Posted on 01/30/2013 5:26:02 AM PST by NYer
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 29, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) - As the Obama administration and the U.S. Bishops remain locked in battle over the HHS mandate, the question on the minds of many observers is: what lengths are the bishops willing to go to to oppose the mandate?
The prelates LifeSiteNews spoke to after the Vigil Mass for Life in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 24th indicated that they intend to do everything they can to oppose the mandate, including risking imprisonment if necessary.
"I would be willing to go to jail in defense of religious liberty,” said Bishop Alexander Sample of Marquette, Michigan, who was appointed Archbishop of Portland, Oregon on Jan. 29th.
He stressed that the bishops are exploring all of the options with the assistance of “sound moral theologians” to “see what is the most practical but effective way to oppose the mandate.”
“We will not simply roll over and accept the mandate,” he insisted. “We have to fight for our religious liberty and we'll take it as far as we can."
Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh also said he is willing to go to jail if need be. "We can't compromise on the principles,” he told LifeSiteNews.
If it gets rough “all we have to do is look back at our history. Take a look at the saints who defended our faith and that's what it's about,” he said.
Bishop Zubik explained that he has been praying for "a conversion of heart on behalf of our president," but said “if that doesn't happen then I think it's imperative that I accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”
“We have to be strong, we can't compromise, we have to stay firm on our values because I believe that this is a slippery slope,” he continued. “This is a point where we have to be ready to maintain a stand. I've taken a very strong stand on this position ever since all of this began over a year ago, and I don't intend to back down.”
Archbishop Samuel Aquila, the recently installed bishop of Denver, told LifeSiteNews after the Vigil Mass that he and many other bishops will simply refuse to cooperate if the government tries to force their hand.
“Certainly we as bishops are still considering what the options will be if it does go through,” he explained. “Many of us have already stated that we will not and cannot cooperate with the mandate.”
“There will be implications on it, whether it means narrowing some of what we do, or continue what we do and not cooperate with the mandate,” he added. “But it's a very real concern and grave concern in terms of religious freedom and freedom of conscience.”
Archbishop Aquila encouraged lay Catholics who are threatened by the mandate to follow the bishops’ lead, noting that Denver has a Catholic-owned company, Hercules Industries, that was one of the first to file suit against the Obama administration.
“I just really try to encourage Catholics: stay strong, stay firm, and continue to do what you're doing,” he said. “Continue to fight, because we as bishops can only do so much and it's going to be important for the laity to follow and to respond.”
Though all the bishops across the country have opposed the mandate, which forces employers to cover abortion-inducing drugs, contraceptives, and sterilizations, many are reluctant to speculate on how they will respond going forward.
Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. is one who instead has stressed that the bishops hope they can reach an agreement with the administration.
LifeSiteNews asked the Cardinal about the mandate during a media availability before the Mass for Life at the Verizon Center on Jan. 25th, the day of the March for Life.
“We are very hopeful that as time goes on and our conference continues to work with the administration, that something will allow us to continue to function as we always have, as a free entity freely exercising our ministry in our country,” he said.
Pressed about what the bishops will do if the mandate goes forward, he said, “We take this one day at a time, and I'm hopeful that we're going to be able to resolve this.”
The question of jail time in connection with the HHS mandate was raised in the national media earlier this month when Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said he had advised his bishop to “go to jail” if need be. The 2013 gubernatorial candidate said if citizens were jailed it would “provide an example of what tyranny means when it’s played to its logical conclusion.”
But it could end up coming to the front and center because of the “gun control” issue, with religious liberty issue not that far behind.
And even now, because of the movie “Lincoln”, you may even get a much more realistic view coming out about really went on during the American civil war.
I sense though, the armed forces would turn against the government if the government go after Americans.
To say the Bishops have supported every left wing cause is a lie. There are some liberal Bishops and that is true of every organization in this nation. You are Catholic bashing. So what have you done that is so exemplary to be in a position to discredit their efforts? What organization or religious group has done more to fight Obama?
Well we could see the armed forces even turning against BHO, since it has taking abuse from him.
“The ones that are sympathetic to BHO will pull the trigger.”
But could we see much many more turn against BHO? It would not surprise me.
Why people romanticize the civil war is because of paintings such as this is because we did not have movies, tv, or even the internet. So they go with what was painted.
No comparison whatsoever. None.
“See post 35 Maybe you can understand it phrased in a different way. People and organizations that are 95% liberal are NOT allies just because you agree on 5%.”
I raise you justices, Scalia, Alito, Roberts and Thomas.
Something similar could happen here. Thanks for the Belloc quote.
I just don't think so.
As I said, the regime will go into campaign mode and will present it as a question of forcing the patriarchal, woman-oppressing Church to pay for the health care needs of poor, underpaid, oppressed workers and their young children.
When you play the religious freedom angle, you get decent popular response. But when you play the “denial of healthcare,” even the “denial of contraceptives” angle, the Church comes out losing.
And the regime, through the lamestream media, has the loudest megaphone.
As well, the bishops are generally too compromised on the whole question. They're seen as swallowing camels (government-run health care) while straining at gnats (yelling about “religious freedom” over one detail of government-run health care).
It would require large numbers of bishops becoming actually Catholic and calling government-run health care what it is: intrinsically evil.
Perhaps God might bless us with such a miracle. But I'm not bettin’ the farm on it.
sitetest
In its current form at least (financially yoked with "Caesar's" socialist, blood-stained hand).
"In all your affairs, rely wholly on God's providence..." ~ St. Francis de Sales
Considering that we can only name two Catholic ones, maybe that question should be directed back atcha. On a related note, how many Catholic bishops went to jail over home schooling?
Summed up nicely.
I agree no cleric will do any jail time. I was just pointing out the flaw in Evil’s plan to attack the Church. They’re gonna’ piss of the ACTUAL church. The faithful.
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Agree.
"While supporting this extension of health care, the U.S. Bishops Conference reminded us this week that since the passage of ACA, the Church has encountered significant challenges to its institutional religious freedom."
http://www.patriotledger.com/blogs/frontpage/x1446668025/Cardinal-OMalley-Health-care-is-a-right
This statement implies that the ACA is acceptable to the U.S. Bishops Conference as long as "institutional religious freedom" isn't impacted, despite the fact that the ACA is a socialist redistribution scheme which tramples on the freedom of individuals as well as institutions.
"...no Catholic [can] subscribe even to moderate Socialism."
MATER ET MAGISTRA, 34, Pope John XXIII On Christianity and Social Progress, May 15, 1961
And that kind of attitude is exactly why the left, which understands that anyone they can recruit to any aspect of their program is potentially useful, is cleaning conservatism's clock. "Divide and conquer"? Ha! The left doesn't need to divide and conquer us -- we "divide and surrender" just left to ourselves.
Enjoy the communist third-world dictatorship your grandchildren will inherit, while congratulating yourself that you didn't dirty your hands by reaching out to anyone whose conservatism wasn't as pure as your own to keep it from happening.
Remember that the armed forces in this country are sworn to uphold the Constitution first and formost. CIC’s come and go, but the Constitution is still around. Remember that the Constitution is “we the people”.
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