Cardinal Timothy Dolan issues strongest statement yet against the HHS mandate

His Eminence Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, President, and His Excellency Most Reverend William E. Lori, Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, have released a very strong statement regarding the current status of the HHS mandate, dated February 21, 2012, to the bishops of the United States.

The statement warns of the severe danger posed to religious liberty by "an all-encompassing, extreme form of secularism" and notes that the narrow "exemption" in the mandate was "instituted only by executive whim" and so "can be taken away easily." Cardinal Dolan and Archbishop Lori present the mandate as an assault on foundational principles and ask, "If the government can, for example, tell Catholics that they cannot be in the insurance business today without violating their religious convictions, where does it end?"

Here is the full text of the statement:

Dear Brother Bishops,

Since we last wrote to you concerning the critical efforts we are undertaking together to protect religious freedom in our beloved country, many of you have requested that we write once more to update you on the situation and to again request the assistance of all the faithful in this important work. We are happy to do so now.

First, we wish to express our heartfelt appreciation to you, and to all our sisters and brothers in Christ, for the remarkable witness of our unity in faith and strength of conviction during this past month. We have made our voices heard, and we will not cease from doing so until religious freedom is restored.

As we know, on January 20, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a decision to issue final regulations that would force practically all employers, including many religious institutions, to pay for abortion inducing drugs, sterilizations, and contraception. The regulations would provide no protections for our great institutions—such as Catholic charities, hospitals, and universities—or for the individual faithful in the marketplace. The regulations struck at the heart of our fundamental right to religious liberty, which affects our ability to serve those outside our faith community.

Since January 20, the reaction was immediate and sustained. We came together, joined by people of every creed and political persuasion, to make one thing resoundingly clear: we stand united against any attempt to deny or weaken the right to religious liberty upon which our country was founded.

On Friday, February 10, the Administration issued the final rules. By their very terms, the rules were reaffirmed “without change.” The mandate to provide the illicit services remains. The exceedingly narrow exemption for churches remains. Despite the outcry, all the threats to religious liberty posed by the initial rules remain.

Religious freedom is a fundamental right of all. This right does not depend on any government’s decision to grant it: it is God-given, and just societies recognize and respect its free exercise. The free exercise of religion extends well beyond the freedom of worship. It also forbids government from forcing people or groups to violate their most deeply held religious convictions, and from interfering in the internal affairs of religious organizations.

Recent actions by the Administration have attempted to reduce this free exercise to a “privilege” arbitrarily granted by the government as a mere exemption from an all-encompassing, extreme form of secularism. The exemption is too narrowly defined, because it does not exempt most non-profit religious employers, the religiously affiliated insurer, the self-insured employer, the for-profit religious employer, or other private businesses owned and operated by people who rightly object to paying for abortion inducing drugs, sterilization, and contraception. And because it is instituted only by executive whim, even this unduly narrow exemption can be taken away easily.

In the United States, religious liberty does not depend on the benevolence of who is regulating us. It is our “first freedom” and respect for it must be broad and inclusive—not narrow and exclusive. Catholics and other people of faith and good will are not second class citizens. And it is not for the government to decide which of our ministries is “religious enough” to warrant religious freedom protection.

This is not just about contraception, abortion-causing drugs, and sterilization—although all should recognize the injustices involved in making them part of a universal mandated health care program. It is not about Republicans or Democrats, conservatives or liberals. It is about people of faith. This is first and foremost a matter of religious liberty for all. If the government can, for example, tell Catholics that they cannot be in the insurance business today without violating their religious convictions, where does it end? This violates the constitutional limits on our government, and the basic rights upon which our country was founded.

Much remains to be done. We cannot rest when faced with so grave a threat to the religious liberty for which our parents and grandparents fought. In this moment in history we must work diligently to preserve religious liberty and to remove all threats to the practice of our faith in the public square. This is our heritage as Americans. President Obama should rescind the mandate, or at the very least, provide full and effective measures to protect religious liberty and conscience.

Above all, dear brothers, we rely on the help of the Lord in this important struggle. We all need to act now by contacting our legislators in support of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, which can be done through our action alert on www.usccb.org/conscience.

We invite you to share the contents of this letter with the faithful of your diocese in whatever form, or by whatever means, you consider most suitable. Let us continue to pray for a quick and complete resolution to this and all threats to religious liberty and the exercise of our faith in our great country.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan
Archbishop of New York
President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Most Reverend William E. Lori
Bishop of Bridgeport
Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty

Comments

[cynthia rogacion]

we will and will be together for our cause and belief..hope all catholics will pay attention on this issue. We pray to god that our prayers will be answered..this is religious freedom. If we will move what else is left?

[cynthia rogacion]

lets move while we have time..if this president will stay for another 4 yrs..what else is left for us?..republican nor democrat..conservative nor liberals got nothing to do with this its all about our freedom of religion ..nobody had the right to take that away from us...nobody

[Peter L]

I take my hat of to Cardinal Timothy Dolan for having the courage to speak up against the militant secularism the Church faces in these trying days.I am waiting for the first test case against the Church,in which an employee sues under law that his or her right to be provided with reproductive contraception by their employers,namely the Church,is set in motion.Let us not be fooled into thinking this is about equal rights and cannot happen.

The same goes for same sex marriage.If America ever votes to allow this to happen,it will only be a matter of time until another test case involving a Gay couple,walking into a Church and asking to be married,knowing full well they will be politely refused and then suing,stating they have been discriminated against.

In short,the Church could be sued out of existence.This can and should be called an agenda.

[Bender]

Above all, dear brothers, we rely on the help of the Lord in this important struggle. We all need to act now by contacting our legislators in support of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act
_______________

I hope that this call to push for legislation is not a sign that they (Cardinal Dolan at least) intend to treat this as a purely public policy matter. Phone calls and post cards and yada yada yada, same old tired public policy strategy.

What needed to be said is -- regardless of what Congress does or does not do, whenever they might get around to it, WE WILL NOT COMPLY. Period.

And maybe use this entire episode to push for a renewed catechesis (on conscience, religious liberty, and human sexuality), to awake from our slumber and begin to act the part of the Church Militant?

[Charles E Flynn]

We Will Not Comply and related graphics.

[Lauri Friesen]

I wait for the day when the majority of Catholic bishops finally understand that the work and will of God can NEVER be truly seen and done with a government body as intermediary. I am pleased to see this dawning for the USCCB, as evidenced by their recognition of this attack on a God-given right, but it is necessary, and increasinlgy urgent, that we remove, and repulse, government from all spheres of life that rightly belong to people's churches and families. Only then can we say that the threats of secularism to our human freedoms have been overcome.

[Bernie]

Catholic's were is the fire. Roman Catholics should of been told long ago on the sins for voting for politicians who promote homosexuality and abortion. Homosexual marriage will lead to schools confirming this sin as a lifestyle. It will come to a "civil right" and if you are against it you will be fined or given jail . We have Church leaders who allow so called catholics in the media to promote sin and no formal excommunication. All we get is "they excommunicated themselves" MAKE A STATEMENT BISHOPS AND CARDINALS. We want the truth and stop watering down the One True Faith. We have Cardinals that allow "gay masses" and other abominations. Thank God for the Priests of FSSP and the Latin Mass.

[meadowlands]

Your Eminence: I don't know if you heard the speech by Nancy Pelosi yesterday at Texas A&M but I think the time has come to publicly dispute her statements. She is giving scandal to the Church and none of the Bishops seem to be coming out and calling her to task. Why? She has made outrageous statements and it is being ignored. By not rebutting you are giving the impression she is right and that you agree with her. She should be excommunicated - she is Catholic in name only. She doesn't adhere to the teachings of the Church. She is so pro abortion it is sickening. My hands are shaking while typing this because I'm so angry.