Agnes Mary Mansour

Who was Agnes Mary Mansour?

Agnes Mary Mansour was an American Roman Catholic nun who was forced in 1983 to resign her vows in order to retain her position as the director of the Michigan Department of Social Services. The controversy involved her refusal to make a public statement against abortion; she felt that as long as abortion was legal and available to the wealthy, the procedure should be equally available to women who needed government assistance.

After graduating from college in Detroit, Mansour entered religious orders then earned a doctorate degree 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 Catholic leadership in Detroit and in Rome sought to have Mansour declare herself against abortion—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; an act which was widely reported and discussed. After serving out her appointment she was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 1988.