Catholic Bishops Courageous Stand For Religious Freedom Continues: No to Recent HHS Accomodation

2/9/2013

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the Administration seeks to offer a response to serious matters which have been raised throughout the past year.We look forward to engaging with the Administration, and all branches and levels of government, to continue to address serious issues that remain. Our efforts will require additional, careful study.Only in this way can we best assure that healthcare for every woman, man and child is achieved without harm to our first, most cherished freedom.

In evaluating Friday's action regarding the HHS mandate, our reference remains the statement of our Administrative Committee made last March, United for Religious Freedom, and affirmed by the entire body of bishops in June 2012.

In that statement, we first expressed concern over the mandate's "exceedingly narrow" four-part definition of "religious employer," one that exempted our houses of worship, but left "our great ministries of service to our neighbors, namely, the poor, the homeless, the sick, the students in our schools and universities, and others in need" subject to the mandate.This created "a 'second class' of citizenship within our religious community," "weakening [federal law's] healthy tradition of generous respect for religious freedom and diversity."And the exemption effectuated this distinction by requiring "among other things, [that employers] must hire and serve primarily those of their own faith."

On Friday, the Administration proposed to drop the first three parts of the four-part test.This might address the last of the concerns above, but it seems not to address the rest.The Administration's proposal maintains its inaccurate distinction among religious ministries. It appears to offer second-class status to our first-class institutions in Catholic health care, Catholic education, and Catholic charities. HHS offers what it calls an "accommodation," rather than accepting the fact that these ministries are integral to our Church and worthy of the same exemption as our Catholic churches. And finally, it seems to take away something that we had previously-the ability of an exempt employer (such as a diocese) to extend its coverage to the employees of a ministry outside the exemption.

Second, United for Religious Freedom explained that the religious ministries not deemed "religious employers" would suffer the severe consequence of "be[ing] forced by government to violate their own teachings within their very own institutions."After Friday, it appears that the government would require all employees in our "accommodated" ministries to have the illicit coverage-they may not opt out, nor even opt out for their children-under a separate policy.In part because of gaps in the proposed regulations, it is still unclear how directly these separate policies would be funded by objecting ministries, and what precise role those ministries would have in arranging for these separate policies.Thus, there remains the possibility that ministries may yet be forced to fund and facilitate such morally illicit activities. Here, too, we will continue to analyze the proposal and to advocate for changes to the final rule that reflect these concerns.

Third, the bishops explained that the "HHS mandate creates still a third class, those with no conscience protection at all:individuals who, in their daily lives, strive constantly to act in accordance with their faith and moral values."This includes employers sponsoring and subsidizing the coverage, insurers writing it, and beneficiaries paying individual premiums for it.Friday's action confirms that HHS has no intention to provide any exemption or accommodation at all to this "third class."In obedience to our Judeo-Christian heritage, we have consistently taught our people to live their lives during the week to reflect the same beliefs that they proclaim on the Sabbath.We cannot now abandon them to be forced to violate their morally well-informed consciences.

Because the stakes are so high, we will not cease from our effort to assure that healthcare for all does not mean freedom for few.Throughout the past year, we have been assured by the Administration that we will not have to refer, pay for, or negotiate for the mandated coverage.We remain eager for the Administration to fulfill that pledge and to find acceptable solutions-we will affirm any genuine progress that is made, and we will redouble our efforts to overcome obstacles or setbacks.Thus, we welcome and will take seriously the Administration's invitation to submit our concerns through formal comments, and we will do so in the hope that an acceptable solution can be found that respects the consciences of all.At the same time, we will continue to stand united with brother bishops, religious institutions, and individual citizens who seek redress in the courts for as long as this is necessary.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York
February 7, 2013

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Cardinal Timothy Dolan, HHS Mandate, Obamacare, Affordable Care Act, Accomodation, Religious Freedom, free Exercise, USCCB, Catholic Bishops, First Amendment, Deacon Keith Fournier

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1 - 10 of 11 Comments

Rob
3 months ago
I still think ultimately this mandate will fall away. Let the system work, the government will lose and this will fade away. But in this debate I see a lot of hypocrisy.

I have yet to hear of anyone who has dropped their employer provided health plan because they cover contraception etc. I have no one protest just about every grocery store chain in the country or pharmacy chain for the availability of these products.

Seems like we care more about institutions than we do people, otherwise the fight would have been happening long ago. I think the bishops would be better served fighting for the souls of their flocks than worrying about insurance plans. I personally believe its the reason that so many are not connecting with any of this. I really view this as one of those things that is Caesars. If the people running these organizations have done their jobs, not a penny will be spent on people in their organizations using these things.

The law is never going to convert people's hearts. You can pass around the 5 nonnegotiables all you want....would be better if you shared the good news versus the list of things you can't do. Expectations are too high for those who have never given their lives to Christ. And all the screaming and yelling does nothing to do that.
Robert
3 months ago
JoAnn,

I concur. It is our responsibility to inform ourselves and yet I learned the teachings as I aged. I had many teachers who provided me insight along the way.
Sadly, I fall short and find myself asking the Lord's forgiveness. My point is that I don't place a great deal of blame on the Church leaders but a certain amount must apply.

I do not write to point fingers. I write to encourage others to speak to their pastors and clergy about speaking up. Let them know when their sermons are good and when they are lacking. Let them know they may have to offend someone when preaching the Lord's message. Ask them about the five non-negotiables and if they understand them to be as their title suggests.
They are the shepherds and we are the flock.

I wish to follow the shepherd that will me to heaven. The pathway may be more difficult and yet the reward is greater we can imagine.

May God bless his Church and this nation.
JoAnn
3 months ago
Robert: Thank you for your explanation. I guess it is difficult for me to understand why every Catholic doesn't know about the 5 non-negotiables. I hear it from the pulpit in my parish all the time. And, even if some Catholics belong to a more "liberal" parish, it would seem that common sense and the "natural law" would already be written in our hearts that the "big 5" are abominations. I think, it is not that Catholics don't know, they don't care. These people are apostates. I have the utmost privilege of being able to kneel before the Blessed Sacrament twice a week. There is also another woman who has the same hour that I do. She kneels before Our Lord, yet strongly supports Obama. She is my age, so I'm assuming she has been a Catholic? as long as I have. There is no way that she is unaware of the "big 5." I guess the point I'm trying to make is that it breaks my heart to see so many people blaming the Church's clergy. If we love our Faith as we should, it is up to us to make sure we know it inside out. Jesus said "Seek and you shall find." I guess there are too many Catholics? that don't care enough to learn their Faith Learing about our Faith is a lifetime journey. Like one of the priests in my parish said one day in his sermon. "Are you Catholics really practicing your Faith or are you "pagans" that just come to Church?" I enjoyed the dialogue with you. You made some very good points. Especially, about Pelosi, Fluke and some bishops. But these bishops can do no harm to Catholics who really know and love their Faith. God bless.
Lisa Bannister
3 months ago
We must support Cardinal Dolan. He is fighting on behalf of all Christians of conscience- not just Catholics.
I personally loathe the whole health care legislation. It's just one step in trying to get the U.S. into "universal" health care. This country is too large for that to be managed effectively.
vance
3 months ago
Robert, I share your opinion. So far, very little has been said about Religious Liberty from the pulpits of my diocese.
Robert
3 months ago
Dear Joann,

If my comments implied that Cardinal Dolan assisted the Democratic Party in bringing us to where we are now I chose my words poorly.

What I meant to convene is this: Several Catholic groups provided voters with the 'FIVE NON-NEGOTIABLES ISSUES FOR A CATHOIC VOTER". The list included:
1. Abortion 2. Euthanasia 3. Fetal Stem Cell Research 4. Human Cloning 5. Homosexual Marriage

My canvassing of comments from Cardinals, Priests and Bishops found no mention of the five non-negotiables referenced with Cardinal Dolan. The USCCB voter guide was ambigious at best.

Cardinal Dolan's voice is enormous for Catholics in the United States. His voice could have been clearer prior to the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.

The point I tried to make is that Cardinal Dolan, Cardinal DiNardo and all members of the USCCB could have made the five non-negotiables the bedrock of their conversation points prior to the past two elections. This lack of clarity on their part has played a role (however large is undeterminable) in allowing many Catholics to accept the loss of unborn lives, stem cell research, homosexual marriage to be the aceeptable price of providing healthcare for all, making millions more dependent on the government for food, enslaving future generations with an enormous debt, regardless of their underlying evils. Isn't it troubling that Sandra Fluke, Cecile Richards, Nancy Pelosi, and some Bishops all stand in an unforseen lock of arms behind the Democratic Party while at that same time they vote to take God out of their platform. Did anyonelse hear the cock crow three times during the Democrats convention?

By not speaking clearly many Catholics have equated feeding the poor with American Tax Dollars taken by force as the same moral equivalent as saving the unborn.

I hope this better expains my thoughts. Am I proud of Cardinal Dolan, YES. Am I wanting more from the leader of our Catholic faith in the U.S.A. YES.

These thoughts are those of a humble sinner.
Vincent A. Lewis
3 months ago
It is time for the Bishops to start treating the HHS mandate as a moral issue. If religious liberty means that you can believe and behave according to your beliefs, then religious liberty is worthless. At some point, the arbitrator of religious liberty must decide whose religious liberty takes precedence. Ultimately, either Catholics will not be allowed to impose our beliefs on the culture or the culture will impose its beliefs on Catholics. The HHS mandate is an attempt to do the latter..
JoAnn
3 months ago
Robert: Could you be more specific? Maybe my old mind missed something, but how did Cardinal Dolan "help" get us where we are? Since Roe vs. Wade, "true" Catholics have never supported the Democratic party. God bless.
Joe
3 months ago
Thank you, heed the advice, we must speak up, the time is now. All Americans.
abey
3 months ago
In the first place instead of "appreciating" , amounting to profess faith in the wrong person, to the Obama gesture, he should have taken it with a pinch of salt like some other sects of Christianity did.

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