceive a child and prescribing the drug would interfere with any pregnancy. According to Catholic teachings, life begins at conception, when the egg is fertilized.

Since January, the Catholic hospitals in Hartford, Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven have been following the Peoria Protocol. If they can't prescribe Plan B, doctors provide the rape victim with a list of places where she can receive it, and transportation to get there if it's necessary, hospital officials said.

Mansell and Lori have said they will oppose any bill that would require Catholic hospitals to administer the pill if a woman is ovulating or an egg has been fertilized.

"Catholic moral teachings allow the woman to protect herself from possible conception as a result of the assault so long as any medications administered to do so do not cause an abortion, which is contrary to Catholic moral teachings because it would result in another victim of the assault, an aborted child," said Barry Feldman, general counsel for St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford. He testified before the legislature's Public Health Committee last week on behalf of the Connecticut Catholic Hospitals Council.

Deirdre McQuade, director of planning and information for pro life activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the bishops' ethical and religious directives for Catholic hospitals and health care institutions does not set out a specific protocol. Individual bishops have leeway in how they interpret the directives.

"What they do is set a spirit of the law standard -- human life cannot be violated or destroyed in seeking to serve the victims of rape," McQuade said.

But proponents of the bill argue the Hartford archbishop is being unreasonable. They point to bishops in other states who've agreed to fewer restrictions on prescribing the pill.

"This is an extreme Catholic position that is not justifiable in the context of even the Catholic health ethical guidelines on the treatment of women who've been raped," said Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice.

Kissling questions the medical ability and accuracy to determine whether an egg has been fertilized during a post-rape exam.

Her group believes the Catholic hospitals should be required to provide the emergency contraception and not force a traumatized rape victim to go elsewhere. Plan B can be used up to 72 hours after sex to help prevent a pregnancy.

"A woman who has been raped should be given comprehensive treatment in the first place she goes," Kissling said. "She should not need to be referred for EC. If that hospital cannot provide her with the services she needs, they should be ashamed of themselves."

Connecticut is part of a growing number of states that are considering or have passed legislation requiring hospitals to dispense Plan B or at least provide information about the emergency contraception to rape victims.

According to advocacy groups, Massachusetts, California, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina and Washington require hospitals to dispense the drug. Catholic hospitals are not exempted from those laws, yet the laws in New Jersey and New York include provisions to appease the church that prevent the pill from being given if a woman is already pregnant.

Similar bills are pending this session in 12 states, including Connecticut.

Lois Uttley, director of the Merger Watch Project, a group that opposes religious-based restrictions on patients rights and health care, said such laws have been sought over the past 10 years because women's health professionals and activists believe rape victims are being subjected to "a kind of Russian roulette health care" when they go a hospital.

"In some hospitals, they'll get complete treatment including emergency contraception, and in some hospitals they'll not even be informed about emergency contraception," she said.

McQuade said Catholics are concerned about the trend toward more legislation.

"We believe that rape victims deserve compassionate and competent medical care," she said. "But we disagree on what proper medical care is."

This article courtesy of the Associated Press.