02-09-2012, 10:10 PM
Anthony Picarello is the attorney for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (that must be a challenging job.)
Anyway, he says that it's not just a religious exemption from birth control coverage that the Bishops want. They want the part about mandatory coverage without copay removed from the health care bill in its entirety. In other words, NOBODY has to offer this.
Why? Because now they say this provision violates the religious freedom of individual Catholics who might own a business that offers health insurance.
See how absurd this can get?
What these guys fear is the loss of power to influence public policy in the US. Their relevancy is waning faster than an ice cube on hot pavement.
"There has been a lot of talk [from the White House] in the last couple days about compromise, but it sounds to us like a way to turn down the heat, to placate people without doing anything in particular," Picarello said. "We're not going to do anything until this is fixed."
That means removing the provision from the health care law altogether, he said, not simply changing it for Catholic employers and their insurers. He cited the problem that would create for "good Catholic business people who can't in good conscience cooperate with this."
"If I quit this job and opened a Taco Bell, I'd be covered by the mandate," Picarello said."
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/09...howAll=yes&via=blog_1
"Pope Benedict said that over the past few days many of the bishops have expressed concern over attempts in the U.S. to “deny the right of conscientious objection on the part of Catholic individuals and institutions with regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices.”"
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/p...dom-in-us/
Anyway, he says that it's not just a religious exemption from birth control coverage that the Bishops want. They want the part about mandatory coverage without copay removed from the health care bill in its entirety. In other words, NOBODY has to offer this.
Why? Because now they say this provision violates the religious freedom of individual Catholics who might own a business that offers health insurance.
See how absurd this can get?
What these guys fear is the loss of power to influence public policy in the US. Their relevancy is waning faster than an ice cube on hot pavement.
"There has been a lot of talk [from the White House] in the last couple days about compromise, but it sounds to us like a way to turn down the heat, to placate people without doing anything in particular," Picarello said. "We're not going to do anything until this is fixed."
That means removing the provision from the health care law altogether, he said, not simply changing it for Catholic employers and their insurers. He cited the problem that would create for "good Catholic business people who can't in good conscience cooperate with this."
"If I quit this job and opened a Taco Bell, I'd be covered by the mandate," Picarello said."
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/09...howAll=yes&via=blog_1
"Pope Benedict said that over the past few days many of the bishops have expressed concern over attempts in the U.S. to “deny the right of conscientious objection on the part of Catholic individuals and institutions with regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices.”"
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/p...dom-in-us/
