This is awful. Nuns gone wild. The AP reports:

Catholic nuns are urging Congress to pass President Barack Obama’s health care plan, in an unusual public break with bishops who say it would subsidize abortion.

Some 60 leaders of religious orders representing 59,000 Catholic nuns Wednesday sent lawmakers a letter urging them to pass the Senate health care bill. It contains restrictions on abortion funding that the bishops say don’t go far enough.

The letter says that “despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions.” The letter says the legislation also will help support pregnant women and “this is the real pro-life stance.”

More to come. Check back soon.

This kind of thing will almost certainly confuse many Catholics. Methinks the Dems have had this in their pocket for a while and are now attempting to create momentum. This comes on the heels of Catholic congressman Dale Kildee’s official endorsement today and the Catholic Health Association endorsing Obamacare.

What really kills me is that the bill clearly funds abortion. Do they really think that if they lie openly enough and loudly enough that everyone will simply accept it.

This is an in-your-face to the bishops who need to react to this kind of thing.

Update: A little more of the text of the letter has been reported by CNN:

“We write to urge you to cast a life-affirming ‘yes’ vote when the Senate health care bill (H.R. 3590) comes to the floor of the House for a vote as early as this week,” a group of nuns wrote in a letter to members of Congress released Wednesday by NETWORK, progressive Catholic advocacy organization.

NETWORK said the 55 signatories represent tens of thousands of Catholic nuns in the United States.

The letter argues that the legislation “will make crucial investments in community health centers that largely serve poor women and children.”

“And despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions,” the letter reads. “It will uphold longstanding conscience protections and it will make historic new investments – $250 million – in support of pregnant women. This is the REAL pro-life stance, and we as Catholics are all for it.”

Still doing research so check back in later. If you get anything put it in the combox.