Boston's Catholic Charities is done with adoption

Catholic Charities in Boston will no longer provide adoption services, according to this report, "because of a state law allowing gays and lesbians to adopt children."  (Now, that's not quite right, is it?  Catholic Charities is not objecting to a "state law allowing gays and lesbians to adopt children," but to a requirement that Catholic Charities place children with gays and lesbians.)  According to the report, 8 of the 42 members of the Catholic Charities board -- which had unanimously recommended submitting to the requirement -- have resigned in protest.  What's next?

Gov. Mitt Romney said he planned to file a bill that would allow religious organizations to seek an exemption from the state's anti-discrimination laws to provide adoption services.

"This is a sad day for neglected and abandoned children," Romney said in a statement. "It's a mistake for our laws to put the rights of adults over the needs of children.

I'm not sure that's right, either.  I would have thought that, particularly in the legal arena, the rights of adults are -- sometimes -- just as important as the needs of children.  The tricky thing -- isn't it? -- is identifying those rights and needs.