Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver called the new exemptions announced by the Trump administration Friday to the Health and Human Services contraceptive mandate “welcome news.”
“The HHS Mandate has entangled many Catholic organizations, including the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, in burdensome legal battles over the past few years,” he said. “The government should not be in the business of deciding which religious and moral beliefs companies, universities or churches can hold.
“Until today, that is exactly what the HHS Mandate did, backed with the threat of substantial fines.”
“I look forward to studying the new rule more in-depth to understand its impact on the various entities located in the Archdiocese of Denver, and I hope to see the just resolution of the court cases related to the mandate,” the archbishop added.
The HHS policy announced today adds broad religious and moral exemptions to the mandate, which originated in the Affordable Care Act.
In 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services mandated that employers provide contraceptives and other abortion-inducing drugs, which the Catholic Church finds morally objectionable, to their employees.
Following the announcement, Mark Rienzi, senior counsel at Becket and lead attorney for the Little Sisters of the Poor, stated: “HHS has issued a balanced rule that respects all sides– it keeps the contraceptive mandate in place for most employers and now provides a religious exemption.
“The Little Sisters still need to get final relief in court, which should be easy now that the government admits it broke the law.”
Full text of Archbishop’s statement:
“Today’s announcement that the Trump administration has issued a new rule that limits the Health and Human Services Contraception Mandate is welcome news.
“The HHS Mandate has entangled many Catholic organizations, including the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, in burdensome legal battles over the past few years. The government should not be in the business of deciding which religious and moral beliefs companies, universities or churches can hold. Until today, that is exactly what the HHS Mandate did, backed with the threat of substantial fines.
“I look forward to studying the new rule more in-depth to understand its impact on the various entities located in the Archdiocese of Denver, and I hope to see the just resolution of the court cases related to the mandate.”
Photo: Little Sisters of the Poor enter 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for their oral arguments Dec, 8, 2014. Credit: Denver Catholic
