(Vatican Radio) The Bishops of the United States have reacted forcefully to claims
made by Vice President Joe Biden in last night’s vice presidential debate.
During
the debate, Biden, a Catholic, said that a health insurance mandate issued by the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would not force religious institutions
to pay for or provide contraception: “With regard to the assault on the Catholic Church,
let me make it absolutely clear. No religious institution—Catholic or otherwise, including
Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital—none has
to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to be a
vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide. That is a fact.
That is a fact.”
In their statement, the Bishops respond bluntly: “This is
not a fact.” The Bishops go on to explain that, even after proposed exemptions, religious
organisations would serve as vehicles for contraception “because they will still be
forced to provide their employees with health coverage, and that coverage will still
have to include sterilization, contraception, and abortifacients.” They will have
to pay for these things, the Bishops continue “because the premiums that the organizations
(and their employees) are required to pay will still be applied, along with other
funds, to cover the cost of these drugs and surgeries.”
The US Bishops have
vigorously opposed the Obama administrations’ mandate since it was announced last
year, denouncing it as a violation of religious liberty. In their statement, the Bishops
urged the Department of Health and human services “in the strongest possible terms,
actually to eliminate the various infringements on religious freedom imposed by the
mandate.”
Below, please find the complete statement of the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
Last night, the following statement
was made during the Vice Presidential debate regarding the decision of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) to force virtually all employers to include sterilization
and contraception, including drugs that may cause abortion, in the health insurance
coverage they provide their employees:
“With regard to the assault on the Catholic
Church, let me make it absolutely clear. No religious institution—Catholic or otherwise,
including Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital—none
has to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to
be a vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide. That is a
fact. That is a fact.”
This is not a fact. The HHS mandate contains a narrow,
four-part exemption for certain “religious employers.” That exemption was made final
in February and does not extend to “Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital,
Mercy hospital, any hospital,” or any other religious charity that offers its services
to all, regardless of the faith of those served.
HHS has proposed an additional
“accommodation” for religious organizations like these, which HHS itself describes
as “non-exempt.” That proposal does not even potentially relieve these organizations
from the obligation “to pay for contraception” and “to be a vehicle to get contraception.”
They will have to serve as a vehicle, because they will still be forced to provide
their employees with health coverage, and that coverage will still have to include
sterilization, contraception, and abortifacients. They will have to pay for these
things, because the premiums that the organizations (and their employees) are required
to pay will still be applied, along with other funds, to cover the cost of these drugs
and surgeries.
USCCB continues to urge HHS, in the strongest possible terms,
actually to eliminate the various infringements on religious freedom imposed by the
mandate.