Washington D.C., Jun 20, 2012 / 10:31 am
The Knights of Columbus has filed a formal comment with the Department of Health and Human Services asking the Obama administration to expand religious exemptions or rescind "altogether" the mandate for insurance coverage of sterilization and contraception.
"It is time for this administration to chart another course," said the June 19 letter, signed by Supreme Knight Carl Anderson.
The organization said the HHS mandate requires private Catholic individuals and entities, including the Knights of Columbus, to "violate their most deeply held religious beliefs" in apparent violation of federal law and the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.
The Catholic fraternal and charitable group said "it is improper to deny statutory and First Amendment rights to religious liberty in order to create an entitlement to sterilization, abortifacients, and contraception."