Protection of Conscience Project News
Service, not Servitude
23 health care professional organizations representing over a quarter of a million health care workers, including the Philippine Medical Association, held a press conference at the Philippine General Hospital urging the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill. [Philippines Inquirer] The bill is strongly opposed by those opposed to provisions in the bill that require the dissemination of contraceptives.
The European Court of Human Rights has issued a judgement adverse to freedom of conscience and ordered Poland to pay two complainants, a mother and daughter, a total of 61,000 Euros in damages and costs. Subject to the possibility that the English translation of the judgement is faulty, the use of the term “anti-choice activist” by the judges brings their impartiality into question. However, the facts of the case outlined in the judgement suggest that the conduct of Polish health care personnel, anti-abortion activists, clergy and state authorities effectively guaranteed an adverse outcome.
A 14 year old girl, P. supported by her mother, S., sought an abortion for a pregnancy alleged to have been the result of a rape. While she obtained the necessary prosecutor’s certificate for the procedure, mother and daughter received contradictory information from two public hospitals in Lublin. Further, health care personnel clearly violated principles of patient confidentiality and informed consent in an effort to dissuade the girl from having an abortion. These violations included clearly coercive and manipulative tactics. P and S experienced
While the court found that objecting physicians had a legal obligation to refer patients for abortion, the source of that legal obligation was Polish law. Article 39 of Poland’s Doctor and Dentist Professions Act imposes a legal obligation of referral. The imposition is objectionable in principle, but the European Court of Human Rights can hardly be criticized for applying Polish law to Polish citizens.
We, the undersigned, strongly support access to life-affirming health care for all, and the ability of secular and religious groups and individuals to provide and receive such care. That is why we have raised objections to a rule issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services forcing almost all private health plans to cover sterilization procedures and contraceptive drugs, including drugs that may cause an early abortion.
As written, the rule will force Catholic organizations that play a vital role in providing health care and other needed services either to violate their conscience or severely curtail those services. This would harm both religious freedom and access to health care.
The HHS mandate puts many faith-based organizations and individuals in an untenable position. But it also harms society as a whole by undermining a long American tradition of respect for religious liberty and freedom of conscience. In a pluralistic society, our health care system should respect the religious and ethical convictions of all. We ask Congress, the Administration, and our fellow Americans to acknowledge this truth and work with us to reform the law accordingly.
Robert B. Aguirre, President Catholic Association of Latino Leaders
Carl A. Anderson, Supreme Knight Knights of Columbus
F. DeKarlos Blackmon, OblSB, Supreme Knight/CEO Knights of Peter Claver
William J. Cox, President/CEO Alliance of Catholic Health Care
Michael Galligan-Stierle, PhD, President/CEO Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
John Garvey, JD, President The Catholic University of America
Sheila Gilbert, President National Council of the U.S. Society of St. Vincent de Paul
John M. Haas, PhD, STL, President National Catholic Bioethics Center
Ken Hackett, President Catholic Relief Services
Jan R. Hemstad, MD, President Catholic Medical Association
Rev. John Jenkins, CSC, President University of Notre Dame
Patty Johnson, President National Council of Catholic Women
James G. Lindsay, Executive Director Catholic Volunteer Network
Stephen L. Mikochik, JD, Chair National Catholic Partnership on Disability
Karen M. Ristau, EdD, President National Catholic Educational Association
Geralyn C. Shelvin, Supreme Lady Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary
Rev. Larry Snyder, President Catholic Charities USA
Joanne Tomassi, National Regent Catholic Daughters of the Americas
The Most Rev. José Gomez Archbishop of Los Angeles Chairman , Migration and Refugee Services
The Most Rev. Timothy Dolan Archbishop of New York President United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
600 Catholic physicians attending a four day conference in St. Paul, Minnesota, were warned that they are practising medicine in an increasingly toxic culture and that even physicians who do not follow Church teaching may be forced to do things that they believe to be wrong. Bishop Robert Vasa of Santa Rosa, California told the audience that “American Catholic physicians, have to wake up to the fact that they can no longer presume that their individual choices about how they practice medicine in this country will be respected.” John Brehany, the CMA’s executive director, described the current situation in the United States as a “very dangerous crisis.” [NCR]
Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) addressed the John Carroll Society in Washington, D.C. on the theme of “Let Religious Freedom Ring.” Cardinal Dolan stated that “freedom of religion has been the driving force of almost every enlightened, un-shackling, noble cause in American history,” and that defence of religious freedom is “the quintessential American cause, the first line in the defense of and protection of human rights.”[Zenit] [My Catholic Standard] During thekeynote address at the Catholic Perspectives on Religious Liberty symposium at Georgetown University, Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, D.C. argued that to relegate religion to the private sphere and silence moral teaching in public is dangerous because religious belief is “the conscience of society.” [CNS]