Washington D.C., Oct 14, 2011 / 10:32 am
The leaders of 20 national Catholic organizations are objecting to the Department of Health and Human Services’ recent “preventive services” mandate with an ad placed in two D.C.-area newspapers. They insist that the requirements would harm both Catholic institutions and society as a whole.
“As written, the rule will force Catholic organizations that play a vital role in providing health care and other needed services either to violate their conscience or severely curtail those services,” said the statement, which appeared as an Oct. 11 ad in Politico and The Hill.
“This would harm both religious freedom and access to health care.”
The statement was signed by Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as the leaders of several prominent Catholic universities, health care associations, lay associations and agencies that serve refugees and the poor. Such organizations could be affected by the mandate as it is currently written.