San Francisco, Calif., Mar 24, 2010 / 18:22 pm
Fractures and a “deep ideological divide” within the Catholic Church in the United States have been exposed by the debate over health care reform, an official with the Archdiocese of San Francisco has said. He adds that although private tension has long been recognized, its exposure may be beneficial.
George Wesolek, director of the Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns with the archdiocese, delivered his analysis in a March 24 letter in the archdiocese’s paper Catholic San Francisco.
He wrote that while the U.S. Catholic bishops were critical of the Senate version of the bill because of its abortion provisions, its lack of coverage for immigrants, and its lack of strong conscience protections, several Catholic groups came out in support of the Senate bill.
The Catholic Health Association (CHA) and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) were among these groups. Some characterized the bishops’ stand as false.