Catholic Bishops in a snit over mandated "free" birth control...

and who's fault is that?

Since birth control became available in the 1960's, the Catholic Church has done a disservice to it's faithful.  They have refused to teach the reasons for the Church's position on the immorality of birth control, and most priests have slithered out of the fray by telling women they would have to "follow their conscience" - wink, wink.

Now Health and Human Services has said that birth control, including sterilization and the "morning after pill", will be provided free of all co-pays in all insurance plans.  If you have a religious exemption, it will expire in one year.  Don't like it - too bad.

With a few exceptions, the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) backed Obamacare as long as it didn't provide abortions.  I think we all remember how well that worked out.  And now, Daughter of Charity Sister Carol Keehan, president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, voiced disappointment with this newest decision handed down by Kathleen Sibelius.  

This is the same sister who was bounced off of the prestigious Holy Family Hospital Foundation board over her support for the federal health care bill.  Now she's disappointed in Obama?  Perhaps she could send a note to Obama written with the ceremonial pen she received when the president signed Obamacare into law.

A few days ago, Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan lashed out at the Obama Administration for forcing religious organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience.

“Almost every employer and insurer in the country to provide sterilization and contraceptives, including some abortion-inducing drugs, in their health plans… Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience. This shouldn’t happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights.”

This is what he posted on his blog March 15th, 2010

This is a very significant week for a cause championed by an overwhelming majority of Americans: health care reform. Our prayers are with our president and elected officials in D.C. as they work hard at bringing about a bill that is just and good for the country we love.
Thoughtful Catholics are especially attentive to this effort, but we find ourselves in a tough spot.

On the one hand, we are enthusiastic about universal health care. The Catholic community in the United States, led by brave sisters, has been on the front line of tending lovingly for the sick and frail for centuries, way before government ever got into it.  The bishops have been advocating universal health care for nearly a century. So, we sure want to see it work, and appreciate the efforts of the president and both parties in Congress to bring it home. source

I like Cardianl-designate Dolan, and for the most part he does a good job.  However, he and the other bishops dropped the ball on Obamacare - big time.  Aside from the abortion issue, the bill is over two thousand pages of onerous mandates, regulations, and hidden surprises that will destroy the quality and accessibility of decent health care in this country.  Nothing too Catholic about that.  The real losers in this whole debacle are the Catholics who have been kept ignorant of their faith. 

CatholicVote.org just posted "Obama Hands GOP a ‘Golden Opportunity’ to Win Back the Catholic Vote in 2012."  Allow me to ask why they voted in overwhelming numbers for the wildly pro-abortion Obama to begin with?  Could it be the lack of valid Catholic teaching that has been absent for at least 50 years?  Does CatholicVote really believe that Catholics are going to turn away from Obama over mandatory "free" birth control since the majorority of Catholics are themselves using it?


More:


USCCB Statement

Philothea on Phire:   "Catholic" Politicians: Selling Out the Church

Excellent article from Charles E. Rice, Professor Emeritus Notre Dame Law School, explaining why Obamacare is against real Catholic teaching. 


The Catholic Church in the Obama Era 
Oct. 22, 2010