Pittsburgh, Pa., Jun 8, 2012 / 11:45 am
The Catholic Church has challenged the U.S. government's contraception mandate to protect faith, not to influence politics, Pittsburgh Bishop David A. Zubik explained in a June 7 USA Today editorial.
"These lawsuits have nothing to do with politics," the Pittsburgh bishop wrote. "We did not pick this fight nor this timing during a presidential election year. The government chose to impose this on us now."
"In fact, the lawsuits take the issue out of partisan politics and place it before courts that exist to protect our constitutional freedoms. These lawsuits ask that religious freedoms be recognized and respected as they were before the mandate."
On May 21, 43 Catholic dioceses and organizations announced lawsuits against the mandate – which requires employers to provide health insurance covering contraception, sterilization and abortion-causing drugs, regardless of their moral objections. Eleven similar lawsuits had been filed previously.