Washington D.C., Nov 30, 2018 / 08:45 am
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th circuit issued an order Thursday vacating a 2014 District Court decision against the Eternal Word Television Network in its lawsuit against the so-called contraceptive mandate issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. The order follows a settlement between the network and the Department of Justice, reached Oct. 5.
Under the terms of the settlement, EWTN will not be required to provide contraception, sterilization, or abortifacients through its employee health care plan.
"This moment has been a long time coming," said EWTN Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael P. Warsaw.
"Almost seven years and two presidential administrations later, the government and the courts have now realized what EWTN has been saying all along, that the HHS mandate was an unconstitutional attempt to coerce us into violating our strongly held beliefs. This is the right outcome for EWTN and for all those who value religious liberty in America."