Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan
Posted on 02/10/2012 2:47:01 PM PST by NYer
WASHINGTON, February 10, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Responses from Catholic leaders ranged from concerned to outraged following the Obama administration’s latest rewording of the birth control mandate in an effort to stem criticism over its impact on religious freedom.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops president Timothy Dolan gave a cautious response in a statement Friday, saying that the conference “sees initial opportunities” in preserving religious freedom after the announcement, but “continues to express concerns.”
“Today’s decision to revise how individuals obtain services that are morally objectionable to religious entities and people of faith is a first step in the right direction,” said Dolan, who added that the bishops “hope to work with the Administration” towards a solution.
Although the president claimed that religious employers “will not have to pay for” contraception, the new phrasing still leaves essentially the same mandate intact: instead of directly paying for contraception, religious employers will simply be forced to foot the premium bill for employees receiving free contraception through their insurance.
Bill Donohue of the Catholic League was more direct in his criticism, saying the rewording of the mandate merely “adds insult to injury.”
“If the insurance plan of a Catholic institution must cover services it deems immoral, then such a healthcare plan is offensive, plain and simple,” said Donohue in a statement Friday. “When it comes to the First Amendment, there is no such thing as a half loaf.”
The Cardinal Newman Society, a Catholic higher education watchdog group, notes that Obama’s announcement means Catholic colleges and universities “will still be compelled under the force of law to pay for [birth control] coverage for their students and employees if they offer a health plan,” something they called “unacceptable and unconscionable.”
Thomas Peters, a prominent Catholic blogger with CatholicVote.org and the American Papist blog, said the rule also fails to protect the rights of faith-based insurance companies.
“The administration clearly wants to ‘balance’ this issue - by removing any semblance of balance whatsoever,” he told LifeSiteNews.com.
Meanwhile, the family planning lobby celebrated the announcement as proof of President Obama’s commitment to universal coverage for birth control.
“The Obama administration’s policy will make sure women of all faiths who work at religiously affiliated hospitals, universities, and service organizations will get contraceptive coverage,” wrote NARAL Pro-Choice America president Nancy Keenan in an email to supporters.
Thomas Peters, a prominent Catholic blogger with CatholicVote.org and the American Papist blog, said the rule also fails to protect the rights of faith-based insurance companies.
Do not be deceived by the delayed response! These bishops are walking through a mine field and using stealth strategy to formulate a response ... at the proper time.
Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
The left has now declared war on freedom of thought and association and even dissent.
http://tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com/2012/02/obama-declares-war-on-you.html
I know the Cardinal -designate is celebate and has little need, but he should grow a pair.
This isn’t a first step at all,It’s Obama saying you are too stupid to understand that the compromise is no compromise at all, just a play on words..
I will catch hell for that one.
Rush pointed out what a farce the “compromise” is.
No matter how you try to justify it you cannot agree to what is in essence an anti-constitutional act. The President has NO authority to make such deals or demands. The Church cannot agree to it. It is akin to agreeing to one kind of sin because it is less sinful that another kind. FUBO!
Yes, the Bishops have to move carefully, really carefully. The Bishops have a moral problem with the 98% [or whatever] that already have used contraception. They didn’t get the Sunday memo. Obama is counting on that 98% {and their husbands, boyfriends or shack jobs] to support him. They have to change the minds of Catholics before politicians will listen.
You’re mis-reading this. The Bishops are waiting for Obama to hang himself on the details that have not yet been provided. Obama wants this to flare up on a Friday evening news cycle. The Bishops are telling Obama to show his cards, but I guarantee they will be on top of this come Monday. Put up or shut up, etc..
There’s no way the bishops will accept this.
The fact that the WH and POTUS is saying they have reached a compromise is very revealing. They are admitting that they are in negotiation on how they can take away the religious freedoms of millions of citizens!! It’s really a very clear violation of the First Amendment. Bill Donohue is right. We do not negotiate about the Bill of Rights.
Period..............AMEN
If you say so. I am mystified as to what Abp Dolan is talking about. Good to see the faithful telling it like it is. But, right now "Catholics" United are on top of the spin.
Bishops....you better fight to the DEATH on this one, or the Church is crippled forever!!! You CANNOT put that toothpaste back in the tube if you let Obama get away with this crap!
Hopefully, few if any Catholic leaders will agree to this Obama scam. So, they’d have medical insurance policies that don’t mention coverage of birth control methods, but the policies would nevertheless provide that coverage at no charge to employees of Catholic organizations?
Everyone who believes the cost of that coverage won’t be priced into the premiums the Catholics pay raise your hand.
This is so pathetic it’s amazing (well, not really) that anyone can report it with a straight face.
Seriously, I was born at night, just not last night.
But tell me please how the above is any different than the current mandate?
Come on! The church wasn't going to be directly paying for contraception for its employees, THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!
The insurance plan was going to cover the contraceptives and the day after pill with the church paying the health insurance premium.
That's how it was going to work before and that's how Obamer (HE WHO SHALL BE KING) and that's how it would work now.
Health insurers don't currently pay for contraceptives and day after pills because....well duh, contraceptives are not things needed to guard one's health. I suppose that by paying an extra premium one could get such a plan but it's not normally covered.
Now they're playing around with words and acting like this is okay. If the church accepts this then they are dummies all.
It took me about 90 seconds to understand that there is no difference at all. I am still puzzling over what positive Abp Dolan sees.
They have Obama by the balls.
Other religious leaders have realised that if Obama gets away with this everything is open to get stepped on including taking away non-profit status from Christian Colleges and institutions and only allowing it for church’s
It is a growing movement to stop this crap and nip it in the bud. It is time they took advantage of the issue.He has to give in or give up hope of any Church backing him for President.
If they allow this so-called compromise they have given up all .
This would be like ordering from the menu a $10.00 meal, $3.00 dessert and $6.00 of drinks.
Then a bill would be presented with the drinks on the house.
Total bill for meal and dessert: $19.00
“The Bishops have a moral problem with the 98% [or whatever] that already have used contraception.”
The bishops have a leadership problem with them; even when I sin I don’t push to “normalize” the sins. I know they are wrong, and that is enough to convince me that they shouldn’t be removed from “the list”.
This gives me nothing. I am still paying for somebody else to have fun, only more now.
This gives me nothing. I am still paying for somebody else to have fun, only more now.
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