Catholic Health Association snubs US bishops, accepts HHS mandate
July 09, 2013
Once again breaking with the US bishops’ conference, the Catholic Health Association (CHA) has announced that it is satisfied with the latest regulations offered by the Obama administration for the implementation of health-care rules that require coverage for contraception.
The CHA—which had strongly backed the Obama health-care reform plans—issued a memorandum to members saying that the latest rules from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) resolved CHA’s concerns about involvement in providing contraceptive coverage. “We are pleased that our members now have an accommodation that will not require them to contract, provide, pay or refer for contraceptive coverage,” the CHA pronounced.
The US bishops’ conference reacted quite differently to the latest regulations issued by the HHS, saying that the new rules included no significant changes on the critical questions that had prompted the bishops’ opposition to the HHS mandate. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, the president of the US bishops’ conference, said that the Catholic hierarchy would continue court battles to overturn the contraceptive mandate, arguing that the HHS rules constitute a serious infringement on religious freedom.
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Further information:
- Catholic hospitals accept birth control rule (AP)
- Catholic Health Association says it can live with HHS mandate (National Catholic Reporter)
- Memorandum from Catholic Health Association
- USCCB finds continued major problems in HHS mandate’s ‘final rule’ (CWN, 7/4)
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Posted by: -
Jul. 10, 2013 5:01 AM ET USA
Just wondering who is going to pay for the court battles that Dolan wants to continue? This is going to drive the Church into the ground, and Obama, Sebelius, and their ilk will enjoy the sight of that. We must cut our ties to federal and state funding. That is the only solution.
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Posted by: -
Jul. 10, 2013 12:26 AM ET USA
It really is time for the Bishops to take some direct action towards Sr. Carol Keehan who continues to side with the Obama administration on HHS. At a minimum there should be a public rebuke of her moral rationalizations for HHS which are in error and in public defiance of the Church. As for Sr. Keehan's Catholic Health Association, the Bishops should issue a formal declaration that the organization is no longer considered Catholic and that is must immediately delete the word Catholic from its name. Let them go it alone as non Catholics if that is really what they want.
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Posted by: Chestertonian -
Jul. 10, 2013 12:04 AM ET USA
This is so typical of the CHA that it hardly qualifies as news. The question is: will the USCCB tell CHA, in no uncertain terms, that they must correct their errors or stop referring to themselves as "Catholic"? Just as you cannot be "pro-choice" or "pro-SSM" and call yourself Catholic, you cannot be pro-Obamacare and Catholic. Real Catholics don't give up their beliefs or their right of conscience for the sake of the law. Our rights and beliefs come from God, while laws come from sinful man.
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Posted by: unum -
Jul. 09, 2013 9:58 PM ET USA
Apparently, "Sister" Carol is only concerned about an "accommodation that will allow her ministries (health care institutions) to continue offering health insurance plans". She appears unconcerned about whether the CHA members are Catholic, whether constitutional freedoms are protected, and what happens to the rest of the Body of Christ at the hands of the Obama administration. The lady is a real piece of work!
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Jul. 09, 2013 6:32 PM ET USA
It's time for the bishops to insist that they take the Catholic out of their name.
