Washington D.C., Jan 5, 2016 / 00:42 am
On the cusp of 2016, the president of the U.S. Bishops Conference is calling for greater protection of pro-life professionals and organizations in the year ahead.
Archbishop Kurtz, who heads the Archdiocese of Louisville, Ky., lamented the absence of the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA) in Congress' 2016 omnibus funding bill. He warned that the failure to include robust conscience protections against participation in abortion is a cause for grave concern.
"The principle at stake is whether people of faith and others who oppose abortion and abortion coverage should be compelled to participate in them," the archbishop said Dec. 23. "We will continue to reach out to the White House and Congressional leaders untiringly until proper protections are guaranteed."
"Many Catholic and other institutions, including those that provide health care and other human services to the poor and vulnerable, have joined in our support of ANDA," the archbishop continued. "Without ANDA, these caring organizations face legal threats to their very existence, as they lack clear and enforceable protection for their freedom to serve the needy in accord with their deepest moral convictions on respect for human life."