Archbishop: Mandate ruling threatens Philly's vulnerable

[_Abyssinia]

Philadelphia, Pa., Jun 27, 2014 / 05:25 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia said that he is “deeply disappointed” that a district judge has denied the archdiocese an initial injunction against the federal contraception mandate.

“Archdiocesan charities daily assist the homeless, the elderly, immigrants, the disabled, the developmentally delayed and many other segments of our population that are vulnerable,” Archbishop Chaput said.

“These services are provided regardless of an individual’s religious beliefs or lack thereof. We are grateful for the privilege of ministering to those most in need. We seek only to do those works of mercy without government coercion or interference that would compromise our religious convictions.”

catholicnewsagency.com/news/archbishop-mandate-ruling-threatens-phillys-vulnerable-15073

 

[phil19034]

This is horrible… We need to start petitioning big time.

Making Catholic apostolates pay for Abortions and Contraceptives is simply wrong.

How can the Democrats in Congress stand by and watch and/or support this?!?!?

It’s one thing if they want to force secular organizations/corporations (still wrong, but I’m not going to argue that right now), but it’s a totally different thing to force religious organizations, apostolates, schools, colleges & hospitals. Especially the apostolates and schools!!!

As for the colleges & hospitals (and I guess the schools for legal reasons) … Very simple. All employees will respect the Catholic Faith, publicly not defy the Church, public life may not bring scandal, and accept health benefits as per the teaching of the Church.

People don’t have to work for Catholic organizations. If they do, it’s not too much to ask that they follow Catholic teaching.

Plain and simple! Why can’t the Catholic Democrats in Congress and the Courts grasp this?!?!

 

[glendab]

Pray for the successful outcome of all our lawsuits against this infringement on our religious liberties.

Glenda

 

[tawny]

D

catholicnewsagency.com/news/archbishop-mandate-ruling-threatens-phillys-vulnerable-15073

Praying hard.

 

[tee_eff_em]

catholicnewsagency.com/news/archbishop-mandate-ruling-threatens-phillys-vulnerable-15073

From that article

The archbishop said June 27 that an appeal to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has already been filed on behalf of the archdiocese and its affiliated charitable entities after U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Buckwalter rejected their request for an injunction.

And from another news source later in the day:

Third Circuit stays lower-court decision on ACA contraception rule

A federal appeals court on Friday temporarily stayed a lower court order that could have left the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and several associated nonprofits on the hook for up to $160,000 in fines for each day they refused to cover contraception costs for their more than 4,000 employees.

The decision, handed down late in the day by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, came just in time for church officials, who faced a Monday deadline to start covering birth control or face steep penalties under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA).

articles.philly.com/2014-06-28/news/50931726_1_contraception-third-circuit-religious-nonprofits

tee

 

[ChurchSoldier]

How can the Democrats in Congress stand by and watch and/or support this???..

Plain and simple! Why can’t the Catholic Democrats in Congress and the Courts grasp this?!?!

Ummmmm. They voted God out of their official party platform, that’s how. It is horrible, but just the beginning. A few years from now people will be asking why we didn’t stop it in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014…

At least Philadelphia has a bishop who will stand up and be counted. Many others do not.

 

[CarolNoel]

Oh My. My God help them and all of us to win this.

 

[ProVobis]

People don’t have to work for Catholic organizations.

True.

Or they could work as an independent contractor or agency. (Very simple to set up, actually.)

Or do pro bono work, as my wife used to do as a CPA.

Why can’t the Catholic Democrats in Congress and the Courts grasp this?!?!

Because they and others can’t grasp the fact that health-care need not be employer-based.

 

[JimG]

True.

Or they could work as an independent contractor or agency. (Very simple to set up, actually.)

Or do pro bono work, as my wife used to do as a CPA.

Because they and others can’t grasp the fact that health-care need not be employer-based.

How would that help. If all the work of Catholic Charities was done pro-bono, the mandate would still force them to violate Catholic doctrine.

 

[ProVobis]

How would that help. If all the work of Catholic Charities was done pro-bono, the mandate would still force them to violate Catholic doctrine.

Last I checked the individual medical coverage through the exchanges doesn’t cover abortions and/or abortifacients. That’s probably because there’s a law prohibiting government funding of same (Hyde Amendment). Government funding in these cases is Medicaid, available to everyone, including those self-employed, who qualifies based on income.

 

[JimG]

Here is a part of the statement of another religious group affected by the HHS mandate—the Little Sisters of the Poor:

“Because the Little Sisters of the Poor cannot in conscience directly provide or collaborate in the provision of services that conflict with Church teaching, we find ourselves in the irreconcilable situation of being forced to either stop serving and employing people of all faiths in our ministry – so that we will fall under the narrow exemption – or to stop providing health care coverage to our employees. Either path threatens to end our service to the elderly in America. The Little Sisters are fervently praying that this issue will be resolved before we are forced to take concrete action in response to this unjust mandate.”The complete statement can be found here:
littlesistersofthepoorboston.org/news-a-events/100-statement-of-the-little-sisters-of-the-poor-on-the-hhs-mandate

 

[JimG]

Last I checked the individual medical coverage through the exchanges doesn’t cover abortions and/or abortifacients. That’s probably because there’s a law prohibiting government funding of same (Hyde Amendment). Government funding in this case is Medicaid.

The HHS mandate requires coverage of contraceptives, including oral contraception which is itself abortifacient, plus sterilization, which are all opposed to Catholic moral principles. That’s why there are numerous lawsuits pending against HHS from everyone from Hobby Lobby to Little Sisters of the Poor.

 

[ProVobis]

The HHS mandate requires coverage of contraceptives, including oral contraception which is itself abortifacient, plus sterilization, which are all opposed to Catholic moral principles. That’s why there are numerous lawsuits pending against HHS from everyone from Hobby Lobby to Little Sisters of the Poor.

I know but I’m talking individual coverage, not employer-based which the mandate mandates.

 

[_Abyssinia]

I am not a law expert, but perhaps if Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialities win today and they are for-profit companies, that may create a chain reaction in the courts and all the other challengers to the HHS mandate may win their cases too

 

[glendab]

Hello JimG.

Here is a part of the statement of another religious group affected by the HHS mandate—the Little Sisters of the Poor:

“Because the Little Sisters of the Poor cannot in conscience directly provide or collaborate in the provision of services that conflict with Church teaching, we find ourselves in the irreconcilable situation of being forced to either stop serving and employing people of all faiths in our ministry – so that we will fall under the narrow exemption – or to stop providing health care coverage to our employees. Either path threatens to end our service to the elderly in America. The Little Sisters are fervently praying that this issue will be resolved before we are forced to take concrete action in response to this unjust mandate.”The complete statement can be found here:
littlesistersofthepoorboston.org/news-a-events/100-statement-of-the-little-sisters-of-the-poor-on-the-hhs-mandate

Thanks for the post and link. It IS true. Our religious Institutions are being forced to close their doors in America because of the very careful wording of the HHS Mandate and all it implies. Barak Obama and Ms. Sebelius and those who helped author the 5,000 page law decided to put us out of business. They gave us an ultimatum - either put up or shut up. We need to understand very clearly how this is impacting our Religious in this land. They can either provide abortion, sterilization, and contraception to their employees (and BTW to themselves as well because all policies must provide coverage for these things) or shut their doors and literally go to their chapels and pray. Seeing how tight those options are, I can only see a retaliation by Ms. Sebelius in the HHS Mandate for her chastisement by the Church. She is an Excommunicated Catholic for her defense of ABS. She’s getting even with the Church for all of those who are in the same position as herself either formally or simply.

What I find deeply troubling is the lack of talk about this that I hear coming from the pulpits in the parishes I’ve lived in and gone to Sunday Mass in over there years. No one in the parishes where I am at is complaining. There is practically nothing about in the bulletins I pick up each week and sad to say, no one is complaining about it in the little circles of persons at the parish. It only occasionally gets mentioned in passing.

When will the Catholics in America wake up and realize what is going on? When all of the religious institutes suddenly shutter their doors to keep from accruing enormous fines and punishments? I fear that is the day coming. Please God, prove me wrong.

Glenda

 

[glendab]

Hello Abyssinia.

I am not a law expert, but perhaps if Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialities win today and they are for-profit companies, that may create a chain reaction in the courts and all the other challengers to the HHS mandate may win their cases too

What if they too loose? There are over 300 lawsuits either pending or settled so far regarding this bit of legislation and the courts are siding with Obama and Sebelius.

You’re talking 2 out of 300 or more. The likelihood of that happening is slim. I pray I’m wrong but I think it is about to get much worse.

Glenda

 

[_Abyssinia]

Hello Abyssinia.

What if they too loose? There are over 300 lawsuits either pending or settled so far regarding this bit of legislation and the courts are siding with Obama and Sebelius.

You’re talking 2 out of 300 or more. The likelihood of that happening is slim. I pray I’m wrong but I think it is about to get much worse.

Glenda

According to the Becket fund on the merits, for for-profits 40 injunctions have been given vs 6 denied, and for non-profits 26 injunctions have been provided and 6 denied:

becketfund.org/hhsinformationcentral

 

[pnewton]

As much as I would hate the results, perhaps it is time to move all charity work to countries that allow religious freedom of conscience. Charity at home may have to be on an individual to individual level.

 

[manualman]

Breaking News: Supreme Court decided in favor of Hobby Lobby. If there is ANY logic remaining in the judiciary, that means that catholic non-profits should be a no-brainer for exemptions too.

Liberty wins in a squeaker. Who’d have thought America would come this close to the edge?