Category: News

UNESCO official suggests mandatory registration of physicians who object to abortion

The UNESCO Chair in Bioethics at the University of Barcelona held a seminar on  “Abortion and conscientious objection” in early February.  The Chair’s director, Maria Casado, told the press that Spain should establish a national registry of physicians who object to abortion as a method of ensuring access to the procedure.  While she claimed to support a right to conscientious objection, she said that “When [it] is transformed into a collective stance for ideological reasons, it turns into civil disobedience.”  [ELN]

 

US administration insistent on plan to force universal insurance for birth control

Spokesmen for the Obama administration have stated that the President is committed to the policy of forcing universal insurance coverage for surgical sterilization, contraceptives, and embryocidal drugs.  The administration opposes the passage protection of conscience legislation like S2092 -the Religious Freedom Protection Act of 2012, S2043 -the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012, and S1467 – Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011. [Washington Post; Reuters]

 

Archbishop: HHS mandate “belligerent, unnecessary, and deeply offensive”

The Archbiship of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput, has described the Obama administration’s plan to force universal insurance coverage for surgical sterilization, contraceptives, and embryocidal drugs an “aggressive attack on religious freedom in our country.”  He warns that debate about the details of the plan and the administration’s  promises of accommodation, while useful, risk obscuring that fundamental issue.  Reflecting on a pattern of prejudicial conduct of the administration, he suggest that it is “to put it generously – tone deaf to people of faith.” [philly.com]

 

President Obama announces promise to accommodate objecting employers

President Barack Obama and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius held a news conference today and promised to revise a regulation that has ignited a firestorm of protest across the United States. However, the details provided in the White House “Fact Sheet” suggest that the administration is simply reaffirming the existing regulation while making a promise work with objecting institutions to find a compromise during a one-year grace period.  This is essentially what Secretary Sebelius announced  on 20 January.  What is new is the suggestion that coverage might be offered by insurance companies without the active participation of employers who object.  When developing the proposal, the administration did not consult with the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has been the most determined and vociferous critic of the regulation.

The proposal was not published in the United States Federal Register on 10 February, as promised by the White House “Fact Sheet”.

 

American Catholic Medical Association questions offer of accommodation

The Catholic Medical Association states that the proposed accommodation being offerd by the Obama administration to employers who object to providing insurance coverage for surgical sterilization, contraceptives, and embryocidal drugs “appears to fall far short of addressing the fatal flaws in the original rule.”  [CMA news release]