CMA Stands with US Bishops Against HHS Mandate
November 18, 2013
Bala Cynwyd, PA—Board President John I. Lane, M.D., speaking on behalf of the members of the Catholic Medical Association, issued the following statement in response to the USCCB Special Message on the HHS mandate issued November 13, 2013:
The Catholic Medical Association strongly supports the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops Special Message on the HHS mandate. U.S. bishops have been outstanding advocates for religious freedom, not only for Catholics, but for all citizens. For this consistent and courageous witness, the bishops deserve both gratitude and support.
Make no mistake, the Obama administration’s continued enforcement of its coercive mandate should alarm all U.S. citizens. The HHS mandate constitutes a direct assault on the rights of religious liberty of millions of American citizens who reject abortion-causing drugs, contraception, and sterilization. It undermines the widespread respect for religious freedom in American law and culture by drawing an unprecedented line between churches and religious ministries such as religious schools and hospitals. This coercive mandate provides for drugs and procedures which are inimical to preventive medicine and to women’s health. Finally, the HHS mandate also undermines parents, as all of these drugs and procedures can be made available to teenage girls without parental knowledge or consent.
Healthcare professionals in particular should be concerned and vigilant. A President who is willing to violate the rights of religious freedom, conscientious objection, and free speech of thousands of religious institutions will have no qualms about ordering healthcare professionals to participate in contraception, sterilization, and abortion even if it violates their ethical and professional judgment.
I invite all CMA members, Catholic healthcare institutions—including our colleagues in the Catholic Health Association—and all people of good will to strongly and publicly support the U.S. bishops. The CMA will continue to do everything in its power to resist the HHS mandate, to educate the public about its negative effects on women’s health and on the doctor-patient relationship, and to offer healthcare services that are consistent with the teachings of the Church on life and love.
Founded in 1932, the Catholic Medical Association is the largest association of Catholic physicians and healthcare professionals in North America.
For more information, go to http://www.cathmed.org.
CONTACT: John Brehany, Ph.D., S.T.L., Executive Director & Ethicist
