According to National Director Father Frank Pavone, the mandate “promotes the very culture of death that Priests for Life works to combat.”
Posted on 01/04/2014 7:35:02 AM PST by NYer
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 2, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Another religious organization has won victory over the HHS abortion and contraception mandate created under the Affordable Care Act.
On Tuesday, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Priests for Life do not have to follow the mandate while the Supreme Court hears an appeal. In a press release, Priests for Life expressed relief that the decision means that they do not have to cancel health insurance coverage for employees.
According to National Director Father Frank Pavone, the mandate “promotes the very culture of death that Priests for Life works to combat.” He also said the necessity of his organization's lawsuit's “shows that religious freedom in America is in grave danger.”
The injunction comes after the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia ruled against Priests for Life on December 19. An emergency injunction was immediately filed, and granted by the Appeals Court.
Also on Tuesday, Notre Dame saw its appeal rejected by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Little Sisters of the Poor received a temporary injunction from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, an appointee of President Obama.
January 3, 2014
Dear Friend of Life,
It was late in the day on New Year's Eve, and phone calls to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia yielded only the message that the court was closed for the holiday. Yet inside, three judges were working on an emergency request from Priests for Life to protect us from the demands of the HHS mandate, which would go into effect for us the next morning, January 1. With just hours to spare, the 3-judge panel granted Priests for Life an injunction! But this protects us only TEMPORARILY! -- that is, until our full appeal is heard.
Our appeal of Judge Sullivan’s unjust ruling will now be taken up by the Appeals Court.
As for the temporary injunction we won, here’s the email Robert Muise – Co-Founder of The American Freedom Law Center and the lead attorney in our case – sent me. It was short and sweet and to the point:
Injunction granted!He included the court decision in his email which reads in part as follows:
PER CURIAM ORDER filed [1473216] granting emergency motions for injunction [1471703-2] ... Response to Order due 01/14/2014. Before Judges: Henderson, Tatel,* and Brown. (*Circuit Judge Tatel would deny the emergency motions for injunction pending appeal.)
While most welcome, there is, of course, still cause for concern. And with the Appeals Court about to hear our case and make a ruling, it’s very likely that our lawsuit – which was one of the very first ones filed against ObamaCare’s abortion mandate – will ultimately be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court!
We’re up against the entire U.S. Treasury in this fight!
The only way we can sustain our lawsuit, which is rounding the final bend in the race and heading for the finish line, is if you and Priests for Life family members like you continue to provide us with the dollars we so desperately and so urgently need to prevail in court and protect every American’s Constitutional rights to freedom of religion and freedom of speech!
That said, here is our concern:
1.As I mentioned earlier, all we won so far is a TEMPORARY injunction. We’re only protected until the Appeals Court issues its final ruling. What we need is a PERMANENT injunction that protects Priests for Life in perpetuity.
2.There have been other decisions, for groups just like ours, that have been negative, and that have failed to protect them against the Hobson's Choice of violating their conscience or providing health insurance for their employees. So unless we all fight very hard, this could still go the wrong way.
That’s why I’m writing to you with the urgency that I am.
Please help as best you can.
And let me explain something. Priests for Life needs your help on this more than many other plaintiffs in these cases.
Many of the plaintiffs in other cases are Churches -- But the courts have said that Churches are already fully exempt from the HHS Mandate.
We, on the other hand, are not.
And it is for groups like us, namely, religious groups that are not Churches, that the rulings from the courts have been mixed.
So Priests for Life has to fight longer and harder.
God bless you for your assistance.
Dissenting Judge Tatel (Chicago and Clinton appointee: that means he had Hillary’s backing)
David Tatel
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Incumbent
Assumed office
October 7, 1994
Appointed by Bill Clinton
Preceded by Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Personal details
Born March 16, 1942 (age 71)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Alma mater University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
University of Chicago
Hooray for Priests for Life. May more Catholic organizations win these temporary injunctions.
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