The Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation, founded by world-renowned missionary and Nobel Peace Prize awardee Mother Teresa has deregistered 13 orphanages from adoption services in India, insisting that single parents and divorced couples should not be allowed to adopt.

India’s laws relating to adoption were recently liberalized to allow prospective parents, who are single or divorced or separated, to adopt children. However, Missionaries of Charity opposed the new regulations on two grounds.

The secretary of India's central adoption agency told the media, “First, [Missionaries of Charity] will not allow adoption by single parents; second, they also have issues with couples, one or both of whom has had a divorce earlier.”

Sister Amala, the nun in charge of the Missionaries’ home in New Delhi, said the new regulations contradicted the Catholic conscience.

“The new guidelines hurt our conscience. They are certainly not for religious people like us. ... What if the single parent who we give our baby [to] turns out to be gay or lesbian? What security or moral upbringing will these children get? Our rules only allow married couples to adopt,” she said.

The charity is known for running homes that offer shelter, food, education and medical care to abandoned children, including those with special needs. Their adoption services ended on August 1.

Another sister, who refused to divulge her name, said the charity’s decision to end adoption services in India had been considered over a long period of time to ensure children with special needs receive the best kind of upbringing. She concluded that the decision was well thought out and taken for the best interest of the children.

Photo Credits: GBP News