None of the major health reform bills before Congress adequately addresses the concerns raised by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in the areas of abortion, conscience protection, immigrants and affordability. In a letter to Congress on Oct. 8, Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y., Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia and Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City said: “If final legislation does not meet our principles, we will have no choice but to oppose the bill.” The bishops said: “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.” The bishops reiterated calls on Congress to ensure that health reform excludes mandated coverage of abortions and incorporates longstanding federal policies against taxpayer-funded abortions and in favor of conscience rights, makes health care affordable to everyone and include effective measures to safeguard the health of immigrants and their children.
Bishops May Oppose Health Care Bill
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
Few events inspire a media spectacle quite like the election of a pope. Zac and Ashley talk with church historian Miles Pattenden to learn how conclaves evolved—and how they might change in the future.
In “Hugo,” Scorsese’s only family-friendly feature to date, he reflects on how dreams give meaning to our lives and help us persevere through life’s hardships.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans had been ordered by a New Orleans criminal court to turn over records relating to a long-running criminal investigation involving multiple accused priests.
“Inside the Vatican” host Colleen Dulle shares how her visit to Argentina gave her a deeper understanding into Francis’ emphasis on “being amongst the people” and his belief that “you can’t do theology behind a desk.”