Fortnight for Religious Freedom Launches on June 21

The U.S. Catholic Bishops have announced a “Fortnight for Freedom” campaign to awaken American Catholics and believers of all faiths to Obamacare’s unprecedented assault on religious freedom.  The two-week event culminates in a Mass at 12:10 pm on July 4^th at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC celebrated by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington.  Northern IL Tea Party applauds efforts by religious leaders to uphold the First Amendment right of religious freedom.

The “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” or Obamacare, was signed into law in March of 2010.  The act gives total discretion to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue regulations implementing the legislation. The Catholic Church objects to the requirement, spelled out in HHS regulations, that every employer of more than 50 employees offer insurance that covers abortion-causing drugs and sterilizations, which is incompatible with Catholic doctrine.

Local television coverage of the June 8^th Rally for Religious Freedom on Channel 23, WIFR-TV, had erred in its characterization of the impact of Health and Human Services regulations on religious institutions, including hospitals, universities and social service agencies.  TV 23 has promised to air a more complete update, featuring a spokesman from the Diocese of Rockford.  We look forward to that segment.

The HHS regulations requiring insurance include services the Church finds morally unacceptable were not relieved by an announced “accommodation” requiring the cost of the coverages be borne by the insurer.  Many Catholic dioceses self-insure, but even if they did not, the employer still “owns” the coverages his insurer provides.  People of all faiths came forward in support of the Catholic position at the March 23^rd Religious Freedom Rally at Holy Family Church in Rockford.  In the words of Governor Mike Huckabee, “We’re all Catholics now!”

The United Conference of Catholic Bishops had considered whether it should fight not only for its own exemption from the morally unacceptable insurance coverages, but also defend the rights of private employers to be exempted.  In the end, the majority of bishops saw themselves obligated to defend the rights of the individual employer, as well as the Church.

Northern IL Tea Party meets monthly on the 3^rd Thursday at 6:30 pm at 302 W. Main St. Rockton.  A pastor’s right to preach is one of the topics of the June 21^st meeting.