Interview Summary

Solidarity President and Co-Founder Chris Faddis joins Brenda Aiken of Mater Dei Radio on The Morning Blend to discuss the rise of “abortion tourism” in the United States as Americans travel to different states for abortions and how Solidarity is aiming to offer an ethical alternative.

Interview Audio

Brenda Aiken (00:00):

The battle to save the lives of the most innocent continues even after the decision to overturn Roe versus Wade. And we recognize here on the West Coast, we feel like we are at ground zero, but not to worry, we are up for the fight. And there are laws that continue to go into effect that requires our time and attention. Joining me today to tell us about one such law that’s allowing Arizona doctors to perform abortions in California, it is our good friend Chris Faddis. He is the Co-founder and CEO of Solidarity HealthShare. Good morning, Chris. Thanks for joining us today.

Chris Faddis (00:39):

Good morning, Brenda. Great to talk to you.

Brenda Aiken (00:41):

So we are not unaware here in the Portland area about what we’re seeing now as an abortion tourism. They are coming in from other states to have late term abortions right here in Portland. Now Arizona is sending their doctors over? What’s up with this new law?

Chris Faddis (00:58):

Yeah. Well, I don’t know if it’s us sending our doctors over or if it’s California bringing them over. But yeah, this new law that California just passed allows Arizona doctors to come and practice abortion in California. Basically kind of giving reciprocal rights for their medical license, but just for abortions. Nothing else, of course. So very strange kind of world we live in, as many of your listeners probably know, Arizona had a existing law in the books that outlawed abortion at all times, at all stages. And then before Dobbs, they put a 15 week ban on the books in order that if the old law went under or got repealed, that there would be another law in place, which they did. That law was repealed the original ban, and now we have this 15-week ban. So I guess that’s not good enough. You’re allowed to terminate life up to 15 weeks, but that wasn’t good enough. It’s very strange that they’re passing all these laws and doing this.

Brenda Aiken (02:09):

So Chris, you had said this kind of mention, I want to circle back. So they are very easily allowing Arizona doctors to come into California and perform abortions, but the other parts of their work, say if they wanted to come in and go to low income communities or where there are not doctors available to meet their basic healthcare needs that they’re not allowed to do. Is that what-?

Chris Faddis (02:37):

 Right, exactly. They’re just going over and apparently so that their particular doctor to do the abortion, which ignores the fact that most women don’t go to their own doctor for abortions. Abortions are not, and we’re not happening in every OB office around the country before Dobbs or after. And most people aren’t just going to neighborhood OB that they’ve gone to since they were 13 for an abortion. They’re going to a Planned Parenthood or a specific abortion doctor. Even in Arizona, there’s only certain doctors who will do this. So it’s allowing these doctors to come over. He’s doing it under the auspices that, oh, these women are not going to have continuity of care because they have to switch doctors, which they would’ve done anyway. So it’s allowing doctors to go over, it’s essentially allowing for more abortions to happen in California. And then of course it is a bailed attempt to try to get Arizona consumers to come to California to pay for their abortions as well.

Brenda Aiken (03:37):

And it is quite frightening. But as I said too, we are used to having this battle. We know what we need to do as Catholics, and so we will just continue this battle. Chris Faddis is joining us today to tell us more about what Solidarity is doing to help our Catholic faith grow and to receive medical care where we know that the doctors that we are seeing are not also going to perform an abortion. Why is it so important that our Catholic faith to be at the forefront of every decision that you’re making for Solidarity and most importantly about your members?

Chris Faddis (04:16):

Yeah, I mean, I think it just goes back to we are given everything we need from God and through the gift of the Holy Spirit through the church, and we really have to trust and be docile for that. We’ve got to be able to be willing to stop and say, well, what is it that through divine inspiration, through the church, through the Holy Spirit, what is it that God’s asking for here? And we are so blessed, Brenda, as Catholics, to have so many of these things documented, right? The whole decision-making process about moral decision-making, both from an ethical standpoint, from a moral standpoint, from a bioethical standpoint, that it’s so well documented how we determine these things. And so for us, it’s a very simple thing. We don’t have to determine the rules. We literally just have to apply the church’s teaching to find the right answer.

(05:05):

In doing that, it allows you a freedom to trust that the Lord’s going to do his will. You’re doing the right thing. You’re making good choices by prudential judgment. And therefore, if you do those things, then God will provide. And I think we’re seeing this with a lot of our members. I was just talking to a physician today who is starting to do tubal ligation reversals for people who have done a tubal ligation and they realize that they want to be open to life, right? And they want to follow and restore their body to order. We have many members who have done the vasectomy reversal, but it’s hard to find doctors to do the tubal legation reversal. And this doctor was telling me how she’s always wanted this to be a part of her practice, and she finally went on her own so she could do this for women.

(05:55):

And what a gift, right? That her Catholic faith is inspiring her to specifically do this service in her faith. And I’ve heard from many people in the church who’ve told me, yeah, there’s lots of people out there who regret that decision to sterilize and they want to reverse it, which is why Solidarity chose many years ago to share into reversals of those procedures. And to date, we’ve had many families actually be able to conceive successfully because they did the reversal. And so it’s really beautiful to watch that witness as you see people respond to these things. And I think that’s the thing. If we use our prudential judgment, we follow the church, we follow what the Lord has given us, then we can trust that the outcome was of his will.

Brenda Aiken (06:40):

Oh, Chris, I love that. Where any other insurance company would consider a reversal, an elective or optional treatment that is uncovered you there at Solidarity said, no, absolutely. We will help you in this way in sharing those expensive, I just think that is incredibly beautiful. And just another one of the ways that Solidarity is standing up for our Catholic faith. For somebody who is listening today, they want to find out more information, your service members are there to answer any questions. Where are they going to go to find out more?

Chris Faddis (07:13):

Visit us at solidarityhealthshare.org, solidarityhealthshare.org or call us of course at (844) 313-4999, and our team’s there to help.

Brenda Aiken (07:24):

Fantastic. We always look forward to our discussions every month, Chris. And it is great to just highlight and know of the continued way that you and your team is supporting our Catholic faith. Thanks so much for being with us today.

Chris Faddis (07:38):

Thank you, Brenda.

Join The Movement

Solidarity HealthShare is a non-profit healthcare sharing ministry rooted in the teachings of the Catholic Church. Established in 2016, we operate on the Catholic principles of solidarity and subsidiarity, in accordance with the Church’s commitment to promoting life-affirming, faith-based healthcare.

We strive to provide an ethical, community-driven alternative to traditional health insurance. Through direct Member-to-Member sharing, Members are able to access quality healthcare services while preserving their family’s financial, physical, and spiritual health, all at once. Members never need to worry about their healthcare dollars funding immoral medical procedures. We promote a holistic approach to healthcare, emphasizing the importance of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

At the heart of our ministry’s mission to restore and rebuild an authentically faith-based healthcare culture in America is the recognition that every single person has inherent human dignity. We seek to promote healthcare that honors the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.

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