HARRISBURG -- The diocese of Harrisburg has objected to an edict from Washington that faith-based employers must cover birth control pills and other forms of contraception in the health insurance plans they offer.
At Catholic church services throughout the Valley, a Jan. 27 letter from the Most Rev. Joseph McFadden, the bishop of Harrisburg, was read decrying the Jan. 20 action by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
McFadden called the move "an alarming and serious matter that poses the greatest threat to religious liberty in our lifetimes."
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had sought an exemption from the rule that calls upon all U.S. employers to include in their health coverage contraception without a deductible or co-payment required. Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, conference president, has sharply criticized the Obama administration's decision.
"Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience," Dolan said in a statement. "This shouldn't happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights."
McFadden's letter included the words "sterilization" and "abortion-inducing drugs," but the HHS announcement does not specifically state these.
The requirement, announced last August, exempts employees of churches and other houses of worship, but covers employees of hospitals, universities, charities and other religious-associated entities that serve the general public and employ people of various faiths, The New York Times reported.
Faith-based organizations have until August 2013 to comply.
Joe Aponick, spokesman for the Harrisburg diocese, said there is an organized movement to the ruling in that many bishops throughout the country are reacting to it, but everyone is not sending the same letter.
However, "along the same lines, the letter is really the meat of the message," Aponick said, noting the it contained the web addresses of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, where people can go for more information.
In the letter, McFadden asked parishioners to "prayerfully and respectfully make known your objections to this intolerable ruling and insist that your rights of conscience as a Catholic citizen be restored."
"We want to give people tools to realize how to contact their federal legislators," Aponick said.
Among lawmakers already reacting was Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who released a statement the day of the HHS ruling, calling it "a wrong decision."
"I urged the administration to take a different course," Casey said. "I believe that religiously affiliated institutions like hospitals and universities should not be forced to provide health insurance policies that cover procedures or provide services that are contrary to their religious beliefs."
Casey, a pro-life Democrat, said he supports and has voted for efforts to provide greater access to contraception "because it reduces the number of abortions."
He added, "However, I believe this is a different issue."
The issue also affects other denominations and religious organizations, although they have not be as vocal about it.
Rodney Baughman, administrator of Meadowbrook Christian School in Milton, said he had not read the ruling, " so it would be difficult to comment."
Nancy Gross, administrator of Sunbury Christian Academy, also said she did not feel knowledgeable enough on the ruling to make a comment.
