In the aftermath of the decision by Health and “Inhuman” Services regarding mandatory contraception coverage with an ideologically narrow exemption I thought I had seen some rather strong statements from various bishops.

“The present secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, a bitter fallen-away Catholic, now requires that all insurance, even when issued privately, must carry coverage for evil and grave sin,” Bruskewitz wrote in the letter, which he instructed parish priests to read aloud to their congregations at Mass this weekend. [Source]

Runner up for muscular episcopate statements is:

Bishop David Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburgh wrote, “It is really hard to believe that it happened. It comes like a slap in the face. The Obama administration has just told the Catholics of the United States, “To Hell with you!” There is no other way to put it.”

I would even give an honorable mention to Cardinal Mahoney:

“I cannot imagine a more direct and frontal attack on the freedom of conscience than this ruling today. This decision must be fought against with all the energies the Catholic Community can muster.”

None of this is surprising since from the start this has been the message from the Obama administration to Catholics. The very appointment of Kathleen Sebelius, the former governor restricted from receiving Communion from her bishop, was a slap in the face to Catholics. The latest ruling is totally consistent with the whole thrust of this administration – the abortion-at-all-costs administration.

Father Rutler in part writes:

…For a while, various Catholic leaders had hoped that they might reach an understanding with the Administration, and some even felt more at peace with the president’s assurances. But “peace for our time” only lasts until Poland is invaded.
…

At the time of the last presidential election, some may have thought that I overstated things in finding parallels with the dystopian world described in Robert Hugh Benson’s Lord of the World, in which Julian Felsenburgh makes eugenics “a sacred duty.”

Since our Lord did not humiliate the frightened apostles by saying “I told you so” when he rose from the dead, I shall not say “I told you so” to any who underestimated the plottings of social engineers whose audacity is only an audacity of despair. [Source]

As noted by Fr. Rutler this was an “interim final rule”. If that isn’t a perfect example of bureaucratic relativism I don’t know what is.

In the meantime of course defenders of this ruling love to point out the high rate of contraceptive usage among Catholics themselves. This is certainly scandalous, but directing doctrine by practice is “nonsensus” fidelium. It is very nice to see the public outrage by bishops over this ruling and you can certainly wish there was even a greater outrage over the scandal of contraceptive use by Catholics. But we can’t go back in time to properly catechize the past and have had bishops and priests willing to speak out against the culture of contraception and the self-centered view of children as resource hogs that must be kept in check.

The real question is how can we catechize the present and upcoming generations in regards to the truth of human sexuality. It has often been noted, especially by Catholics, the symphonic nature of truth. The teaching of the Church in regards to marriage is interlinked with contraception, abortion, divorce, homosexual acts, etc. But what happens when you start leaving out instruments in a symphony? It is rather compatible to what has happened to marriage when “instruments” such as the teaching on contraception, abortion, divorce, homosexual acts have been removed or to extend the comparison – muted.

In the meantime regarding this rule of unjust law we can follow Bishop Olmsted’s recommendation. [PDF]

Therefore, I would ask of you two things. First, commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored. Pray the rosary asking Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of our Nation to intercede for us. Without God, we can do nothing: with God, nothing is impossible. Second, I recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience, to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Administration’s decision.

A month or so ago it was reported how some pro-abortion groups were concerned that the Obama administration might “go wobbly” concerning forcing even religious institutions to cover contraception for their employees. They actually felt he might bow to pressure. Oh ye of little faith in the most pro abortion administration in history. The administration that provides a hermeneutic of “does it reduce abortion” in any way to all they do.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius said today that aside from houses of worship, all other religious agencies and organizations will be required to provide sterilization and contraceptive services, including abortifacients, in their employee healthcare plans; none will be allowed to charge co-pays or deductibles. The policy goes into effect in August 2013 for these entities; all others will be required to provide these services in August 2012.

Sebelius explained how her directive applies to non-church religious entities such as Catholic hospitals and universities: “Employers wishing to take advantage of the additional year must certify that they qualify for the delayed implementation. This additional year will allow these organizations more time and flexibility to adapt to this new rule.” She also said, “I believe this proposal strikes the appropriate balance between religious freedom and increasing access to important preventive services.”

Though this “additional year” exemption hardly applies to anybody because of the rigidly narrow interpretation of what a religious entity is. By this rule Jesus could not apply because of his support of the good samaritan and not confining his ministry to just the Jewish people.

As Richard Doerflinger notes:

One small cavil: The contraceptive mandate policy will not be deferred a year. It will apply this year, as originally planned, to the vast majority of individuals and organizations (except for the very narrow group of “religious employers” who hire and serve chiefly only people of their own faith, etc.). But specifically religious organizations that do not qualify for this narrow exemption may apply for deferred compliance for a year, only if they do not cover such services now. (Some of these organizations have recently discovered, to their chagrin, that their insurance does include these things, having investigated this because of the current controversy. They are out in the cold now, even if they had begun taking steps to exclude the coverage.) Since the mandate will be fully enforced on everyone else in the meantime, the question is whether even the religious groups with the one-year deferral will actually find any health insurer willing to write them a policy.

Good thing we have a Catholic as head of the HHS – oh wait.

The administration had just gotten slapped down by the Supreme Court 9-0 over their rigid interpretation of the ministerial exception. But arrogance knows no humility and they have further doubled-down with this decision.

This is more than an attack on religious freedom, but really an attack on every American in principle. When the government forces an individual to go out into the marketplace to buy a product they object to on the grounds of conscience, this ruling is just a start on the tyranny against individual conscience. This is an effort at group-conscience by the elites where they will tell you what you should object to. You are not allowed to be a conscientious objector on the war on life.

CatholicVote.org President Brian Burch wrote in part:

“It’s hard to believe that on this date, exactly one year from next year’s inauguration, President Obama would hand the Republican Party a golden opportunity to focus on religious liberty and win back the Catholic vote it lost in 2008. The only question is: Will the Republican presidential nominee seize the opportunity?”

I think this is wishful thinking. Catholics in regard to the Church’s teaching of what is the natural law regarding contraception has been mostly ignored. Unfortunately I think too many Catholics will like the idea of coverage for something they are already using. The negative reaction to this ruling has largely been only by faithful Catholics and has not been the outrage it should be generally by non-Catholics. I wish to be wrong here.

Pope Benedict XVI in a very recent address to American bishops is certainly aware of this negative trend in the United States regarding religious freedom. Besides the Dictatorship of Relativism, we also have a President of Relativism.

In the light of these considerations, it is imperative that the entire Catholic community in the United States come to realize the grave threats to the Church’s public moral witness presented by a radical secularism which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres. The seriousness of these threats needs to be clearly appreciated at every level of ecclesial life. Of particular concern are certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished of American freedoms, the freedom of religion. Many of you have pointed out that concerted efforts have been made to deny the right of conscientious objection on the part of Catholic individuals and institutions with regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices. Others have spoken to me of a worrying tendency to reduce religious freedom to mere freedom of worship without guarantees of respect for freedom of conscience.

Earlier today I read a quite excellent post by John C. Wright who was responding to a readers question on why he as an atheist had come to oppose contraception. He writes a lengthy post on the chain of reason that brought him to this opinion presently a quite cogent natural law argument. I especially enjoyed the section on teleology and that final causes exist in nature.

When I was an atheist the sanctity of marriage was something I came to believe even if I would not have truly understood sanctity. Many other things flowed out of this in my philosophy, but it was in no way as reasoned as Mr. Wright thought process.