"I think what Archbishop Wuerl and others fail to understand is the impact of things like this on the lay Catholic who is struggling to be a faithful disciple in the world. The message that is sent by silence is strong, in terms of the lay apostolate in the world, in terms of the unity of faith and life."
The impact is clear as day: Archbishop Wuerl doesn't REALLY believe his religion. He thinks that the government of the United States is more important.
I had the same thought when I saw California force Catholic Charities to pay for birth control, and Catholic Charities remained open and in business rather than closing up shop in California.
When push comes to shove and its Catholicism directly versus some government in the United States, the test of faith is at hand. Those who obey the government or protect its officials don't REALLY believe the Catholic religion. They think America and its laws are more important.
If the high clergy think that, well, let's just say that they don't have any authority left in the tank when they start grousing about moral issues they don't like. After all, if the religion isn't true, then an Archbishop is just a closeted queen with a big stage on which he acts.
Amen.
Catholic Charities is an organization to avoid - make sure you never give them a dime. They're basically just another left-wing "social service" organization top-heavy with bureaucracy and in line with the goals of the Dem party.
There is nothing specifically Catholic about them except that they get to collect in Catholic churches from time to time.
I do think that Catholic Charities quit offering health insurance per se to its employees in California. That's what their press release after the trial announced. I know some very orthodox institutions who had to change their health care insurance after that decision, I don't remember quite how it works, will have to ask my BIL, but the it was in order to avoid the mandated abc coverage. At the time, it was said that that was what Catholic Charities was doing as well.