Attached is a letter from Cardinal Wuerl to the priests of the Archdiocese of Washington.
It has been asked that we please bring this information to the attention of parishioners.
Recommendations were made for a bulletin announcement or information on the parish website, recommending that parishioners visit…
…for details about the new federal mandate and how to contact Congress to support legislation that would reverse the administration’s decision.
On January 20, 2012, the United States Department of Health and Human Services with the approval of President Barack Obama issued a new federal mandate making coverage of abortifacient drugs, sterilization and all FDA-approved contraceptives obligatory for virtually all employers, including faith-based institutions.
What will happen if this mandate stands? Our schools, hospitals and charitable organizations will be placed in the untenable position of choosing between violating civil law and abandoning our religious beliefs.
There can no longer be any doubt that religious liberty in our country is in jeapardy. Only weeks ago, the Obama administration unsuccessfully argued to the Supreme Court that the government has the right to interfere in a church’s choice of ministers. Thankfully, the Court unanimously rejected this radical position. Undeterred, the government has advanced on another front.
Archbishop P. Broglio of the Military Services has sent a letter to those in the Armed Forces and their families, expressing similar concerns. He writes:
It is imperative that I call to your attention an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church of the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people–the Catholic population–and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful. It is a blow to a freedom that you have fought to defend and for which you have seen your buddies fall in battle.
We cannot–we will not–comply with this unjust law. People of faith cannot be made second-class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom.
It seems as though they are trying a new tactic of chipping away at religious freedom a piece at a time and dividing us against one another.
Hi F. Joe
I totally agree with the Catholic Church in its stand for religious freedom, not just in the USA but around the world. As soon as the governments take that away from us they will take away all of our rights. Its time for the people of different denominations to stand together on this issue, if it happens in the USA all other countries will follow suit. Our right to worship who we please will be taken away. The people who are ultimately responsible are those who control the governments of this planet (that being the World Bank). I will be bringing this issue to the attention of all denominations that I have contact with in Australia, and hopefully rally support to your cause. Cant the Pope do something about this?
All the Best and God Bless
Manuel