UPDATE

From the Jackson Clarion-Ledger in Mississippi:

Adoption group changes policy to accept Catholic applicants

After receiving criticism about its practice of excluding Catholics as adoptive parents, the board of Bethany Christian Services in Mississippi has voted unanimously to now include Catholic families in all adoption programs.

"In accepting applications for adoption, all Christians who are in agreement with our agency statement of faith are welcome applicants to the adoption process," wrote Bethany's state director Karen Stewart and board president Peggy McKey in a statement issued today. "Bethany Christian Services of Mississippi regrets any pain caused to families, especially to our Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ."

The statement said the adoption agency will continue to stand on its statement of faith but "we realize that we took too narrow a view in assessing adoptive applicants."...

As we learned a couple of days ago, Bethany discriminated while receiving funds collected by the state of Mississippi from the sale of "Choose Life" license plates.

By the way, I don't quite believe this:

...McKey, Bethany's local board president, said the agency's past policy of excluding Catholic parents was "unintentional on our part" as Bethany had assumed Catholic Charities gave preference to Catholic couples seeking to adopt.

"We just didn't keep up with the times," she said.

Catholic Charities of Jackson is an ecumenical organization that serves people of all faiths....

Prominent political Protestants are praising John Roberts, who's Catholic, but somebody needs to make sure that the rank and file are cc'd on the Catholics-are-cool-now memos.

(Link via DU.)