In a Catholics for Choice poll of 1000 self-described Catholic voters, respondents indicated that they are most concerned about jobs, public education, and healthcare-and least concerned about abortion and gay marriage. The poll found that 83 percent of Catholic voters feel no obligation to vote the way the Catholic hierarchy recommends, and 76 percent feel […]
Bishop Robert Finn was found guilty on one misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child abuse Thursday in Kansas City, Missouri. Bishop Finn is the highest ranking U.S. Catholic official convicted in a sex abuse scandal. Bishop Finn was sentenced to two years of court-supervised probation. A condition of Finn’s probation is that he […]
The U.S. Catholic Church requested that Congress overturn the contraceptive coverage provision under the Affordable Care Act in a letter on Friday. Written to members of Congress, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Chair of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, asked that Congress overturn the federal contraceptive coverage requirement by the end of the year. The […]
Since the end of last month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have been busy rallying up their base to come out and defend their “religious liberty.” A series of events, spanning over two weeks and dubbed the ‘Fortnight of Freedom,” were planned and publicized to parishes and diocese across the US in an attempt to […]
After a three-month trial, Monsignor William Lynn of Philadelphia has been found guilty of one count of endangering children in the archdiocese for which he served as secretary of clergy from 1992 to 2004. Lynn is now the first senior church official to be convicted of a cover-up in the priest sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church over the last 10 years. He faces 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison.
The Catholic Health Association (CHA) of the United States, the largest network of nonprofit hospitals and health facilities in the United States, announced on Friday that it would not support the Obama Administration’s accommodation on insurance coverage of birth control, reversing an earlier decision to support the accommodation. The Obama Administration announced in January that […]
Forty-three Catholic Organizations filed lawsuits yesterday in 12 federal courts arguing that the Obama Administration’s regulation that requires employers to include contraception coverage in their healthcare plans violates the employers’ religious freedom. The Obama Administration, in an accommodation, made clear that if a religiously-affiliated institute objects, the insurance company will provide the coverage for contraception […]
In a statement released yesterday, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced that they submitted comments (PDF) to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in opposition to the Obama Administration’s recent announcement that employers’ insurance plans must include contraception coverage. The Obama Administration, in an accommodation, made clear that if […]
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has launched an official inquiry into Girls Scouts USA. At the end of March, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne wrote a letter expressing his concerns about the Girl Scouts relationship to groups that promote birth control and contraceptives, such as Sierra Club and Doctors Without Borders, and […]
An Indiana Catholic School teacher is suing the diocese because school officials allegedly fired her for undergoing in vitro fertilization in violation of the Church’s teachings. Emily Herx, a teacher in Fort Wayne, Indiana, received favorable evaluations during her eight years of teaching literature and language arts at the Catholic school. When she learned she […]
A former altar boy testified on Wednesday that he was sexually abused by a Philadelphia priest. The testimony occurred during the landmark case against Monsignor William Lynn who has been charged with child endangerment and conspiracy for allegedly failing to act in response to cases of alleged priest sex abuse of children. The victim testified […]
The Catholic Bishops announced a new “religious freedom campaign” on Thursday, partially in response to the Obama Administration’s recent announcement that employers’ insurance plans must include contraception coverage. The Bishops said that the campaign will stretch over a number of years and will include a “Fortnight for Freedom” prayer and study campaign leading up to […]
Reuter’s recent review of the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s internal documents reveals a close and complicated relationship between the US Catholic Church and the Komen Foundation, which both receives funding from the Catholic Church and has allocated over $17.6 million to US Catholic universities, hospitals, and charities. Reuters reports that such intense financial pressure from […]
Reuter’s recent review of the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s internal documents reveals a close and complicated relationship between the US Catholic Church and the Komen Foundation, which both receives funding from the Catholic Church and has allocated over $17.6 million to US Catholic universities, hospitals, and charities. Reuters reports that such intense financial pressure from […]
After a “closed, two-day meeting,” Catholic Bishops made their top priority defeating birth control coverage in the preventive care package of the Affordable Care Act. The Bishops released a statement yesterday saying that they wanted to protect “religious freedom” and that “this dispute is not about access to contraceptives but about the governments forcing the […]
After a “closed, two-day meeting,” Catholic Bishops made their top priority defeating birth control coverage in the preventive care package of the Affordable Care Act. The Bishops released a statement yesterday saying that they wanted to protect “religious freedom” and that “this dispute is not about access to contraceptives but about the governments forcing the […]
Attorneys representing the Roman Catholic Church and priests who have been charged in two Missouri sex abuse cases have filed a case in an effort to legally compel the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) to disclose its records from the past twenty-three years. The documents requested include correspondences with victims, witnesses, police […]
Reproductive health advocates are responding to comments made this week by Anthony Picarello, general counsel to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Arguing for an even more extreme exemption for religious organizations, Picarello said, “If I quit this job and opened a Taco Bell, I’d be covered by the mandate,” citing that mandating birth control […]
More information is forthcoming. View video of the event. You can find the press kit here: Media Advisory AU Students for Choice Press Release Catholic Students for Women’s Health Press Release Catholic University Students Press Release George Washington University Students Press Release Georgetown Law Students for Reproductive Justice Hoyas for Choice Press Release Joint Statement […]
Students spoke out today in favor of birth control access on college campuses in response to pressure from Catholic bishops to restrict contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Students from Catholic University of America, Georgetown University, Georgetown Law School, American University, and Fordham University spoke at the press conference this morning in Washington, […]
