Rome, Italy, Jul 8, 2010 / 01:31 am
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious’ (LCWR) support for the U.S. health care bill passed in March was a topic in lengthy discussions between LCWR officials and Vatican leaders, who also discussed the doctrinal investigation of the group.
In meetings with Vatican officials last April, LCWR officials answered several questions about the group’s support for the legislation despite the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) opposition to the bill on the grounds it lacked strict restrictions on federal funding for abortions.
Following the meeting, the LCWR sent a letter to its membership, according to the National Catholic Reporter which obtained a copy of the letter. The letter said the LCWR officers’ April 23 meeting with Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), focused on both the status of the doctrinal assessment and on the LCWR’s support for the health care legislation.
“We clarified that LCWR does not support abortion and that we have made this position clear,” the letter said, according to the Reporter. The conference officials reported that they explained to the cardinal that they felt a “moral imperative” to ensure health care coverage for all persons.