Friday, February 10, 2012

Obama to Catholics, "To Hell with You"

POST-GAZETTE - Res Publica
Obama to Catholics, "To Hell with You"
by David Trumbull
February 10, 2012

The harsh words that head this column paraphrase the words of the Bishop of Pittsburgh, David Zubik. The subject was the determination of the Obama Administration to force Catholic hospitals to pay for abortions, something that they cannot do and remain Catholic.

Bishop Zubik wrote: "It comes like a slap in the face. The Obama administration has just told the Catholics of the United States, 'To Hell with you!'"

Bishop Slattery of Tulsa wrote: "As your bishop, I want to make it clear that I consider this mandate unconstitutional, unjust and evil.

"Because this mandate is unconstitutional, we will refuse to comply with it.

"This mandate is evil, because not only does it require that all Catholics cooperate in sin by providing for and paying for coverage for gravely immoral actions which have as their final end the destruction of human life, but also by requiring that Catholics who do not cooperate in this should be punished. Were we to comply with this law, we would offend God and imperil our souls. We will not comply.

"This mandate is unjust because it imposes a secular definition of religious freedom that makes it a crime to practice our faith in the public square... In this matter, President Obama’s administration has overstepped its authority. This is what Pope Leo XIII cautioned against when he wrote over a hundred years ago: 'if the will of rulers is opposed to the will and the laws of God, then those rulers exceed the bounds of their own power and pervert justice. Nor can their authority be valid, since authority without justice is null.' From the founding of our nation, we Catholic have always obeyed the laws. But this law, we cannot obey."

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said:

"The Catholic Church defends religious liberty, including freedom of conscience, for everyone. The Amish do not carry health insurance. The government respects their principles. Christian Scientists want to heal by prayer alone, and the new health-care reform law respects that. Quakers and others object to killing even in wartime, and the government respects that principle for conscientious objectors. By its decision, the Obama administration has failed to show the same respect for the consciences of Catholics and others who object to treating pregnancy as a disease."

* * *

I don't know what motivated Obama to pick a fight with the Catholic Church. Perhaps he believes it will please his liberal base which is disappointed in his failure to keep his campaign promises. Whatever the reason, he has made it clear he wants a fight with the Church. Well, then, BRING IT ON!

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