Posted on 01/25/2014 3:16:31 AM PST by NYer
For Immediate Release: January 24, 2014
Media Contact: Emily Hardman, ehardman@becketfund.org, 202.349.7224
Washington, D.C. – Today the Little Sisters of the Poor received an injunction from the Supreme Court protecting them from the controversial HHS mandate while their case is before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. The injunction means that the Little Sisters will not be forced to sign and deliver the controversial government forms authorizing and instructing their benefits administrator to provide contraceptives, sterilization, and drugs and devices that may cause early abortions (see video). The Court’s order also provides protection to more than 400 other Catholic organizations that receive health benefits through the same Catholic benefits provider, Christian Brothers.
“We are delighted that the Supreme Court has issued this order protecting the Little Sisters,” said Mark Rienzi, Senior Counsel for the Becket Fund. “The government has lots of ways to deliver contraceptives to people–it doesn’t need to force nuns to participate.”
To receive protection, the Supreme Court said that the Little Sisters and other organizations that receive benefits through Christian Brothers must simply inform HHS of their religious identity and objections. The Court said that the Little Sisters did not have to sign or deliver the controversial government forms that authorize and direct their benefits administrator to provide the objectionable drugs and devices.
The order was issued by the entire Supreme Court. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who is the Justice assigned for emergency applications from the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, had previously issued a temporary injunction to allow the court time to consider the Little Sisters’ emergency appeal, filed on New Years’ Eve.
Prior to the order, injunctions had been awarded in 18 of the 19 similar cases in which relief had been requested.
“Virtually every other party who asked for protection from the mandate has been given it,” said Rienzi. “It made no sense for the Little Sisters to be singled out for fines and punishment before they could even finish their suit.”
The Little Sisters are joined in the lawsuit by religious health benefit providers, Christian Brothers Services, Christian Brothers Employee Benefits Trust. The lawsuit is a class action on behalf of all the non-exempt organizations that receive benefits through Christian Brothers. The Plaintiffs are also represented by Locke Lord, a national law firm, and by Kevin Walsh, a law professor at the University of Richmond.
To date, there are currently 91 lawsuits challenging the unconstitutional HHS mandate. The Becket Fund represents: Hobby Lobby, Little Sisters of the Poor, GuideStone, Wheaton College, East Texas Baptist University, Houston Baptist University, Colorado Christian University, the Eternal Word Television Network, Ave Maria University, and Belmont Abbey College.
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is a non-profit, public-interest law firm dedicated to protecting the free expression of all religious traditions—from Anglicans to Zoroastrians. For 19 years its attorneys have been recognized as experts in the field of church-state law. The Becket Fund recently won a 9-0 Supreme Court victory in Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC, which The Wall Street Journal called one of “the most important religious liberty cases in a half century.”
Prayers answered, ping!
Does anyone but me think this sounds really sinister?
Still wondering how religious freedom only applies depending on what your work arrangement is. A Catholic is a Catholic whether they are a priest or own a pizza shop.
Holder’s DOJ to bring charges against the Sisters in 3,2,1......
Our culture is devoted to efficiency. It’s the root of the culture of death. birth control is a major tool for this effort. much of the government has converted to this thinking- it is extra constitutional.
Every extramarital marriage type encounter, every instance of use of birth control, within marriage as well as out of it reduces human dignity. Every time someone says, ‘what are they doing having all those kids?’, birth control is exalted and promoted
The enemy wants all souls, sinister ideas are all around and rampant since the end of the last century. The question everyone needs to ask is how much am I helping to promote this sinister cultural shift?
Alleluia!
However: do I as a non-religious not have religious freedom? Why aren’t all who know that abortion is a supreme desecration of the holy (all human life is holy, we are made in the image and likeness of God!) acknowledged to have religious freedom?
How many Freepers have asked their employer or insurance agent or lawyer that type of question regarding health insurance? (I would like to gain a better understanding of this topic for developing a strategy.)
Holder will probably try to sue the Supreme Court.
Anyone, especially a politician/ public figure, who pretends they can carry out their work in defiance of their faith, outside of its rules, is just wrong, and they contribute to this culture of death the good sisters have avoided for lo these many years. They’ll continue to do so, the question is will they be denied freedom to care for these needy people, and be forced to close their doors. They will not work in denial of their faith
(... said Mark Rienzi, Senior Counsel for the Becket Fund. “The government has lots of ways to deliver contraceptives to people ...
Does anyone but me think this sounds really sinister?)
The government must absolutely be stopped from providing any contraceptives to people. Contraceptives are evil. Period.
The Senior Counsel is pandering to government by that statement in spite of having the correct position of defending the freedom to obey God unhindered.
A person need not be religious to observe that privileging contraceptives and sterilization over drugs and surgeries that actually treat illness or injury is simply absurd. Remember that insurers are not only required to provide these products and services: they are at no cost to the recipient. There may be a copayment on your antibiotics, or a deductible on your rotator-cuff repair surgery, but not on contraceptives or sterilization.
How much more obvious could it be that Darth Sibelius and Infanticide Obama simply want to eliminate people?
He seems to be agreeing that “delivering contraceptives to people” is a legitimate function of government.
‘Humanae Vitae’ is about $2.50 at a catholic bookstore, (my catholic bookstore.com, for instance) and it is free on line through the easiest google search ever http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html
It’s 31 paragraphs long and can be read in.a shorter amount of time it takes to watch one quarter, maybe a half, of a football game or an episode of downton abbey.
It is logical and is written for the laity, so it is readable, and by anyone, it is classic logic. The references take up two pages, it’s not from Pope Paul’s daydreams. It cites scripture heavily, medical associations, St Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, and theological councils.
It was published in 1968.
All of what this country is going through can be easily explained, predicted, dealt with, coped with and properly put into erspective on reading it
I can’t imagine understanding ways going on without having read it
It’s applied biblical study
If the medical industry would quit acting atheistically or worse and pronounce the truth, such as: Pregnancy is the normal state of the uterus, (what else is it there for?), and, Chemical contraceptives are poisonous, class I carcinogens and do not provide health benefits to the user
It is insane for anyone to take them, to allow a loved one to take them, and to not care enough to know that a person with whom they are intimate is taking them
Birth control of any sort pushes God out of the situation and, of course, invites the alternative
That’s a problem. The nuns will never have anything to do with that.
Muslims are exempt from Obamacare, but Catholic nuns have to be punished! When are the men in this country going to wake up?
Is the protestant clergy speaking out against the Obamacare tyranny?
CC
“We are delighted that the Supreme Court has issued this order protecting the Little Sisters,” said Mark Rienzi, Senior Counsel for the pro-life Becket Fund. “The government has lots of ways to deliver contraceptives to people–--it doesn’t need to force nuns to participate.”
His statement, "The government has lots of ways to deliver contraceptives to people...." is dripping w/ sarcasm, and it is a most welcome warning shot.
Rienzi was administering a firm slapdown of abortion-worshipper Obama and his Godless minions who kneel in obeisance to Planned Parenthood.
Why are some acknowledged to have religious freedom and not others? So far, according to Obamacare, the Amish and muslims are the only ones in this country with religious freedom. Obama has written that he would side with the muslims, and he does so at home and abroad. Obamacare is especially hurtful to Catholics, since the Catholic Church is the largest medical charity in our nation.
Why are American men not taking up for Catholics?
Obamacare is tyranny!
Since only democrats voted for Obamacare, only democrats should have to obey Obamacare.
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