Archbishop: Obama Needs To Stop 'Intruding Into Internal Life Of Church'

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The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has taken a bold stand for religious freedom. In a recent statement, titled “Our First, Most Cherished Liberty,” the bishops call for repeal of contraception coverage mandated by the Department of Health and Human Services. The clarified position sets up a dramatic confrontation with the Obama administration—and would, if the bishops prevail, help preserve the religious liberty of all Americans.
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The HHS mandate requires employers to provide insurance coverage for contraception and sterilization services. It is, according to the bishops, an “unjust law.” They write: “It cannot be obeyed and therefore one does not seek relief from it, but rather its repeal.”
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The statement is a rebuke of President Obama and the so-called accommodation his administration proposed in February. It also raises the stakes between the president and the leaders of America’s Catholic Church.
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The bishops call on Catholics in America, “in solidarity with our fellow citizens,” not to obey the law. They implicitly compare the HHS regulation to a segregation-era statute, and even cite Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” In a not-so-subtle manner, the bishops tell the Obama administration that they are willing to go to prison rather than comply with the mandate’s provisions.
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In doing so, the bishops are ruling out the possibility of a compromise that might preserve the mandate by expanding possible conscience exemptions from it. Most discussion had been over how far the religious liberty exemption should extend—but with the bishops calling for repeal, that all could change.
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weeklystandard.com/blogs/catholic-bishops-take-obama_640569.html
 
Next nationwide anti-HHS mandate rallies scheduled for June 8

lifesitenews.com/news/next-nationwide-anti-hhs-mandate-rallies-scheduled-for-june-8
Freedom to Pray, But Not To Practice

hliamerica.org/truth-and-charity-forum/freedom-to-pray-but-not-to-practice
Protest by Catholic activists may hamper Obama reelection bid
President Obama has seen his standing among Catholic voters, a crucial segment of the electorate, slip in recent weeks, and a looming confrontation with Catholic activists could make it worse.
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Democrats want voters this year to focus on what they have branded a war on women, but the flip side of the debate — the so-called war on religion — is not going away anytime soon.
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Earlier this month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called for two weeks of public protest in June and July against what it sees as growing government encroachment on religious freedom.
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The protests are expected to include priests and nuns and thousands of Catholic parishioners. Some activists expect civil disobedience, which could lead to powerful images of priests and nuns being led away in hand restraints.
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thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/politics-elections/223227-two-week-protest-by-catholic-activists-may-hamper-presidents-reelection-bid
 
An e-mail got sent to Georgetown students saying the university would not in to pressure to cover contraception in its health plan.
Obama Admin Lawyers Seek to Dismiss HHS Mandate Lawsuit
A pro-life organization behind one of the several lawsuits filed against the Obama administration over its controversial mandate requiring religious groups to pay for birth control and abortion-causing drugs for its employees says the administration is desperately trying to get a court to throw it out.
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Priests for Life, a New York-based international pro-life organization of Catholic clergy and laity, said the Obama Administration’s lawyers are trying desperately to “shut down” the lawsuit that’s been filed to stop ObamaCare from violating the conscience and morals of America’s Catholics.
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Fr. Frank Pavone, the national director of the pro-life organization, said, “Attorneys for the Obama administration have responded to our lawsuit. And just as we expected, they asked the judge to dismiss our suit out of hand and without a hearing on the merits of the case. This is typical of the bullying tactics of this administration. They seek to compel all Americans to submit to their secular, anti-religion, anti-life agenda.”
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The lawsuit, Priests for Life v. Sebelius, seeks to permanently block the implementation of the HHS mandate that Priests for Life says imposes clear violations of conscience upon any and all citizens who morally object to abortion and contraception.
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lifenews.com/2012/04/26/obama-admin-lawyers-seek-to-dismiss-hhs-mandate-lawsuit
 
_Abyssinia said:
An e-mail got sent to Georgetown students saying the university would not in to pressure to cover contraception in its health plan.
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Well, the linked article didn’t seem to talk about Georgetown. And I haven’t found anything about the email. Do you have a source for it?

It got me thinking. Given such an email, I’m sure Ms. Fluke (soon to be Mrs. Mutterperl? wait, that is probably too old fashioned, perhaps Mrs. Fluke-Mutterperl) isn’t too thrilled at response by her university.

Interestingly, here’s a link about a talk she gave to students.

cnsnews.com/blog/ron-meyer/sandra-fluke-tells-catholic-georgetown-contraception-mandate-about-reality-not

One tidbit (from the article) that I find frustrating:
I’m having a hard time accepting the idea that the Church is denying reproductive freedom and women’s rights.
She clearly doesn’t understand Church teaching if she’s making such a statement.
 
Suudy said:
Well, the linked article didn’t seem to talk about Georgetown. And I haven’t found anything about the email. Do you have a source for it?

It got me thinking. Given such an email, I’m sure Ms. Fluke (soon to be Mrs. Mutterperl? wait, that is probably too old fashioned, perhaps Mrs. Fluke-Mutterperl) isn’t too thrilled at response by her university.

Interestingly, here’s a link about a talk she gave to students.

cnsnews.com/blog/ron-meyer/sandra-fluke-tells-catholic-georgetown-contraception-mandate-about-reality-not

One tidbit (from the article) that I find frustrating:
I’m having a hard time accepting the idea that the Church is denying reproductive freedom and women’s rights.
She clearly doesn’t understand Church teaching if she’s making such a statement.
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President DeGioia responds to contraceptive petition, holds status quo
In response to the recent petitions on contraceptive coverage on campus, President John J. DeGioia sent an email to the Georgetown community this morning. He stated that after careful consideration, the university opted to retain their current health insurance model, noting that there would be no changes in contraceptive coverage in 2013 as well. DeGioia cited the plan’s adherence to the school’s Catholic and Jesuit identity, in addition to their voluntary nature.
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The most notable petition was signed last Thursday by over 700 students, including law student Sandra Fluke and Georgetown’s Law Students for Reproductive Justice. This action followed a similar petition from the Law Center’s faculty, in which 66 members of the law faculty expressed similar disdain over the university’s current healthcare plan.
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The full text of the email is below:
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Code: 
*April 26, 2012
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To the Members of the Georgetown University Community
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Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
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I write to you regarding Georgetown’s health insurance and contraceptive coverage in our plans.  Many members of our community have expressed different perspectives on this issue.  I am grateful for the respectful ways in which you have shared your opinions.
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Code: 
As you know, like most universities, Georgetown requires that students have health insurance.  Students are not required to purchase their health insurance through Georgetown University and are free to acquire health insurance through a third party. The student plan offered by Georgetown is consistent with our Catholic and Jesuit identity and does not cover prescription contraceptives for birth control.  It does provide coverage for these prescriptions for students who require them for health reasons unrelated to birth control, as determined by a physician.
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Code: 
After thoughtful and careful consideration, we will continue our current practice for contraceptive coverage in our student health insurance for the coming year, as allowed for under the current rules issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
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There will also be no change to the University’s approach to contraceptive coverage for employees for 2013.
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We will be monitoring further regulatory and judicial developments related to the Affordable Care Act.  I hope this is helpful in clarifying a matter of concern to many of you.
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You have my very best wishes as we conclude our academic year.
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Sincerely,
John J. DeGioia
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blog.georgetownvoice.com/2012/04/26/president-degioia-responds-to-contraceptive-petition-holds-status-quo

How will they be able to retain insurance without contraception coverage if the HHS mandate is going to effect in 2013?
 
In this morning’s Congressional House hearing, Sebelius admits she did not consult Supreme Court decisions on religious liberty or have a legal memo prepared before she drafted the mandate. The mandate, unprecedented in American history, forces religious institutions to pay for contraceptives, sterilizations, and abortion-causing drugs, including the morning-after pill and the week-after pill, against their deeply held religious beliefs. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is the first and leading law firm to challenge this mandate–filing in four states and three circuits across the country.
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becketfund.org/hhs-secretary-sebelius-admits-no-consideration-of-constitution-while-drafting-hhs-mandate/
 
Suudy said:
Well, the linked article didn’t seem to talk about Georgetown. And I haven’t found anything about the email. Do you have a source for it?

It got me thinking. Given such an email, I’m sure Ms. Fluke (soon to be Mrs. Mutterperl? wait, that is probably too old fashioned, perhaps Mrs. Fluke-Mutterperl) isn’t too thrilled at response by her university.

Interestingly, here’s a link about a talk she gave to students.

cnsnews.com/blog/ron-meyer/sandra-fluke-tells-catholic-georgetown-contraception-mandate-about-reality-not

One tidbit (from the article) that I find frustrating:
I’m having a hard time accepting the idea that the Church is denying reproductive freedom and women’s rights.
She clearly doesn’t understand Church teaching if she’s making such a statement.
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I hope and pray that someone responds to the lies and misrepresentations that this silly young woman persists in making. The media is clearly ignoring the blatant and persistent baloney that the Left is using to demean the Church.

That I fear my tax dollars are supporting her continued education distresses me to no end. What an incredible waste.

Lisa
 
That video of Secretary Sebelius responding to questions is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time.
 
JimG said:
That video of Secretary Sebelius responding to questions is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time.
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OHMYGOODNESSS!!! Did she look like a total incompent or what? I thought I would die laughing. I am not a lawyer but I knew every one of those cases and got 100% on the answers too! Did you love her comment that the reason the government can’t tell religions how to practice is “separation of church and state.” The woman is a blithering idiot. I can’t believe she was the Governor of what I think is a relatively sane state. This video needs to go viral. Hope Romney uses it in his ads…is THIS the quality of people you want to see running a huge portion of the government? I mean good heavens…I was howling by the end of it.

Lisa
 
jwinch2 said:
Brutal. It does tell you however how little care or thought, beyond pushing their agenda, goes into making such important decisions.
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This woman is an impediment to Obama’s re-election. Why do you think Obama hasn’t tossed her under the bus? She’s not very smart, she’s obviously in over her head, and she presents horribly. The whole Obama Administration is looking more and more like the bar scene in Star Wars.

BTW don’t they have to swear to uphold the Constitution when sworn in as Secretary of HHS? Maybe there should be a mandatory reading of the Constitution before every swearing in ceremony so someone has at least a passing acquaintence with it.

Lisa
 
LisaA said:
This woman is an impediment to Obama’s re-election. Why do you think Obama hasn’t tossed her under the bus? She’s not very smart, she’s obviously in over her head, and she presents horribly. The whole Obama Administration is looking more and more like the bar scene in Star Wars.

BTW don’t they have to swear to uphold the Constitution when sworn in as Secretary of HHS? Maybe there should be a mandatory reading of the Constitution before every swearing in ceremony so someone has at least a passing acquaintence with it.

Lisa
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Oh, I think he selected her quite deliberately for her radical pro-abortion stance, and for being a “useful Catholic” who could be counted on to support his agenda. She was the governor of Kansas, and was counseled privately by three consecutive bishops not to continue to receive communion in view of her very public outspoken pro-choice stance. The final bishop only made the matter public after she forced his hand.

Thomas Frank wrote a book called “What’s the Matter With Kansas?”, castigating the voters of the state for continuing to elect conservatives. I thought at the time: What’s the matter with Kansas? We elected Kathleen Sebelius, for one thing! I wish we hadn’t, but I would have been glad to keep her in Kansas rather than give her power to violate our religious liberties as head of HHS.
 
JimG said:
Oh, I think he selected her quite deliberately for her radical pro-abortion stance, and for being a “useful Catholic” who could be counted on to support his agenda. She was the governor of Kansas, and was counseled privately by three consecutive bishops not to continue to receive communion in view of her very public outspoken pro-choice stance. The final bishop only made the matter public after she forced his hand.

Thomas Frank wrote a book called “What’s the Matter With Kansas?”, castigating the voters of the state for continuing to elect conservatives. I thought at the time: What’s the matter with Kansas? We elected Kathleen Sebelius, for one thing! I wish we hadn’t, but I would have been glad to keep her in Kansas rather than give her power to violate our religious liberties as head of HHS.
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Excellent point about another “useful Catholic” Obama surrounded himself with a bunch of heretical individuals whose Catholicism is put on and removed like an overcoat. Think about it…Pelosi, Biden, Sebelius among others. I think you’re onto something. Obama can claim that “Catholics agree…” about some radical idea he’d like to shove down our throats and pretend he has some kind of Church support.

I had heard that it was a bit of a fluke that Sebelius got elected, that a more conservative candidate had to drop our for family reasons or something unrelated to the campaign. I just remember her as the big advocate of Tiller the Killer. May God have mercy on both of their souls.

Lisa
 
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