Bishop Blaire clarifies remarks on HHS mandate, says he ‘stands solidly’ with other bishops

May 28, 2012

Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton has clarified recent remarks in which he expressed concern about the strategy of filing lawsuits against the HHS contraceptive mandate.

“I do think there are probably some different concerns with how it is being done,” he had said. “There is a concern among some bishops that there ought to have been more of a wider consultation.”

“I stand solidly with my brother bishops in our common resolve to overturn the unacceptable intrusion of government into the life of the Church by the HHS Mandate,” Bishop Blaire said in his clarification. “In March, the Administrative Committee issued a statement of commitment to persuade the Administration to eliminate this interference, the Congress to overturn it or the courts to stop it. I contributed to and voted for this statement, and continue to support it, including its call for legal action as was announced on Monday.”

“The fundamental issue is the freedom of the Church to carry out her mission as given by Christ,” he continued. “Religious freedom protects the right of the Church to define herself and her ministries. It is totally unacceptable to have the federal government decide that our religious ministries are not ‘religious.’ The continuing effort of the government to intrude itself by redefining Catholic ministries as somehow less religious or less Catholic because they employ or serve those without regard to their creed is unjust and a violation of religious liberty. The government should not intrude itself in forcing the Church and her institutions to violate her long standing teaching to provide essential health care to her employees.”

Bishop Blaire added:

From my perspective, the recent legal challenges by dioceses and Catholic entities throughout the United States, as well as discussions with the Administration, and the advocacy of Congress, all have one essential goal: to defend the right of the Church to define herself and to preserve the identity and integrity of the Catholic ministries exercised through her institutions.

I am convinced we need to continue to seek to persuade others to join us in this just cause through reasoned, civil and respectful discussion. Our defense of religious liberty is advanced when there is open discussion about the best strategies to promote our common goal.

I look forward to the discussions at the Bishops' meeting in June which will offer us an opportunity to agree on next steps to achieve our common and essential goal of ending this violation of religious freedom.

 

---

For all current news, visit our News home page.

---

 
Further information:

• Clarification by Bishop Stephen Blaire in regard to comments on the HHS Mandate (USCCB)
• California bishop questions strategy against HHS mandate (CWN, 5/24)
• Phil Lawler: On the mandate, a dangerous crack in the bishops' united front (On the News)