Washington D.C., Jun 5, 2017 / 13:23 pm
A draft federal rule from the Trump administration regarding the contraception mandate is "encouraging news" that could help return federal health care policy to a better approach toward matters of conscience, the U.S. bishops have said.
"Regulations like these reflect common sense, and what had been the consistent practice of the federal government for decades to provide strong conscience protection in the area of health care," Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chair of the U.S. bishops' Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, said June 1.
The bishops voiced hope that the final version of the regulations would remain strong. The bishops' conference will analyze the final version in a more careful manner for more formal comment.
"Throughout, our goal will remain to protect both the conscience of individuals and our mission of sharing the Gospel and serving the poor and vulnerable through our ministries," the bishops said.