The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published a strong letter of warning (signed by Bishops William F. Murphy, Cardinal Justin Rigali, and Bishop John Wester) urging all Congressmen and Senators that unless the current healthcare bills change radically, the USCCB will oppose it. The bishops focus their ire on issues such as abortion and conscience as well as immigrant access to healthcare.
The Catholic Key has the letter from the pro-life Secretariat but some important snippets are here:
…We are writing to express our disappointment that progress has not been made on the three priority criteria for health care reform that we have conveyed previously to Congress. In fact, the Senate Finance Committee rejected a conscience rights amendment accepted earlier by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. If final legislation does not meet our principles, we will have no choice but to oppose the bill.
The bishops strongly urge legislators to exclude abortion coverage and support conscience rights.
No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion. It is essential that the legislation clearly apply to this new program longstanding and widely supported federal restrictions on abortion funding and mandates, and protections for rights of conscience. No current bill meets this test.
The letter goes on to ask legislators to “safeguard the health of immigrants, their children and all of society.” Personally, I think Congress is a heck of a lot more likely to cover illegal immigrants than it is to prohibit federal abortion funding.
The bishops continue:
We sincerely hope that the legislation will not fall short of our criteria. However, we remain apprehensive when amendments protecting freedom of conscience and ensuring no taxpayer money for abortion are defeated in committee votes. If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously. Catholic moral tradition teaches that health care is a basic human right, essential to protecting human life and dignity. Much-needed reform of our health care system must be pursued in ways that serve the life and dignity of all, never in ways that undermine or violate these fundamental values. We will work tirelessly to remedy these central problems and help pass real reform that clearly protects the life, dignity and health of all.
Pretty strong letter. But didn’t they hear that Jesus wants everyone to vote for Obamacare. In fact, I can’t remember hearing so much about God from any previous President.
Rights as I’ve always understand them are God given and only defended by men. Rights such as this “right” to healthcare are given to us by men and defended with the name of God. Those kind of rights make me a little nervous.
Check out Catholic Key for more.
October 9, 2009 at 7:01 am
I have a real problem with their focus being only on abortion. Not that abortion is not important, but what about the rest of what is wrong with government controlled health care – such as it being government controlled?
October 9, 2009 at 8:52 am
So…wait. If the bishops are calling for universal healthcare for illegal immigrants in the bill, does that mean that the blog owners here will fall inline with the Catholic bishops on this? Or will you dissent? Just wondering.
October 9, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Isn't it inevitable that socialized healthcare will use tax-payer money to pay for abortion (and euthanasia), even if it doesn't at the outset? Do the bishops not see any danger in giving the government that much power?
October 9, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I'm wondering about other back-door attempts at taking our liberty that may come down the line. Who's to say that the government health care would eventually only pay for a certain number of pregnancies before they deem we've had "enough" children. It would be in the same vein as cutting benefits to the elderly.
I can just imagine the reaction at the doctor's office when some poor pregnant woman (maybe on her 3rd pregnancy) hears the doctor say, "I'm sorry ma'am, but we can't help you- your government health insurance say's you've had enough and won't pay for your prenatal care or birth. But the good news is, they're willing to pay for your abortion!"
My husband thinks I'm a little paranoid. I think it's a possibility… but maybe that's the "momma bear" attitude coming out in me as I'm currently expecting:).
What do you think? Is this a possiblity down the line with government care or is it just my hormones talking?
October 9, 2009 at 5:11 pm
"Catholic moral tradition teaches that health care is a basic human right, essential to protecting human life and dignity. "
I'd like to know when (in the opinion of our bishops) Catholic moral tradition required them to support the federal government's interfering in healthcare.
Their statement above ignores the Catholic principal of subsidiarity–a principal our bishops should be putting FIRST. If that principal were followed, we would not have to be concerned about federally mandated abortion and the like.
Catholic moral tradition also requires food and clothing as a basic human right to protect human life and dignity, so why not have the federal government in charge of feeding and clothing everyone, too?
Subsidiarity! It's not the federal government's job to take away individuals' responsibilities–and for the federal government to do so does grave harm to all human life. If our bishops were really concerned about healthcare, they'd fight this entire legislation on the grounds that it does violence to mans' dignity by usurping his ability to care for himself, as if he were a dumb animal.
Kate Asjes
October 10, 2009 at 1:54 am
Still waiting to hear if the blog owners will support our bishops and call for inclusive healthcare for illegal aliens.
Hard issues like this are what separates the wheat from the chaff in Catholicism guys.
October 10, 2009 at 9:58 am
Catholic moral tradition also requires food and clothing as a basic human right to protect human life and dignity, so why not have the federal government in charge of feeding and clothing everyone, too?
Um…ever heard of food stamps? Welfare?