Los Angeles, Calif., Jun 21, 2012 / 14:26 pm
With the nationwide Fortnight for Freedom event beginning today, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles said that any compromise that means Catholic institutions provide birth control insurance to employees is "capitulation" and "the temptation to serve the government instead of God."
The Catholic Church "doesn't serve the poor to please the government," he said.
Rather, Catholics serve the poor "because we are compelled by the love of Christ." This love also compels Catholics to testify to the sacredness of life, marriage and family and to testify that "preventing children from being born is immoral."
The archbishop's comments come in his June 21 essay "Fortnight for Freedom: Why Now?" published on the website of First Things magazine. The Fortnight for Freedom is a period of prayer, education and religious freedom advocacy organized by the U.S. bishops from June 21-July 4.