The following emails were sent to California Catholic on July 16 by Jim Hanink, long-time philosophy professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
Good morning, Cal Cath Daily
Late last week I learned that Loyola Marymount University insurance policies, for faculty and staff, already cover sterilization and abortion.
Rebecca Chandler, Vice President for Human Resources, informs me that California law requires this for “fully insured policies.”
To the best of my knowledge, LMU has made no public acknowledgment of this matter, much less done anything to explain it in terms of the commitment to social justice.
Feel free to contact me on this matter.
Godspeed,
Jim Hanink
Professor
Department of Philosophy
Loyola Marymount University
From: Chandler, Rebecca
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 8:11 AM
To: Hanink, James
Subject: LMU Group Health Plans
Dear Professor Hanink,
Follows is in response to our initial conversation –
LMU inquired of our health insurers about our ability to exclude coverage for elective abortions under the fully-insured PPO and HMO plan options. In response, LMU was advised that the California Department of Insurance and the California Department of Managed Care will not allow California insurers to exclude such coverage from its fully insured contracts offered in California. This response and the requirement to provide this coverage are consistent with advice obtained by other Jesuit universities in California.
We continue to confer with our health insurers and explore other options in an effort to determine if practical and effective alternatives exist or can be created. At present, no such alternatives have been identified.
I am not aware of the “authority” upon which the California Department of Insurance and the California Department of Managed Care rely so I cannot include it here. As I gain a better understanding of the two departments’ positions I will get back to you. I will also research the Reta Trust.
Best – Rebecca
From: Hanink, James
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 9:46 AM
To: Chandler, Rebecca
Subject: RE: LMU Group Health Plans
Good morning, Rebecca Chandler
LMU needs to make the inquiries you mention below with the help of legal counsel. It won’t due simply to rely on what for-profit insurers say.
Of course, it is critical that such legal counsel understand and appreciate the mission of the University and its stated “institutional commitment to Roman Catholicism.”
It appears that LMU, at a time when religious freedom is at risk, has done nothing of a public nature to contest what amounts to an abortion mandate.
Godspeed,
Jim Hanink
From: Hanink, James
Sent: Monday, July 15, 2013 2:17 PM
To: Chandler, Rebecca
Cc: Rothchild, Jonathan; Hellige, Joseph
Subject: FW: insurance question re: abortion
Importance: High
Good afternoon, Rebecca
Re: our ongoing conversation…. It seems that Thomas Aquinas College has a version of Blue Cross (Reta Trust). This policy does not cover abortion.
Unlike LMU or any Jesuit University, TAC has joined Catholic University of America in its legal suit against the HHS mandate.
Catholic social justice teaching, as can be readily documented, begins with the family, although LMU voices rarely address this fundamental point.
Something has gone badly wrong.
Godspeed,
Jim
I really don’t know, ask them!!
TEM, it is time we analyze your sentence. Thanks for a very brief one. First, “I”: Can you explain this? Do you know who you are? Can you differentiate your “I” from all other beings? Give it a try.
Boy, am I surprised – LMU hasn’t joined in the lawsuit to uphold Catholic teaching (don’t they have a law school there?) and none of the Jesuit schools have either? Shock and awe.
What kind of university is this, I forgot…. oh yeah, Jesuit – figures.
Perhaps the archbishop can spend some time talking with them, if he isn’t too busy otherwise. Then he can try the REC. How long has he been here anyway?
Bob,
It seems that LMU has completely abandoned the call to Martyrdom in favor of accommodating Satan and his minions.
I know Prof. Jim Hannick, and he is a rock in a very hard place to be a rock. Pray for him.
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
I just hope that he isn’t inched-out of his position there – unlike some who have called it like it is in a Jesuit school (their lack of fidelity to the Magisterium, non-Catholic staffing and their unsupportable grading scale).
It sounds to me like LMU is one of those so-called “Catholic” institutions that always seem to cave early and often to the secularist zitgeist of the times. Yes, this to me sounds like an Obamacare situation where the liberals in charge of these things @ the affected Cathgolic universities ALWAYS plead something like “BUT WHAT CAN WE DO? WE’VE GOT TO HAVE OUR PEOPLE INSURED”, etc. Well, what they can do as a Jesuit university is to do what was mentioned in the article that Thomas Aquinas university did; go with a health company that’ll NOT have abortion requirements! and duh! maybe a no-brainer? Makes one wonder what’s REALLY going on. GOD BLESS ALL, MARKRITE
markite,
If all else fails, rather than violate the Laws of God, LMU should cancel their Health Insurance policies for their employees and stand up for the Faith. Fat chance of that!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Typical Jesuit obfuscation. RETA Trust is the medical and dental non-profit self-insurance of which many of the Californian dioceses participate. It allows for access to HMO and PPO medical care systems without providing contraception and abortion to plan members. As St. Thomas Aquinas College shows, the trust is open to other Catholic entities. You can find more here:
https://www.retatrust.org/public/
The day the “Catholic” colleges (save TAC and JPTG) are shut down in this state will be a great day indeed. Filthy liars, unaccountable before man.
I find it somewhat disquieting that the RETA Trust website lists Father Gerald Coleman, with his known “expansive” views on homosexuality, as their theological adviser.
LMU was a great school…dont’ know about it now though…met a group of gays in Westchester who loved to surf and sun…just like me, hope LMU remains a great school
SURVEY SAYS: Because Loyola Marymount is not Catholic!
The college provides full coverage because the supreme court of the state of California, in a 2004 decision against Catholic Charities, has determined that the college is not a religious institution. Really? In California, there are four requirements that must be met to get an exemption from full health care coverage. Mostly it revolves around the issue of teaching and advocating for the religious belief for Catholics only, serving Catholics only and employing only Catholic faculty. It is hard for me to understand how Catholic Charities is not a religious organization. The problem for the State, is that it serves non-Catholics. It does what it does because it is Catholic. Some diocese have taken the RETA Trust insurance approach of offering insurance without contraceptive coverage, but I believe – not sure, that the insurance company then covers contraceptives out of it’s own funds or in a seperate fund paid for by the employee. This has more to do with religious freedom erosion in this country than it does about contraceptives. It is the government determining which is a religious organization and which is not. In the case of the college, they do not meet the definition of a religious organization by the State. Of course they also don’t meet the definition of a religious organization by many who post on this site, but that is a different issue. If we want to get mad, we should get mad at the state and not so much the college.
LMU is so un-Catholic that it’s easy to be upset with them.
Their Lavender Graduations, the law school’s defense of abortion in Costa Rica and against Prop. 8, its president defending gay marriage plays, its offering of studies on yoga, it not requiring a mandatum for their instructors, etc.
Most importantly, ask a student or alum about how much of the authentic magisterium they received and you’ll probably become depressed at how much of the Faith they don’t know.
Bob One, take a look at the RETA site. You will find TAC, Catholic Charities of Orange and Catholic Charities of San Diego among the RETA members. Interesting how some California Catholic organizations can be part of RETA while other similar organizations are not. It makes no sense to say that LMU is not considered a religious organization by the state of California while TAC is. I think we need to get past the talking points of the educrat Jesuits and really understand why LMU, SCU, and USF continue the way they do.
Bravo to Professor Hanink and CalCatholicDaily for pursuing and publicizing this disturbing reality.
What, no appeal on that decision?! Truly, do not be surprised when California actually DOES fall into the Pacific Ocean!
Bob One,
Spoken like a true accomodationist. How about getting mad at both the State and the apostate Institutions!
May God have mercy on your apostate soul,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Kenneth, I am not advocating accomodation, just relating what the Suprem Court said about Catholic Charities, that applies to most religious institutions. It is even difficult, in the eyes of some lawyers, to define a parish school as a religious institution that can be exempt from the insurance mandate because it may teach children who are not Catholic, have teachers that are not Catholic and have as its main purpose to teach religion. I think the government needs to back off.
Bob One, you need to do more than “think the govt needs to back off”. Govt does not care what you think (unless of course they can arrest you for your thoughts), but will only move over and stay out of the way if you do something. Bob One, you have to do something, for as St James says, Practice the Word … be not only hearers of the Word but practice the Word: B.O., this means you have to go to the WH and tell O’Beamer to get off his high horse and do what is right instead of what he is doing.
Bob One, can you tell us about the Zydeco liturgy?
Skai, I have no idea what you are talking about. How does zydeco music get involved with a discussion about the government telling us Catholics what is a religious institution and which is not?
Skai you are good…..
I really hate it when many try to blame the state….Hobby Lobby fought and spoke up their values…they are not Catholic….there that is all I have to say….
B.O., when Jesus faced Pilate, the state had laws in place also, as did the Jews who ruled the Jews … You gotta ask yourself, B.O., what you can do in interacting with the state today, other than letting it ride on your shoulders. Then, when you find out, you are obligated to do it.
Question: “Why does Loyola Marymount cover abortion?”
Answer: Because LMU is an apostate Jesuit run “Catholic” school like so many others that would rather conform to the wickedness of the world than uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church.
God has given us a free will. The government cannot force us to choose evil. Loyola Marymount has chosen to provide insurance for the killing of unborn babies. The university has chosen evil!
Jesuits involved and you expect “Catholic” ?
Very strange reasoning.
Loyola Marymount Lions…had a great basketball team…Jesuit Community, and a lovely chapel
Well, now that former head of Homoland Defence, Janet Napolitano, is taking over as head of the University of California: A. I might look into the possibility of getting an BA annulment … say, hmn … wonder if any college offers a BAA BAA degree. B. the Jesuits can now go up directly against the federal government (c’mon, Napolitano is obviously a member of the club … once a cabinet head always a cabinet head … or would she now be a headless cabinet? … anyway, the Calif Jesuit university system can now attempt to conquer the federal university system. It would be the Jesuit Tutus vs the UC Federales.
Budd, “and a lovely chapel”: Yes, dude, and all the more tempting for the Jesuits to trash. Ever heard of the “Abomination of Desolation”? Ask the Jesuits about this concept.
Any Diocese, Catholic School, Catholic University, Catholic Hospital, or other organization that publically professes to be Catholic should never fund – abortions, contraception, voluntary sterilization in their insurance policy.
There are enough Catholics and other people of good faith, who would join with us in getting appropriate health coverage – to prevent and cure diseases, etc.
NEVER TOLERATE (or financially support) SIN – for ourselves or for others.
What are the California BISHOPS doing about this in each Diocese and the State of CA?
If they have been paying for abortion, contraception, and voluntary sterilization – we all have a right to know about it.
And we have the right to demand that they tell us how they will immediately remedy the sinfulness that they require each of us to pay for through Parish assessments to the Diocese.
Never Tolerate Sin.
Archbishop Gomez has let the schools and LMU run amok (sounds like the REC, doesn’t it?). The only time anyone hears from him is when he says something about immigration for the USCCB. Guess he’s just too busy….
Jim Hanink
Professor
Department of Philosophy
Loyola Marymount University
Dear Professor Hanink. May God Bless You! There is enough evidence to convict you of being a faithful Catholic! : )
Taken from Paraclete Press
Christianity is illegal – is there enough evidence to convict you?
No Conviction:
In a world where following Christ is decreed to be a subversive and illegal activity you have been accused of being a believer, arrested, and dragged before a court.
You have been under clandestine surveillance for some time now, and so the prosecution has been able to build up quite a case against you. They begin the trial by offering the judge dozens of photographs that show you attending church meetings, speaking at religious events, and participating in various prayer and worship services. After this, they present a selection of items that have been confiscated from your home: religious books that you own, worship CDs, and other Christian artifacts. Then they step up the pace by displaying your many poems, pieces of prose, and journal entries that you had lovingly written concerning your faith. Finally, in closing, the prosecution offers your Bible to the judge. This is a well-worn book with scribbles, notes, drawings, and underlings throughout, evidence, if it were needed, that you had read and re-read this sacred text many times.
Throughout the case you have been sitting silently in fear and trembling. You know deep in your heart that with the large body of evidence that has been amassed by the prosecution you face the possibility of long imprisonment or even execution. At various times throughout the proceedings you have lost all confidence and been on the verge of standing up and denying Christ. But while this thought has plagued your mind throughout the trial, you resist the temptation and remain focused.
Once the prosecution is finished presenting their case the judge proceeds to ask if you have anything to add, but you remain silent, resolute, terrified that if you open your mouth, even for a moment, you might deny the charges made against you. Like Christ, you remain silent before your accusers. In response you are led outside to wait as the judge ponders your case.
The hours pass slowly as you sit under guard in the foyer waiting to be summoned back. Eventually a young man in uniform appears and leads you into the courtroom so that you may hear the verdict and receive word of your punishment. Once you have been seated in the dock the judge, a harsh and unyielding man, enters the room, stands before you, looks deep into your eyes and begins to speak,
“Of the charges that have been brought forward I find the accused not guilty.”
“Not guilty?” your heart freezes. Then, in a split second, the fear and terror that had moments before threatened to strip your resolve are swallowed up by confusion and rage.
Despite the surroundings, you stand defiantly before the judge and demand that he give an account concerning why you are innocent of the charges in light of the evidence.
“What evidence?” he replies in shock.
“What about the poems and prose that I wrote?” you reply.
“They simply show that you think of yourself as a poet, nothing more.”
“But what about the services I spoke at, the times I wept in church and the long, sleepless nights of prayer?”
“Evidence that you are a good speaker and actor, nothing more.” Replied the judge, “It is obvious that you deluded those around you, and perhaps at times you even deluded yourself, but this foolishness is not enough to convict you in a court of law.”
“But this is madness!” you shout. “It would seem that no evidence would convince you!”
“Not so,” replies the judge as if informing you of a great, long-forgotten secret.
“The court is indifferent towards your Bible reading and church attendance; it has no concern for worship with words and a pen. Continue to develop your theology, and use it to paint pictures of love. We have no interest in such armchair artists who spend their time creating images of a better world. We exist only for those who would lay down their brush, and their life, in a Christlike endeavor to create a better world. So, until you challenge this system and become a thorn in our side, until you die to yourself and offer your body to the flames, until then, my friend, you are no enemy of ours.
Thank you, Professor Jim Hanink! It is wonderful that you should raise this very important question. It proves that you are making excellent use of your God-given intellect in the service of higher principles. Your asking for answers and pointing out a possible pathway to resolution of this question may well result in a great improvement in our view of Loyola Marymount, which most of us once loved and admired and wish to again. Furthermore, your question may well result in the saving of lives of souls yet unborn. God bless you always for your clear thinking and courage in bringing all this to light. You are to be commended.
One correction to Dr. Hanink’s correspondence: Thomas Aquinas College is still considering its legal options with respect to the HHS mandate.
Quick question: if LMU is doing this, and Professor Hanink is working for them even though he knows it, isn’t he formally cooperating with evil?
No, Professor Hanink is challenging evil in the Name of Jesus.
More specifically, Hanink is not “working for them”. “They” do not need every single professor to bend his or her knee to “them”.
Get with the times “Bob”. The law school is separate.
Doesn’t seem to matter much, both aren’t Catholic.
Long ago, hearing the name Jesuit, actually brought comfort in knowing that a true Catechist was before you… Now hearing the name is correctly associated with decadence, scandolous behavior, being FAR REMOVED FROM THE Holy Teachings of the One Universal Apostolic Catholic Church… mention the Catechism at LMU; to its students, Its Administrators, the Professors, etc. And most will think it is a Chinese word? Something utterly foreign to them, something that is devoid of any actual Meaning… How Utterly sad: St Ignatius Of Loyola would never know that he was walking on a Catholic Univesity if he were to visit LMU today?
what would Pope Francis have to say? Or Inigo Lopez de Loyola, Francis Xavier, Aloysius Gonzaga, etc
I just stumbled upon this thread. As a LMU Alum, I’m happy and proud to hear that LMU has chosen not to include such exclusion policies in the health insurance they provide. It shows that they understand that they have employees, students, and staff who practice other religions and shows respect that these individuals may have different opinions on the ethicality of accessing such medical treatment as birth control or abortion.
Everyone has the right to practice religious freedom equally. The teaching of this practice starts at home. It appears LMU has chosen to lead by example – that this religious freedom applies to all of God’s creatures, not just Catholics.