Agnes Mary Mansour
Agnes Mary Mansour (April 10, 1931 – December 17, 2004) was an American former Catholic nun, as well as a politician and public official. She is known for having been given a choice from the Vatican in 1983 to end her religious vows or to resign from her position as the director of the Michigan Department of Social Services, which required her to support and allocate public funding for abortions. The controversy involved her belief that abortion was tragic but should be legal, despite her vows as a religious and the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Agnes Mary Mansour | |
|---|---|
Sister Agnes Mary Mansour | |
| Born | Josephine A. Mansour April 10, 1931 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | December 17, 2004 (aged 73) |
| Resting place | Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield, Michigan, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Mercy College Catholic University Georgetown University |
| Employer(s) | Mercy College of Detroit Michigan Department of Social Services |
| Organization | Sisters of Mercy |
| Awards | Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (1988) |
After graduating from college in Detroit, Mansour entered religious life with the Sisters of Mercy and earned a doctorate in biochemistry. She served as the president of Mercy College of Detroit from 1971 to 1983. She ran unsuccessfully for public office in 1982, in the process provoking comment from the Archbishop of Detroit.
The governor of Michigan appointed her to lead the state's social services department, and she was confirmed in early 1983. During this time, the Archbishop of Detroit and Vatican officials asked Mansour declare herself against abortion—as her department was responsible for abortion services funded through Medicaid. Mansour refused to make such a statement, and two months after her confirmation as director, she was required by the Vatican to decide whether she was to continue as director or as a nun. She chose to give up her vows as a nun.
After serving out her appointment, she was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 1988.