Know-Nothing Knights Bow to Catholic Hospital Eugenics (video)

KofC officials deliberately suppress evidence; cowed members follow their leaders

• Saint Louis University Medical School, SSM Health, and their teaching hospitals advise some parents to abort babies with medical problems.

• Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) at Catholic SSM Health no different from secular hospitals

Between 1965 and 1971, CBS produced a popular sitcom called Hogan’s Heroes. You can still watch it on Me.TV.

The setting was a POW camp for Americans in Germany. Run by nincompoop Colonel Klink, the fictional camp was the base of U.S. espionage operations directly under the enemy’s nose. Whenever called upon, the buffoonish German guard, Sgt. Schultz, pleaded ignorance, famously claiming, [watch] “I know nothing.”

In the 1960s sitcom heyday, Schultz was amusing; and his German-accented “I know nothing” even became the trademark of the show!

But from today’s perspective -- knowing how post-war Allies, and even Germans, claimed they didn’t know what was happening to Jews, gypsies, disabled people, the mentally ill, and others deemed unworthy for life -- Sgt. Schultz’s “I know nothing” spoof isn’t so funny.

In Missouri, Knights of Columbus (Knights) are also studiously ignoring evidence of eugenics right under their noses, evidence of eugenics-motivated abortions recommended and sanctioned by Saint Louis-based, Catholic healthcare institutions.

For more than five years, John Ryan, a fourth degree Knight and pro-life activist, has been documenting incidents in which medical professionals associated with Catholic SSM Health’s Maternal Fetal Medicine department have advised mothers “termination” was the “best option” for their babies.

Since the Knights of Columbus (a Catholic, non-profit fraternal organization) champions pro-life causes and supports efforts to help developmentally disabled children, Ryan thought his fellow Knights would want to be informed about the eugenics-motivated abortion practices of the city’s Catholic healthcare giant.

SSM Health has facilities in four states. In Saint Louis alone, there are eight SSM Health hospitals, nearly 2500 staff physicians, and 11,500 employees. SLU School of Medicine, another Catholic institution which partners with SSM Health, has more than 600 faculty members, 700+ medical students, 650 residents, and 120+ graduate students. Together, they represent Saint Louis’s Catholic, healthcare industrial complex.

At its annual state convention in late April, both Knights of Columbus officials and members conspicuously avoided reviewing proof Missouri-based SSM Heath is referring pre-born children with medically complicated conditions for abortion.

When invited to learn more facts about the situation, Knights overwhelmingly said they didn’t want to know anything about it.

"Davon haben wir nichts gewusst!"

Following WWII, Germans tried to claim they were unaware of the Nazi regime’s genocidal crimes. They made famous the excuse: “Davon haben wir nichts gewusst” (“We knew nothing about that”). Google the German phrase; you’ll find books with that title and pages of search results.

A month ago, at the Missouri convention, Knights were making famous a slight variation on the theme, giving the stiff-arm statement: “We don’t want to know anthing about that” (“Davon wollen wir nichts Wissen”). It was everywhere.

When Trust But Verify asked Knights, “Were you aware some St. Louis Catholic hospitals are referring mothers for abortion?” most wouldn’t respond at all. One man said: “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Another Knight who was willing to talk shrugged, “You wouldn’t knock me over with a feather to learn hospitals are indifferent to their Catholic heritage.”

Ryan was at the convention handing out tickets for a private screening of the 30-minute documentary, [watch] Scandal: The Catholic Culture of Death, a film detailing the case of Aberayana Moore, who went to SSM St. Mary’s Hospital for help with her pregnancy but where doctors told her “termination” was her “best option.”

Ryan reported one Knight told him, “We’ve been told not to talk to you, not to take the ticket.”

Ryan isn’t surprised. He’s been trying for four years to persuade state-level Knight officials to at least call for an independent investigation of the evidence he’s accumulated.

One Knight official told Ryan his information couldn’t be disseminated because it was defaming the Archdiocese and other Catholic institutions.

Speaking of the officers, Ryan reported, “They’re in lockstep. I’ve made sure all of them have the evidence. Maybe they’ve looked at it, but they’re not interested in doing anything.”

These leaders aren’t just in lockstep, Ryan has video footage from last year’s convention that captures State Advocate Paul O’Brien shoving him in an attempt to discourage Ryan from distributing information about the abortion referrals.

Ryan made the same reasonable, independent investigation request to SSM officials when he presented them with multiple instances of the health system’s hospitals referring for abortion.

The organization claims to have conducted its own internal investigation and found no evidence of a problem. But the investigation, if it happened at all, wasn’t very thorough.

“One way we know SSM [Health] lied when they said they did a thorough investigation is they never ever, ever, ever, ever contacted the one woman who was publicly available and who requested to speak with them about her experience: Aberayana Moore,” Ryan said.

To validate her testimony, Moore took (and passed) a polygraph test that confirmed MFM professionals advised her to terminate her pregnancy (more details on that encounter below).

Trust But Verify contacted SLU Medical School twice, providing written questions, asking (among other things) if the Medical School’s MFM department had ever been contacted in connection with SSM’s investigation. SLU Communications Strategist Jacob Born never responded.

Ryan points out that other establishment pro-life organizations have been equally indifferent. In a text message, he told Trust But Verify:

“One huge aspect of the coverup . . .  is the hands-off approach of all of the establishment pro-life organizations as well as lots of influential individuals including doctors as well as pastors who have remained publicly silent or anonymous.”

He went on to explain how damaging their silence is, saying:

“That is how the Archdiocese and Knights of Columbus got away with dismissing this [the evidence] as some renegade individual or group. . . All those other organizations (and yes, I contacted them with the evidence) stayed in the shadows (head in the sand) on this because they didn't want to tarnish their reputation or offend the Archdiocese in particular. It takes a village to sustain a scandal.”

Two pro-life organizations were exceptions to the rule. Credo of the Catholic Laity (which provided support for producing Scandal) and Defenders of the Unborn.

Knights’ Support of Developmentally Disabled Children

Since 1970, the Knights have held an annual Drive for Persons with Developmental Disabilities. It is one of their most visible activities in the community and the logical extension of Catholic teaching on the value of all human life, including pre-born infants with severe disabilities.

“Look for the Yellow Vests October 8-10.” That’s how SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation promotes the annual Tootsie Roll fundraising event on its website.

Promotion from a previous year. This year’s drive is October 8-10.

Every year, Knights of Columbus members don their yellow vests and stand at busy intersections and in front of grocery stores, passing out Tootsie Rolls and asking for donations to help children with special needs at SSM’s Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.

Cardinal Glennon is the teaching hospital for SLU School of Medicine’s Pediatric program. The hospital also has a department of maternal fetal medicine where children can be diagnosed and treated for medical conditions before they are born.

According to Cardinal Glennon’s website: “Proceeds from the Tootsie Roll Drive will benefit the Knights of Columbus Developmental Center at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. The Knights Center provides comprehensive diagnosis, intervention, family support and professional education services.”

“The hospital is very proud to have Knights of Columbus involvement, to have its name on one of their buildings along with the tacit Catholic endorsement of their work” Ryan explains.

The Knights’ major fundraiser supports children with physical and mental disabilities. In 2022, Missouri Knights gave Cardinal Glennon $250,000. Those dollars, from a Catholic organization, sent a message to parents, “Even if your baby is diagnosed with a handicap, our organization is going to be there to help you and your child because all human life is valuable.”

But that’s not what doctors at SSM/SLU School of Medicine’s Maternal Fetal Medicine department at St. Mary’s Hospital told Moore.

Maternal Fetal Medicine at St. Mary’s

Moore first went to doctors at Washington University School of Medicine’s teaching hospital, Barnes Jewish, who advised her to abort the baby.

She was at Hope Clinic in Granite City, IL, for the abortion when she encountered Ryan, who persuaded her from the sidewalk to accept help, beginning with an appointment with pro-life doctor Dr. Michael Dixon.

The video below provides a glimpse into what Ryan does from the sidewalk.

Dixon put Moore in touch with doctors at SSM Health/SLU School of Medicine and the partnership’s Maternal Fetal Medicine department located at St. Mary’s Hospital where an ultrasound was scheduled to assist in his care for Moore and her child. The ultrasound was scheduled for three days later, first thing Monday morning, May 13, 2019.  

Even five years ago, St. Mary’s MFM department had some of the best imaging equipment in the country, crucial for diagnosing medical challenges in pre-born babies.

Moore’s medical records show the attending physician that day was Dr. Alan Buchbinder, but it appears the results of the ultrasound were delivered by Dr. Shilpa Babbar. Doctors knew Moore had an appointment later that day with a new OB/GYN doctor, but Babbar went ahead and discussed the ultrasound results with Moore and her partner, results that the medical record shows were “not well visualized because of fetal position.”

“We discussed that the decision to terminate the pregnancy is a personal decision and we will support her and the FOB [father of the baby] in whatever she decides.”

Delivering troubling news about a pregnancy is difficult under any circumstances; a situation made worse by lack of training. A Spanish language study entitled “Breaking Bad News in Obstetrics and Gynecology: We Must Talk About It” and posted on NIH’s website confirms that doctors are typically not trained to deliver bad news; and furthermore, “the content of the news itself, how communication occurs directly influences patient’s ability to face the diagnosis.”

At a Catholic hospital, where all human life is valued and abortion is not an option, how a doctor reports the possibility of a severely disabled child is especially important.

In Moore’s case, Dr. Babbar’s notes say she “discussed the US [ultrasound] findings with the patient and her partner.” They were offered further genetic testing which the couple declined. Then Dr. Babbar’s notes say, “Management options including expectant vs termination [emphasis added] were reviewed.”

In his report, Ryan writes: “This language. This attitude. . . . Ask yourself how it is possible that even this language/attitude/practice was considered by SSM to be appropriate.”

In the end, according to the medical record, three different doctors were involved in “counseling” the couple:  Dr. Buchbinder, Dr. Babbar, and Dr. Sruti Surugucchi.

Surugucchi writes:

“Patient and FOB [father of baby] were counseled by Dr. Babbar during US appointment today and then again by myself and Dr. Buchbinder during her visit. We discussed the poor prognosis for the baby. . . . We discussed that the decision to terminate the pregnancy is a personal decision and we will support her and the FOB in whatever she decides.”

Three different doctors at a Catholic hospital discussed the option to abort a baby that was likely very sick. The baby was 19 weeks old, had a heartbeat, and was moving. Nevertheless, doctors were offering the option of abortion, suggesting that maybe this infant just shouldn’t be born.

One of the doctors pursued the couple down the hall as they were leaving, still trying to persuade them abortion was their best option.

Trying to prevent the birth of humans deemed “defective” is the very definition of eugenics. Yet that is what SLU/SSM are doing and what the Missouri Knights of Columbus are perfectly comfortable ignoring.

In the following video footage shot July 31, 2021, Ryan reports KofC officials never met with him. Eventually they did, but Ryan claims it was not in good faith. “It was mostly information gathering about my activities,” Ryan told Trust But Verify.

Eugenics … it takes a village … a Catholic medical school, a Catholic healthcare system, doctors, and Catholic men who call themselves “Knights.”

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Follow-Up Note:

I’ve been reporting on this story since May of 2021. In my first news package, the incident involved MFM doctors from Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital referring for abortion.

Action Item

From October 8-10, Knights of Columbus will be in front of St. Louis grocery stores and other high traffic areas asking you to give money in support of disabled children and their families. Before you give, be sure to ask those Knights, “Did you know SSM Health, including Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, refer some babies for abortion?” See if they are interested in knowing the facts.

John Ryan’s Report (click on link for full report)

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