The following comes from a March 19 story on CNS News.
The Catholic bishops of the United States are asking the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to do something concrete and effective–rather than merely symbolic—to repeal a regulation the administration has issued under Obamacare that will force Catholics and other Christians to act against their faith in purchasing or providing health-care plans that cover sterilizations, contraceptives, and abortion-inducing drugs.
Last June, the bishops unanimously declared this regulation an “unjust and illegal mandate.” Since then, dozens of Catholic and Protestant private business owners, schools and non-profit organizations have sued the administration seeking to fully or partially overturn the regulation, arguing it violates their First-Amendment right to free exercise of religion.
The regulation, however, is beginning to take effect now, and pending lawsuits could take years to reach the Supreme Court–where it is uncertain how they would be decided.
Given the gravity and immediacy of the issue, the bishops are asking Congress to act now by incorporating language repealing the regulation into “must-pass” legislation.
“Providers of health care, as well as those who offer or purchase insurance, should not face an unacceptable choice between preserving their religious and moral integrity or participating in our health care system,” Cardinal Sean O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, said in a March 8 letter sent to every member of the House.
“Therefore,” said Cardinal O’Malley, who chairs the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, “I urge you to support H.R. 940, and to help incorporate its policy into upcoming ‘must-pass’ legislation.”
H.R. 940 would permanently negate Obamacare’s sterilization-contraception-abortifacient regulation. It would do this by ensuring that no individual worker, private for-profit business, hospital, school, charity or other form of non-profit enterprise could be forced to buy or provide a health-care plan that included coverage for abortion or any other item or service to which the individual or organization had a moral or religious objection.
It would also protect health-care workers from being discriminated against if they decline to participate in abortions or abortion-related services.
Cardinal O’Malley’s March 8 letter followed a letter Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore had sent to members of Congress on Feb. 15 asking them to add language to “the upcoming legislative proposals to fund the federal government” that (like H.R. 940) would nullify the sterilization-contraception-abortifacient mandate and protect the conscience rights of health-care workers. Archbishop Lori chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty.
On March 6, the House Republican leadership called an initial floor vote on their version of the continuing resolution (CR) needed to fund the government through the rest of this fiscal year after the current CR expires on March 27. This House leadership CR did not include the language that Archbishop Lori requested. Instead, it permitted full funding of the sterilization-contraception-abortifacient mandate.
By contrast, the Republican leaders’ CR did prohibit the Obama administration from spending money on foreign-made ball bearings.
The Senate is expected to vote as early as Tuesday on its own version of the CR, which differs from the House version. Because the Senate version differs, the House must take the CR up again. Before the CR can become law, both houses must approve the same version.
As a result, there are now two pieces of legislation that Congress must deal with this fiscal year that belong in the “must pass” category cited by Cardinal O’Malley: (1) the CR to keep the government funded past March 27, and (2) the bill that will be needed to lift the limit on the federal debt after the current suspension of the debt limit expires on May 18.
If the Republican-controlled House were to agree to the request of the Catholic bishops and move this week to include H.R. 940 in the “must-pass” CR, the Democrat-controlled Senate and President Obama would have a choice to make. They could choose to preserve the administration’s power to force Catholics and other Christians to act against their faith, reject the House-passed CR, and thus risk a shut down of the federal government. Or they could choose to approve a House-passed CR incorporating H.R. 940 and permanently surrender the administration’s regulatory ambition to force Catholics and other Christians to buy and provide health-care plans that cover sterilizations, contraception and abortion-inducing drugs.
If, instead, the Republican-controlled House fulfilled the Catholic bishops’ request by including H.R. 940 in a bill to lift the debt limit, the Democrat-controlled Senate and President Obama would face a similar choice. In this case, it would be between preserving the administration’s regulation forcing Catholics and other Christians to act against their faith and preserving the administration’s authority to continue borrowing money to pay the expenses the government is now running in excess of its revenues.
The Senate and President Obama will never face either of these choices, however, if House Speaker John Boehner decides to spare them by spurning the request of the Catholic bishops and declining to include H.R. 940 in “must-pass” legislation.
In that case, the Republican-majority House would itself pass legislation effectively funding and permitting the Obama administration’s regulation forcing Catholics and other Christians to act against their faith….
To read entire story, click here.
The bishops make their beds and now they do not want to lie down in them … Isn’t it puzzling?
Why don’t the Bishops ask their pals, the Catholic Democrats in Congress to do something, hmm? The Bishops support the Democratic Party don’t they? (You know, the party of Gay “marriage” and Abortionists). They don’t stand against the President and the Democratic Party during the elections. Now they want GOP help?! Baffling!
Abp Lori has always been on the right side of this issue. The other bishops continue to vacillate. They still believe that Obamacare can be salvaged by tweaking it a bit around the edges. Their liberal political instincts are such that they refuse to face up to the fact that this administrati0n is no benign Skandinavian social democracy, but in its essence represents an attempt to radically transform this wonderful republic into a Marxist nightmare. When will they grasp the truth that one cannot strike a bargain with pure evil?
“President Joseph R. Biden and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi both received Communion during the Mass to celebrate the installation of Pope Francis in spite of their pro-choice position on abortion. The vice president’s office confirmed Tuesday night that both he and Mrs. Pelosi took Communion during the Mass at St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Some Catholics argue that politicians whose positions on abortion and contraception conflict with church teachings should not receive communion.”
“Vice President Biden and Nancy Pelosi should certainly not receive Communion, either at the papal installation or anywhere else. Communion means ‘union,’ and they are not in union with the church on the most fundamental moral issue of the right to life,” said the Rev. Frank Pavone, founder of Priests for Life, a U.S.-based Catholic anti-abortion organization. He predicted a “public uproar” if they took Communion.”
So even the Vatican either didn’t know who they are, or if they did, didn’t set the world a good example.
Biden/Pelosi simply do not care. Their bullishness will continue, because that is what they, apparently know how to do best. It is most scandalous, a sorry situation indeed! They appear to keep pushing buttons to see if they will get a “rise.” They seem to like to create crisis’. What leadership, – so very shameful and deeply saddening that they would commit this sacrilege, again and again. It will take a great fortitude and perseverance along with wisdom to stand up to this sickening ploy. Where is Church leadership on this? Is there Church leadership or did it fly out the window and people will have to fend for themselves? More and more, it seems so. Our souls cry out; the sheep are scattered.
With their abundant Secret Service entourage, the size of which can be guessed by the fact that Biden’s hotel bill in France was over a half million dollars for one night, it is not likely that the priest who handed them Communion would have not known. The love of money is the root of all evil, and the “filth” in the Vatican is the love of money, for which it will do anything, sparing no evil deeds, not even sexual abuse of boys, intimidation of popes, “alternative” rituals, and only what a darkened imagination could conceive of.
Not only does the Pope need to open windows to let in the light, but he should also tear down all the walls so that the devil has no place to hide.
It appears that that some US Bishops are playing games.
Why didn’t they EXCOMMUNICATE all the “Nuns” who belonged to “Network” including Sr. Carol Keehan who supported Obamacare in the first place? Why don’t the Bishops tell these Nuns to lobby the repeal of Obamacare in Congress and at the White House and in the public media now?
Why haven’t Bishops excommunicated Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, John Kerry of MA (the same State as Cardinal O’Malley), and all heretical and schismatic Catholics in the Senate as well as the House, and those who enforce White House sinful policy (executive orders) ?
There have been many votes over the past 4 years regarding abortion, funding of Planned Parenthood, etc where the Republican House has voted to stop this funding etc., while the Democrats in the Senate and White House have refused so the bills do NOT pass. Where were these Bishops when it did not affect their wallets?
Bishops do your own jobs before you tell others what to do. EXCOMMUNICATE Catholic heretics and schismatics who commit SCANDAL ! ! !
CCC: ” 2286 Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion.
Therefore, they are guilty of scandal who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of morals and the corruption of religious practice, or to social conditions that, intentionally or not, make Christian conduct and obedience to the Commandments difficult and practically impossible.
This is also true of business leaders who make rules encouraging fraud, teachers who provoke their children to anger,
or manipulators of public opinion who turn it away from moral values. ”
CCC: ” 2284 Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor’s tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.”
The election is over. Obama won, and will not sign anything into law that he does not want to become law. The Senate is in Obama’s back pocket.
Again, Bishops do not play games. Do your own job!
Is scandal an excommunicable offense? Are you confusing excommunication with the need to refrain from receiving communion?
The way the episcopal propaganda machine defines “scandal” makes it into the reporting of sin instead of the sin itself. For example, the scandal of clerical pedophies is the public knowledge of it and not the actual deeds. This is how “scandal” has been protrayed, how it has been defined apparently in Catholic schools since that is the sense of it I find while reading Catholic school graduates who use the word. Scandal is the act of sin, and not the embarrassment of the bishop. Bishops need to stop emulating idols and duping the faithful although not too well informed in faith Catholics into worshiping them. Oh, they deny that they trick the public into seeing them as objects of faith, but they often are faithless themselves and crave being thought of as representing Jesus Christ when they have disengaged their souls from God. Strong accusation here? Well, then, why all the abortion and sodomy? No, the accusation comes from the evidence, the clear and inarguable evidence that a huge portion of the episcopacy is absolutely corrupt. Go ahead, and write it off to “weakness” if you’d like … but in fact it is defiance of God and love of money, not weakness. Faith in Christ brings strength; so, any cleric who is actually faithful will be strong. So, “weakness” is a lie; these men are evil because they do the works of the devil instead of the works of faith. The fruit of their evil is abortion, sodomy and confusion among the laity. The fruit of faithful bishops and priests is often seen in how they are persecuted by the Church hierarchy, for example, isolation, silencing, removing from effective ministry, shunning.
Cardinal O’Malley has not excommunicated per Canon 915 or Canon 1399 any Catholics within his diocese or the State of MA who are heretics and/or schismatics who commit Scandal – either on a Local, State or Federal level.
Since he supports these Democrats, what does he expect?
You seem confused on what excommunication is and what offenses are punished by it.
Where are the Bishops on JUSTICE – Local, State and Federal Governments paying their just debts?
CCC: “2411 Contracts are subject to commutative justice which regulates exchanges between persons and between institutions in accordance with a strict respect for their rights.
Commutative justice obliges strictly; it requires safeguarding property rights, paying debts, and fulfilling obligations freely contracted.
Without commutative justice, no other form of justice is possible.
One distinguishes commutative justice from legal justice which concerns what the citizen owes in fairness to the community, and from distributive justice which regulates what the community owes its citizens in proportion to their contributions and needs.”
I would like to ask each of these bishops if they voted for Barack Hussein Obama in 2012. Did they vote for the other politicians who vote the way Obama tells them to? The Democrat party is the party of contraception, euthanasia and same-sex marriage. Is this what you want? To be fair, there are many Republicans who vote for anti-life legislation, too. Before any election, local, state or national, take the time to know what each candidate, regardless of party affiliation, stands for. When queried, if they don’t explain their agenda, don’t vote for them. If a candidate is an incumbent, how did he/she vote while in office. Let’s vote these pro-death legislators out of office, regardless of their party. Hand wringing after they’re in office doesn’t change anything.
Catholics to Bishops: Live the Faith and enforce Canon 915.
Not only do we need to stop Obamacare, but, we NEED TO STOP OBAMANISM and all of it’s evil. +JMJ+
Asking the Bishops of this country to take a stand @ this late date re Obamacare is like the lazy rancher who goes to the barn after the barndoor has been open for two nights: IT’S WAY TOO LATE! They temporized and hemmed and hawed, so many of them, while their compadres, the paralledl nazi party, the demoncrats, crafted massive legislation, over 2,000 pages worth, that literally STUCK IT to the largest Christian religion in the U.S., ROMAN CATHOLICISM, and then, again, so many Bishops, acting dazed and confused, temporized and hemmed and hawed some more, while the enemy and his confreres, the demoncrat party and the lame stream media LAUGHED OPENLY AT the church. There was even some colluding that went on in this regard, think Bishop Blaire in Northern California.
It would be terrific if the Bishops could CONVICE the G.O.P. to follow through ON THEIR STATED INTENTIONS TO TORPEDO OBAMACARE, but in the 3 years since this legislation was RAMMED through Congress @ the behest of our esteemed abortionist-in-chief Obama, BOY HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED. Some Republican governors have even tested the waters to see how they could salvage this open monstrosity, “make it work,” say, in various states, etc. Where’s the passion now to defeat Obamacare that was there when Pelosi said before passage, “if you want to know what’s in it, pass it.”? Gone, like so many Republican promises in the past. THIS COUNTRY NEEDS A THIRD PARTY, AND NEEDS IT NOW. Under Republican non-leadership we’ve been led down a path that promises only one thing: MORE TOP-DOWN GOVERNMENT WITH THE G.O.P AS THE LOYAL OPPOSITION WHILE IT HAPPENS!
Time to wake up and, FIRST, contact all our rep’s in the House and Senate and GET OBAMA IMPEACHED! Anything else, and we’re DONE! SECOND, institute a NEW political party that’ll be the REAL DEAL: solidly JUDEO-CHRISTIAN and unapologetically so, no more sukking up to the ABORTIONISTS or to the GAY LOBBY! The G.O.P. has already done TOO MUCH of that, that’s one of the HUGE reasons this nation is in the fix it is. GOD BLESS ALL, MARKRITE
I heard a new term the other day . . . . Obamanists
And the colors of the Obamanists is … lavender?
A third Party now would only throw what may be left of free elections to the dogs of Marxist Communism. They have more than 1/3rd of the electorate dumbed down enough through their Public Dis-Education System and their MSM to win with just over 1/3rd. The true Conservatives need to throw out the Republicrats and take over the Republican Party. Even then, with massive voter fraud, we may not be able to win. Only a deep repentance can save us now, because only God can overcome their evil efforts.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founding Director
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
Console their hearts. Do not be so concerned about these things of the world. Conform entirely to the Holy Will of God. Our Mother desires your heart. Come back. If you stay by the Tabernacle, hidden like He is, you do more for the world than any politician or even all politicians.
Kenneth, don’t you think the third party consists of the Tea Party? The Democrats have all but taken over much of the Republican Party. Also, consider the idea that some state governments have or almost have enough votes to outlaw Republicans. Yes, of course this is an outlandish view, but it has been done in history in other times and places. So, why not in the good ol’ US of A? After all, the Protestants’ Manifest Destiny is fading away, and the bishops won’t do anything but cooperate with evil … so, what is your prognosis?
The purpose of a political party is to elect officials who support their program. In the last national election, the Republican party was not able to do that, and many of its leaders are wringing their hands about what to do. There are two lines of thought: change what they stand for or be more strident in what the “base” wants the party to be. In the next two years or so they will have to decide on which line they will be. This is not just a matter of what some members of the party want and what the others want. There are some strong statistics that can help the leaders make a decision. The other party received over 80% of the Hispanic vote. The other party received about 70% of the vote of the young adult vote. In other words, the party did not have a set of values that are accepted by the majority of people in the country. You cannot be seen as anti immigration, anti gay, anti women’s choice and get elected at the national level. While I don’t support that set of circumstances, it is the truth. If someone believes the party should be stronger in its fight for anti-choice legislation, anti immigration and anti same sex marriage based on principle, that is fine. But they also need to know that they are going to lose the next election and the next one and the next one, no matter how principled they are. The nation has changed and I don’t like the way it has changed, but I can also read statistical data and project what it means. The question, is how do we support our principals and still get people elected.
“If someone believes the party should be stronger in its fight for anti-choice legislation”,… Bob One I notice how you ALWAYS use the terminology of the enemies of the Church..you are liberal to your bone.
Canisius, I always welcome your comments, but this one I don’t understand. What, in the sentence you cited, am I using the terminology of the enemies of the Church? Don’t you believe that your political party should be stronger in its condemnation of abortion on demand and that laws should be written to put an end to this evil? That was what I was saying; why do you consider it wrong? And, you are right about the notion of my being a Catholic “liberal” if you mean that I am for social justice, peace and end of war and the elimination of the causes of poverty and ill-health for our neighbors. Otherwise, I think orthodox would be appropriate too.
The (un)afordable healcare act needs to be repealed in-toto.
We should thank our celebrated supreme court justice Roberts for this fiasco.
He had it all handed to him on a silver platter. He could have nullified this law by the stroke of a pen. Obamacare was passed in the dark of night with the opposition locked out. How “democratic” was THAT, Justice Roberts?
Kenneth, have you noticed that in consecutive days, the conservative magazine National Review has called for the Church to reverse its position on artificial conception and written in favor of gay marriage, even calling its advocacy a “conservative position”?
National Review is, of course, William F. Buckley’s old magazine and the conservative movement he started with it led directly to Goldwater’s nomination – a memory I am sure Kenneth recalls with satisfaction. Overthrow the “Republi-Crats”? Fat chance. They are all “Republi-Crats” now.
Anyone know when the Democrat Party is planning on criminalizing the Republican Party? Or maybe only those who are not Log Cabin Republicans?
When the actions of bishops including popes matches the Word of God, then maybe that would be the time to pay attention to them. Until then why bother with “salt that has lost its flavor”? (Jesus)
The “Protestant’s Manifest Destiny”? Want to elaborate on that? Given your protestant inclinations, you must be familiar with it. I’d like to think such an awful idea could be blamed on them.
So Pope Benedict hasn’t been matching the Word of God? Jack Chick agrees with you.
Why don’t Bishops excommunicate now!! (Indignant Catholics) Especially (fill in the blank name)!! There are good reasons why. First, (blank name) simply ignores the excommunication, thumbing nose at Bishop. Second, today isn’t like the 18th Century, where people went to their same neighborhood Church, and were recognized by their Parish priest. Now, people move around, often visiting many Churches in a year. It is not realistic to expect Ministers to recognize those excommunicated. It can’t be done. It isn’t practical. Third, even if (blank) is recognized as excommunicated, they might be getting Communion from (e.g.), an older woman minister. What is the Minister to do? Act like a cop, and scream, “NO!” You can’t have Communion! This isn’t realistic. Too many of you think the Bishop has all this power, which passes on down through the ranks, and that every Priest and Minister wears a list on his sleeve, stating who is excommunicated, (complete with mug shot). It isn’t possible, particularly with large crowds of communicants, to examine faces and recognize individuals. Consequently, as a practical measure, the Bishops cannot enforce most excommunications.