Newman Society Fights To Uphold Religious Freedom

A very special message from the Cardinal Newman Society:

August 29, 2014 Connect with Us       Donate to Support Our Mission Dear friends, We're in a high-stakes standoff with California! Professors at two Jesuit universities have complained to California officials about the lack of abortion coverage in their employee health plans—coverage that was dropped last year when The Cardinal Newman Society investigated. Now Gov. Jerry Brown's administration has ruled that state-regulated employers, including many private Catholic schools and colleges,must provide insurance for elective abortion! We've teamed up with two legal groups to fight this. It comes just as the Obama administration releases yet another version of the HHS Mandate accommodation.  In our public statement released yesterday, we said: The Obama administration's latest attempt to force morally objectionable employee benefits upon America's religious organizations—including the most faithful Catholic schools and colleges—in no way diminishes The Cardinal Newman Society's strenuous opposition to this extreme violation of religious freedom. We continue to depend on the courts to protect this freedom that is fundamental to all freedoms and cannot be justly violated by any government, no matter how zealous in its pursuit of other goals. We're so thankful for the many bishops and organizations that are standing up to the HHS mandate, but we're continually faced with more threats against Catholic schools and colleges! The California threat is huge. This is a mandate for elective abortion, which is labeled "medically necessary." Will the Obama administration keep its promise to enforce the Weldon Amendment, which prohibits federal funds to states that mandate insurance for abortion? Will California slide toward mandatory abortions in Catholic hospitals? Meanwhile, New York Catholic schools are required to hide their Catholic identity while providing state-funded pre-K classes. Catholic educators must navigate federal law concerning "transgendered" students. And Canada's courts have ruled that aCatholic school must exempt a high school student from liturgies and retreats. Please keep The Cardinal Newman Society in your prayers as we work on the "front lines," and stay up to date on new developments at CatholicEducationDaily.com. May God bless you, Patrick J. Reilly President