The following comes from a Sept. 3 story by Patricia Miller on Religion Dispatches.
After three years of nearly constant Sturm und Drang on the part of U.S. bishops over the contraception mandate comes word that some of the same Catholic universities have been covering abortions all along. Loyola Marymount’s insurance plan, as its president recently confirmed, has included elective abortion coverage for the past 25 years.
The revelation comes with the news that the California Department of Health and Human Services has reversed itself and rescinded permission for two Catholic universities in California to remove elective abortion coverage from their employee insurance plans. It turns out that even as the bishops have been screaming that any attempt to force Catholic-affiliated organizations to cover contraception would be a heinous insult to Catholicism, Loyola Marymount and Santa Clara Universities have been covering abortions—including elective abortions—as California law requires coverage of all “medically necessary” services.
While a number of states have moved to ban private insurers from covering some or all abortions, California has both statutory and constitutional protections for abortion access which, according to the state Department of Managed Health Care, means that health plans must treat “legal abortion neutrally” and may not place any exclusions or limitations on coverage for the service.
Last year, both universities sought permission from the state to remove elective abortion coverage. The state initially granted the universities permission, but reversed itself after knowledge of the exclusions became public.
Even the move to remove elective abortion coverage and continue to cover medically necessary abortions would leave the plans well outside Catholic teaching and the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, which ban abortion in any and all circumstances, even to save a woman’s life.
The irony is that while the bishops have been arguing that Catholic-affiliated organizations can’t even “cooperate” with birth control by being one or two steps away from a process in which they had only a tangential role (with universities like Notre Dame filing lawsuits opposing the so-called accommodation), these two Catholic universities have been directly covering abortions in their health plans, which in terms of Catholic moral theology is considered formal cooperation with evil and never allowed.
And when employees at Loyola Marymount complained about the change in coverage, the university made elective abortion coverage available to those who wanted to purchase it from a third-party administrator, which is similar to the mechanism that the bishops have said universities can’t even use for birth control….
To read the original posting, click here.
Not really surprised because they are both Jesuit schools. The Jesuits also lead the way for gay clergy, Lavender graduations, etc.
But do the bishops do anything? Nope, let’s have a St. Patrick’s Day Parade!
Just think, some of their graduates will be teaching in the Catholic schools down the street from where you live. Isn’t that comforting?
All Catholic organizations/businesses, etc., (and organizations of other Religions that oppose abortion) – should check their insurance paperwork,
and refuse and remove all offensive coverage.
They must make certain that abortion, contraception, euthanasia, sexual mutilation operations, implantation for surrogacy motherhood, etc., are NOT covered by their insurance.
The California Catholic Conference of Bishops (CCCB), or each individual Diocese Bishop must publically stand up in his own Diocese, and make known:
1) that these are mortal sins;
2) that it is sinful to provide insurance (or pay) for these mortal sins;
3) that Catholics must not provide insurance for these evils.
4) that the California Democratic Party 2014 State Platform (goals) support most of these evils, and list the evils for all Catholics to see.
5) Bishops should contact their lawyers, and be ready.
6) That Catholics should oppose their unions (dues) in supporting such coverage or political candidates who do.
7) That any Catholics who support insurance coverage of these evils may not receive Holy Communion.
Catholics can prove these evils are mortal sins, because they are listed as such in the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” (of 1997).
We must give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.
The bodies of human beings do not belong to the government.
People who want coverage for these mortal sins, can find work in businesses that are not owned by Catholics.
People make their own choices where they work, go to college, etc.
The tyranny of government must not be allowed to prevail.
It will only get worse, if Bishops and Faithful Catholics do not stand up now.
Mike,
Unfortunately, in most cases of so called Catholic Universities, the question is not “if” but how they get away with it!
Apparently they have never read how the martyrs resisted unto death.
What an excellent opportunity for real witness they have squandered.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
CCC: ” 450 From the beginning of Christian history, the assertion of Christ’s lordship over the world and over history has implicitly recognized that man should not submit his personal freedom in an absolute manner to any earthly power, but only to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Caesar is not “the Lord”.
The Church. . . believes that the key, the center and the purpose of the whole of man’s history is to be found in its Lord and Master. ”
Rev 11:15; Mk 12:17; Acts 5:29.
CCC: ” 2242 The citizen is obliged in conscience NOT to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order,
to the fundamental rights of persons,
or the teachings of the Gospel.
Refusing obedience to civil authorities, when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience, finds its justification in the distinction between serving God and serving the political community.
“Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
“We must obey God rather than men”:
When citizens are under the oppression of a public authority which oversteps its competence, they should still not refuse to give or to do what is objectively demanded of them by the common good;
but it is legitimate for them to defend their own rights and those of their fellow citizens against the abuse of this authority within the limits of the natural law and the Law of the Gospel.”
Mt 22:21; Acts 5:29;
Gaudium et Spes: 74, paragraph # 5.
This article clearly shows that the bishops’ objection to the HHS mandate is purely political and has nothing to do with a sudden attack of conscience on the part of some Catholics. Coverage for contraception and abortion has been commonplace in Catholic agencies and institutions for decades and no one cared. Millions of Catholics still contribute to abortion and contraception coverage at work. No one cares. But once the issue was politicized and the bishops saw they could gain some power, they were all over it.
It is some of the California Bishops who allow some Universities/Colleges in their own Diocese to pay for abortions and still call themselves Catholic.
First blame the correct Diocese Bishop in which the Universities are located.
.
Next some of the more recently appointed Bishops may not know that some “Catholic” Universities or other organizations that call themselves Catholic provide for abortion coverage in their Diocese.
It is up to everyone to send this article to the correct Diocese Bishop, and then to the California Conference of Catholic Bishops, and if necessary the US Papal Nuncio in Washington DC.
Ask that All Catholic Universities, and other Catholic organizations and even his own Diocese not include health coverage for abortion, contraception, body mutilation operations, or euthanasia.
The Bishops have been working for the last couple of years to eliminate contraceptives and abortion from their insurance plans. Some have changed insurance carriers or gone to self-insure. But, you can’t just drop employee insurance overnight. It takes a bit of time. They are doing a lot more than we hear about. One issue they contend with is the definition of a religious organization. For example, Catholic Charities is not considered a religious organization by the State Supreme Court or the Insurance Department. There is some question about parochial schools being religious organizations. Most colleges would not fit the legal definition. Look up California vs. Catholic Charities Supreme Court ruling for more information. But, I think you would be surprised by the amount of staff time that has gone into this issue. Obviously, a desired solution cannot come to quickly.
This mess is due to Diocese Bishops, but certainly not the newest ones who inherited the sins of the likes of Mahony.
S.Blaire and others who have been Diocese Bishops for more than 5 years are to blame. They have been so busy involving themselves in politics that have little to do with required Church teaching that they did not properly tend to their own Diocese.
It is time for the Bishops to get out of the Federal Government Grant program ($63 Million each year), and doing the Governments bidding rather than teaching people to read the Bible and the CCC.
This causes too many compromises of the Faith, and the Bishops supporting things of the Government, that are clearly prudential judgment of the laity.
Let the CCHD, Catholic Charities, and CRS go secular (not using the name Catholic), and not under the umbrella of Catholic Bishops.
Jesus never taught us to partner with the government, or to make people dependent upon the god of government.
If “Catholic” Universities and “Catholic” Schools were ALL required by their Diocese Bishops to adhere to:
1) Code of Canon Law on education – Book III;
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_INDEX.HTM
2) Apostolic Constitution – “EX CORDE ECCLESAIE”
https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_15081990_ex-corde-ecclesiae_en.html
3) Used as a required text a Catholic Bible and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” for all students grades 11 and up.
. . . . Then there would be no question in any Court that these are religious institutions.
When Catholic Charities, CCHD and CRS do not adhere to Motu Proprio “ON the SERVICE of CHARITY” which requires them to help the Soul as well as the body – – – by preaching the Gospel.
so they will not merely be another secular social services group – then they are not Catholic, but Catholic in name only – then the Court is correct.
https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20121111_caritas_en.html
Taking government grant money and having to obey the government strings attached – including not teaching the Gospel is not Catholic, but merely a social services organization.
Bob One – Why don’t ALL CA Diocese Bishops (and their Priests, Staff, and Nuns located within their Diocese) teach the Laity about the INTRINSIC EVILS – Contraception, Euthanasia, Abortion, Homosexual marriage, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, and Cloning?
Why don’t they teach that the 2014 California State DEMOCRATIC Platform (Party goals) includes all the intrinsic evils plus tax dollars to be used for body mutilation for transvestites.
This is their job, not supporting ILLEGAL immigration, gun control, against the death penalty in all cases, making people dependent upon the government, etc., etc. which violate the teachings of the Church.
We need Bishops, Priests and Nuns who teach the Faith accurately, not their own brand of politics.
Pretty much every Jesuit college and university in the US abandoned the teachings of the Catholic Church many years ago. It would be better for them to remove the word Catholic from all of their materials. Same goes for Notre Dame which is about as hypocritical as the Jesuit schools.
As I recall, when the Jesuit president of Loyola Marymount retired several years ago, not only was he not replaced by a Jesuit, he was replaced by a NON-CATHOLIC lay person. So, why don’t the Jesuits simply get it over with and acknowledge their schools no longer adhere to Catholic doctrine.
If Jesuits openly admitted they were no longer Catholic they would no longer be able to undermine Church teaching nor so effectively lead people to hell, which in view of their actions is their sole mission in life. Pray for them! Pray for us, for it gravely demonstrates that if such a powerful,spirit-filled Order such as this can be so treacherously misled, what seduction is being used on us to delude us and lead us off the path? It’s always going to be our pride in the end.
Dana, the Jesuit-in-chief, Pope Francis, is not likely to admit that he is no longer Catholic, that he undermines the church’s teachings or leads people to hell. Any other options?
Perhaps write to the Holy Father, asking him, please, to rein in his own order. He is assuredly in a position to assert some influence in that area… or so one would think.
Bob one, in Nazi Germany there were some good and faithful Germans fighting to preserve the good, as you can see in the movie Valkerie and Schindler’s List and read in many recent books…there are Christian Chinese holding positions of some authority who in secret are able to alleviate some of the problems in a cruel, authoritarian country…there are always those few who remain faithful and strong against strong odds. Yes, Fr Pacwa, Fr Spitzer and many other brilliant and caring Jesuits are true to St Ignatius’s Jesuit Constitution that stressed complete fealty to the pope. This cannot be said for the Society of Jesus at large. I admit to being influenced by Malachi Martin, but the many articles and discussions here are proof enough that most Jesuits produce bad fruit…Space Cadet Jerry Brown comes to mind.
Yes, all those Jesuits (and other Priests and Nuns) who do not teach and adhere to the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” in entirety – need to be laicized / defrocked.
But not until they are each told to:
1. Read a Catholic Bible from cover to cover;
2. Read the CCC from cover to cover;
3. Read the Code of Canon Law from beginning to end;
4. Read GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) from cover to cover;
5) Read “Ex Corde Ecclesiae” completely.
If they do not agree to adhere to Church teaching 100%, and to accurately teach others Church teaching, they need to be laicized.
There is no room for heretical Priests or Nuns masquerading as faithful, and causing the loss of Souls through their heretical teaching or example..
It is past time to stop deceiving the faithful in the pews.
Jesuits aren’t Catholic?
https://www.apostleshipofprayer.org/
https://www.facebook.com/FrMitchPacwaSJ
https://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html
https://www.ignatius.com/pages/Item/591/fr-joseph-d-fessio-sj.aspx
https://www.therealpresence.org/archives/archives.htm
Some are heretics, and need to be defrocked.
See CCC # 2089 for Church definition.
Send this article to each of the California Bishops.
Ask them to do their jobs according to the Faith.
Under the leadership of CA Bishops, it appears to many that the Catholic Church is schizophrenic.
The Church teaches one thing, and its leaders do something else.
Unfortunately, the last two popes selected very poor leaders/teachers in the vast majority of cases. We can pray that Pope Francis will make more informed and prayerful choices.
I find it pretty horrible that you would choose to post a photograph of two girls with this article, which implies they are into the whole abortion horror.
THEY might be horrified to see their faces associate with abortion!!!
The original article had no such photograph, so shame on the person who decided to link these college students with the abortion holocaust. :(
How do you know they are not ? Or that they are not volunteer models ?
Stop trying to change the topic.
If they have a complaint, they can contact the appropriate persons themselves.
St. Irenaeus
“The Catholic Church possesses one and the same faith throughout the whole world, as we have already said (Against Heresies 1:10 [A.D. 189]).
Since therefore we have such proofs, it is not necessary to seek the truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the Church; since the apostles, like a rich man [depositing his money] in a bank, lodged in her hands most copiously all things pertaining to the truth: so that every man, whosoever will, can draw from her the water of life. For she is the entrance to life; all others are thieves and robbers. On this account we are bound to avoid them, but to make choice of the things pertaining to the Church with the utmost diligence, and to lay hold of the tradition of the truth. For how stands the case? Suppose there should arise a dispute relative to some important question among us. Should we not have recourse to the most ancient churches with which the apostles held constant intercourse, and learn from them what is certain and clear in regard to the present question? For how should it be if the apostles themselves had not left us writings? Would it not be necessary [in that case] to follow the course of the tradition which they handed down to those to whom they did commit the churches? (ibid. 3:4).”