Ewtn Sues U.s. Government To Stop Contraception Mandate

[HopefulBride]

[b]Irondale, AL (EWTN) [/b]– EWTN Global Catholic Network filed a lawsuit February 9 in U.S. District Court in Birmingham, Alabama against the Department of Health & Human Services, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and other government agencies seeking to stop the imposition of the contraception mandate as well as asking the court for a declaratory judgment that the mandate is unconstitutional. EWTN is the first Catholic organization to file suit since the final HHS rules were published by the Obama administration on January 20, 2012.

"We had no other option but to take this to the courts," says EWTN President and CEO Michael P. Warsaw. "Under the HHS mandate, EWTN is being forced by the government to make a choice: either we provide employees coverage for contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs and violate our conscience or offer our employees and their families no health insurance coverage at all. Neither of those choices is acceptable."

The lawsuit was filed on EWTN's behalf by Mark Rienzi, Kyle Duncan, and Erik Kniffin from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

"We are taking this action to defend not only ourselves but also to protect other institutions – Catholic and non-Catholic, religious and secular – from having this mandate imposed upon them," Warsaw continued. "The government is forcing EWTN, first, to inform its employees about how to get contraception, sterilization and abortifacient drugs, a concept known as forced speech. To make the matter worse, the government then will force EWTN to use its donors' funds to pay for these same morally objectionable procedures or to pay for the huge fines it will levy against us if we fail to provide health care insurance. There is no question that this mandate violates our First Amendment rights. This is a moment when EWTN, as a Catholic organization, has to step up and say that enough is enough. Our hope is that our lawsuit does just that." - [url="http://www.ewtn.com/hhsmandate/pressRelease.htm"]Read More[/url]


I don't know how to quote but the above is from EWTN's website. Let me tell you I wish this action was taken by the USCCB but they still have time to join. Let us hope other Catholic organizations step up and fight for our religious freedom.

[Lisa]

This is what needs to happen. If tons of lawsuits pour in all at once, somebody's going to take notice. Getting legal counsel is expensive for small non-profits, but if enough choose to file, maybe the government will reconsider just to avoid it all.

I'm just reading Mother Angelica's biography. That whole network was undoubtedly a miracle.

[Papist]

Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, NC did the same.

[url="http://news.charlottediocese.net/component/content/article/42-rokstories/1338-belmont-abbey-colleges-lawsuit-continues-lawyers-call-hhs-contraception-rule-a-coercive-action"]http://news.charlottediocese.net/component/content/article/42-rokstories/1338-belmont-abbey-colleges-lawsuit-continues-lawyers-call-hhs-contraception-rule-a-coercive-action[/url]

[Scofizzle]

look for many many lawsuits regarding this. Probably one from every diocese and archdiocese in the country unless they band together. Bring in the big guns from Rome. This ruling doesn't stand a chance in the supreme court.


*edit- I'm a terrible speller.

Edited February 9, 2012 by Scofizzle

[HopefulBride]

I was listening to EWTN the other day (I think Tuesday) and they were directing folks to this website www.stophhs.com It was started by one of the producers of Ave Maria radio. The only thing I kept thinking was someone needs to sue. I am glad that's happening.

[OnlySunshine]

I keep thinking over and over how our beliefs as Catholics and rights as American citizens are being violated. Most important, our freedom of religious beliefs are being violated by our government. I am more and more ashamed to call myself an American because of what our President continues to do.

I have signed the HHS petition and I hope others do the same.

[CatherineM]

I'd pay good money for a ticket to see Mother Angelica debate Obama.

[HopefulBride]

[quote name='CatherineM' timestamp='1328814904' post='2384310']
I'd pay good money for a ticket to see Mother Angelica debate Obama.
[/quote]

I'd be right behind you. I'd give my sister's car for that opportunity (just don't tell her)

[Hubertus]

To arms! to arms! Priests for Life is intending to sue as well!

[url="http://www.priestsforlife.org/articles/3947-lawsuit-against-obama-administration-for-conscience-violation"]http://www.priestsfo...ience-violation[/url]

[quote]
[b] International Catholic Organization to File Lawsuit against Obama Administration for Conscience Violation Regarding Forced Coverage of Abortion and Contraception[/b]


Staten Island, NY - Priests for Life, a New York based international pro-life organization of Catholic clergy and laity, today announced that it will be filing a lawsuit against the Obama Administration in an effort to seek injunctive relief from impending regulations that would require the organization to pay for employee health insurance that covers abortion-inducing drugs, contraception, and sterilization.

The Obama Administration’s rules – recently brought forth by a decree from the Department of Health and Human Services – are part of the controversial “ObamaCare” health insurance law (the so-called “Affordable Care Act”) that was passed by Congress in 2010 amidst endless ambiguities, confusion, and false assurances by President Obama himself that it would never be used to violate any organization’s or individual’s conscience on moral issues.

Now that the new HHS rules have been formally issued, however, Americans of all faiths are stunned that the Obama Administration is going to require employers to provide health insurance coverage for certain acts that go directly against their consciences or religious beliefs.

The lawsuit will seek injunctive relief from the HHS rules – first on behalf of Priests for Life, and hopefully extending universally since all organizations and companies will be affected by the tyrannical HHS decree. Priests for Life is particularly well placed to pursue this litigation because its primary purposes are to promote and protect life whereas the primary purposes of the contraceptive mandate are to prevent and destroy life.

According to Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, “It’s unthinkable that President Obama would force Americans of any faith to violate their consciences. Yet here he is, arrogantly imposing these regulations that clearly discriminate against Catholics and all Christians, as well as people of any faith who believe in the sanctity of innocent human life. This has clearly become a human rights case – and is no longer just a partisan political football.”

Priests for Life has retained noted civil rights attorney Charles LiMandri of San Diego to represent them in their lawsuit against Obama. LiMandri achieved national distinction by saving the famous “Mt. Soledad Cross” – a historic war memorial that had been erected on public property many decades ago, which local atheists sought to have torn down. He has also fought for the rights of San Diego firefighters who were forced to participate in a vulgar “gay pride” parade against their will or else face termination. He was also the General Counsel for the National Organization for Marriage--California during the successful Proposition 8 Campaign to save traditional marriage.

LiMandri remarks, “This is the first time in history any administration has used brute force to compel someone to violate his conscience or moral convictions. It’s unheard of. It’s also antithetical to the core American principles of religious liberty and freedom from invasions of privacy. We intend to fight the ill-conceived HHS edict and challenge it on constitutional grounds. This case could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. And we’ll be happy to take it there if need be.”

Priests for Life is the largest Catholic pro-life organization in the United States. It is a private association of the faithful and an independent 501©(3) non-profit educational corporation. Under the Obama Administration’s new HHS rules, it is treated like any other corporation and therefore must comply with these conscience-violating mandates, decrees, and punitive measures.

Priests for Life applauds the members of Congress who have introduced legislation to address the HHS policy, and will also support the efforts of the Church, and many other groups, to pass such legislation.

Further details of the lawsuit will be forthcoming.




[i]Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.[/i]
[/quote]

[4588686]

[quote name='Scofizzle' timestamp='1328812353' post='2384289']
look for many many lawsuits regarding this. Probably one from every diocese and archdiocese in the country unless they band together. Bring in the big guns from Rome. This ruling doesn't stand a chance in the supreme court.


*edit- I'm a terrible speller.
[/quote]

Actually it really does. I'm not saying that it is good policy or good politics, but I don't see a strong constitutional case. Religious institutions have the freedom the express their ideas, They don't have unlimited freedom in activities. Hence why Mormons ran into trouble when they wanted to practice polygamy. More importantly, this law in no way compels the faithful to use contraceptives. The Church's argument is going to have to be essentially that its status as a religious body gives it the right to violate federal labor laws with employees who work in Church affiliated institutions. This doesn't apply to Church employees. There is an exemption for people who work directly for or in churches. This applies to things like hospitals. You don't have any sort of special religious protections when it comes to running a hospital.

[HopefulBride]

[quote name='Hubertus' timestamp='1328817386' post='2384332']
To arms! to arms! Priests for Life is intending to sue as well!

[url="http://www.priestsforlife.org/articles/3947-lawsuit-against-obama-administration-for-conscience-violation"]http://www.priestsfo...ience-violation[/url]
[/quote]

Praise God. I will definitely be keeping theirs and the intentions of all t hose who are trying to fight this form of strong-arming in mind during my lenten preparations.

[HopefulBride]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1328817472' post='2384335']
Actually it really does. I'm not saying that it is good policy or good politics, but I don't see a strong constitutional case. Religious institutions have the freedom the express their ideas, They don't have unlimited freedom in activities. Hence why Mormons ran into trouble when they wanted to practice polygamy. More importantly, this law in no way compels the faithful to use contraceptives. The Church's argument is going to have to be essentially that its status as a religious body gives it the right to violate federal labor laws with employees who work in Church affiliated institutions. This doesn't apply to Church employees. There is an exemption for people who work directly for or in churches. This applies to things like hospitals. You don't have any sort of special religious protections when it comes to running a hospital.
[/quote]

Most Catholic agencies are supported by Catholics; Catholics who believe and do their best to live what the Church teaches. Take EWTN or CRS for example, the primary source of support for them is donors. Do you truly think that people who will their funds and treasures to EWTN would be ok with knowing that EWTN is now using some of those funds to give access to the very things they (the supporters) are against?

[4588686]

[quote name='HopefulBride' timestamp='1328817889' post='2384339']
Most Catholic agencies are supported by Catholics; Catholics who believe and do their best to live what the Church teaches. Take EWTN or CRS for example, the primary source of support for them is donors. Do you truly think that people who will their funds and treasures to EWTN would be ok with knowing that EWTN is now using some of those funds to give access to the very things they (the supporters) are against?
[/quote]

Ok. People also give money to EWTN knowing that a substantial part of that money will go towards taxes which will in turn fund a war that the last Pope (and the current Pope before he ascended to the Papacy) spoke out against quite strongly. Does EWTN not have to pay taxes now? Do you not have to pay a minimum wage law if you think it's a first step towards a socialist hell on earth?

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1328818470' post='2384341']
[...]
Does EWTN not have to pay taxes now?
[...]
[/quote]
Depends who you ask.
[IMG]http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt336/MarkVonLewis/trollface.jpg[/IMG]

[4588686]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1328818699' post='2384342']
Depends who you ask.
[img]http://i625.photobucket.com/albums/tt336/MarkVonLewis/trollface.jpg[/img]
[/quote]

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