Contraception Uber Alles!

I received this message from a friend last night. I’d been following the issue, but had no idea that it was so immediate, and so I apologize for not tackling it sooner. For all practical purposes, Our Dear Government is telling Catholic health institutions that they must support contraceptive/sterilization use or cease to exist. Alternatively, they could serve and employ solely Catholics, which, from every angle you look at it, is an entirely whack compromise. (Sorry, cancer-patient at St. Jude’s. We’re moving you to a city hospital; you’re an atheist.) It is a serious step backwards for a society of religious tolerance and pluralism, and downright embarrassing for Americans to have to realize just how dumb our leaders are. I’ll post on it in detail eventually, but for now:
Tonight I received a notification from one of my professors concerning a new mandate implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which acts against the Catholic Church’s belief for the protection of all human life. These new guidelines, titled 76 Fed. Reg. 46621 (3 August 2011), mandate that “all individual and group health insurance plans, including self-insured plans, cover all FDA-approved contraception and sterilization procedures”
PLEASE READ THE ATTACHED DOCUMENTS to learn how these guidelines violate the practice of our Catholic faith.

These guidelines will supposedly take effect on August 1, 2012, unless there are enough letters (HAND-WRITTEN IS MOST EFFECTIVE) sent to Ms. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at:

Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary
U.S. Department for Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201

I realize that this is short notice but the deadline for the “public comment period” is TOMORROW, SEPTEMBER 30th. Which means that if you want to express the Catholic Church’s opinion towards this new legislation, then you must WRITE AND MAIL YOUR LETTER TO SECRETARY SEBELIUS TOMORROW!!!

I have included a statement from Bishop David A. Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburg; a sample letter; and Bishop Zubuik’s letter, which all came from the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s website (www.diopitt.org).

Statement:

http://diopitt.org/sites/default/files/HHSguidelines1.pdf
Sample Letter:

http://diopitt.org/sites/default/files/HHSsampleletteto%20SecretarySebeliusr.pdf
Bishop Zubik’s Letter:

http://diopitt.org/sites/default/files/Bishop’s%20letter%20to%20Secretary%20Kathleen%20Sebelius.pdf

All of this does nothing to counteract my growing belief that the federal government has lost any authority it ever had to oblige us to do anything at all.