Notre Dame Complies With Contraception Mandate

[_Abyssinia]

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — In May 2012, the University of Notre Dame filed a legal challenge to the Health and Human Services’ contraception mandate, lending the weight of its institutional prestige to the U.S. bishops’ campaign against the controversial federal law.

“This filing is about the freedom of a religious organization to live its mission, and its significance goes well beyond any debate about contraceptives,” said Notre Dame’s president, Holy Cross Father John Jenkins, in a statement that marked the university’s decision to join a slew of Catholic institutions that filed lawsuits in courts across the nation.

But on Jan. 2, 2014, Notre Dame told faculty and staff that a third-party administrator would notify them about access to “free” contraception and other mandated provisions of the federal law. The news marked the university’s failure to obtain emergency relief from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, after a U.S. district court refused to issue a temporary injunction before the Jan. 1 deadline.

ncregister.com/daily-news/notre-dame-complies-with-contraception-mandate

 

[tm30]

Just a pinch of incense.

 

[ARSpade]

Figured they’d fold like a cheap tent and comply rather than fight it.

Of course, I always figured they never believed in the “fight” anyway, based on the above picture.

 

[Joe_5859]

It took three posts in a thread about Notre Dame before Obama was mentioned. CAF posters must be getting lax…

Based on the article, it doesn’t seem like this is the end of Notre Dame pursuing legal action. It does seem unfortunate that they are going along at the moment.

 

[tawny]

Very disappointed.

 

[McCall1981]

I’ve always been a fighting Irish football fan, so this is sad to see.

 

[phil19034]

http://cdn.ph.upi.com/pv/upi/0544ebb65f92ef0bf99d4e507407d972/Obama-Notre-Dame.jpg

Figured they’d fold like a cheap tent and comply rather than fight it.

Of course, I always figured they never believed in the “fight” anyway, based on the above picture.

This is why I strongly beleive that ALL Catholic colleges, universities and schools should at least have a dotted line to their local Bishop. When the Religious run a Parish, they still have a dotted line to the Bishop in regards to taking care of the flock.

So why should Religious (or Laity) run schools/colleges/universities be exempt? After all, the institution is taking care of the Bishop’s flock (or from another Bishop’s flock).

Don’t get me wrong, I have lots of respect for the Religious, but we need a consistant message here.

 

[glendab]

So one down, how many to go? I guess the enormity of the fines imposed for non-compliance was too risky.

My question is this in light of the Canon 1398 where does compliance with the HHS mandate leave those who administer the insurances at catholic institutions? Are they culpable now if they comply?

Glenda

 

[_Abyssinia]

So one down, how many to go? I guess the enormity of the fines imposed for non-compliance was too risky.

My question is this in light of the Canon 1398 where does compliance with the HHS mandate leave those who administer the insurances at catholic institutions? Are they culpable now if they comply?

Glenda

I do not think I can answer your question exactly, but look what Cardinal Burke about the HHS mandate in an interview

Thomas McKenna: “So a Catholic employer, really getting down to it, he does not, or she does not provide this because that way they would be, in a sense, cooperating with the sin…the sin of contraception or the sin of providing a contraceptive that would abort a child, is this correct?”

Cardinal Burke: “This is correct. It is not only a matter of what we call “material cooperation” in the sense that the employer by giving this insurance benefit is materially providing for the contraception but it is also “formal cooperation” because he is knowingly and deliberately doing this, making this available to people. There is no way to justify it. It is simply wrong.”

renewamerica.com/columns/giroux/120410

 

[glendab]

Thank you Abyssinia:

I do not think I can answer your question exactly, but look what Cardinal Burke about the HHS mandate in an interview

renewamerica.com/columns/giroux/120410

Yes, but does that mean they’re excommunicated for doing so? I think if that were clearly stated by the Bishops, then more Catholics would be motivated to fight for their religious liberties and resist the Obamacare initiatives at all avenues.

I’ll go read the article and see what else I might find out. Thanks.

Glenda

 

[Elizium23]

Only a tiny fraction of offenses are punishable by excommunication. Abortion and apostasy are examples of common ones. Cooperating with the Obama Administration is not on the list of offenses, and it is highly doubtful that an ecclesiastical tribunal would impose a ferendae sententiae excommuncation for doing so. Moral theologians have identified cooperation with the HHS mandate as “immediate material cooperation” in evil. This, in itself, is enough, and should be enough for any Catholic individual or organization.

Individual bishops might choose to decree excommunications, much like Bishop Bruskewitz chose excommunication for those who join Catholics for Choice or Call to Action. To my knowledge, no individual bishops have done so.

 

[livingwordunity]

Obama will go down in history as America’s first dictator. I am hesitant to judge the victims of this because it is being forced on all by the civil law, and I have to assume that they are under duress. America used to be the one of the few places where Christians weren’t persecuted, but now that has begun to change. First come the fines then comes the jail time then comes worse.

 

[SuperLuigi]

=livingwordunity;11583402]Obama will go down in history as America’s first dictator. I am hesitant to judge the victims of this because it is being forced on all by the civil law, and I have to assume that they are under duress.

The frustration is not lost on me, but Woodrow Wilson had some pretty bad moments as did Andrew Jackson.

America used to be the one of the few places where Christians weren’t persecuted, but now that has begun to change. First come the fines then comes the jail time then comes worse.

The irony is that it can be Christians who persecute other Christians.

 

[SuperLuigi]

So are they just going along with it until the Court makes a ruling? It sounds like they wanted a stay but it didn’t happen.

“Having been denied a stay, Notre Dame is advising employees that, pursuant to the Affordable Care Act, our third-party administrator is required to notify plan participants of coverage provided under its contraceptives payment program,” said Paul Browne, Notre Dame’s vice president for public affairs and communications, in a Jan. 2 statement to university employees that was reported by radio station WNDU.

Browne’s statement noted that employees’ access to the mandated provisions could be reversed at a later date, subject to the outcome of Note Dame’s legal challenge.

“As part of an ongoing legal action, however, the program may be terminated once the university’s lawsuit on religious-liberty grounds against the HHS mandate has worked its way through the courts,” said Browne.

 

[_Abyssinia]

It would of been big deal for a large unviersity, such as Notre Dame, to make a stand against the HHS mandate. They are pursuing legal action still, but what will it look like to the court that they are willing to go along with it the mandate the meantime? Why not have the risk of paying the fine and stand up against the mandate.

 

[_Abyssinia]

It would of been big deal for a large unviersity, such as Notre Dame, to make a stand against the HHS mandate. They are pursuing legal action still, but what will it look like to the court that they are willing to go along with it the mandate the meantime? Why not have the risk of paying the fine and stand up against the mandate

 

[MiaMM]

I think it’s a shame that a clearly Catholic University has to put up with this nonsense.

 

[Darryl1958]

The Fighting Irish have lost their fight.

Oh well, there is still football to look forward to out of Notre Dame.

 

[glendab]

Hello Mia.

I think it’s a shame that a clearly Catholic University has to put up with this nonsense.

The sad thing is this isn’t their first shameful act, nor will it be there last. Until the Church hangs an “under new management” sign on their door, they will continue to disappoint.

I’m wondering how many others will see their legal wrangling and their acquiescence to HHS as an example to follow. Probably more than one will go this way. History repeating itself sort of. Will it get as bad as the days of Sts. More and Fisher? I could happen.

Glenda

 

[Elizium23]

The sad thing is this isn’t their first shameful act, nor will it be there last. Until the Church hangs an “under new management” sign on their door, they will continue to disappoint.

What we need is more bishops who are willing to review and revoke “Catholic” status from organizations who just don’t act Catholic anymore, while using the Catholic tag as a selling point, or more precisely bait, for people who don’t know any better.