Cardinal Dolan, “We’re not violating our consciences.”

Regarding the HHS Mandate, Rachel Zoll reports from Baltimore,

A top American bishop said Tuesday the Roman Catholic church will not comply with the Obama administration requirement that most employers provide health insurance covering birth control.

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said church leaders are open to working toward a resolution with federal officials, but will meanwhile press ahead with challenges to the mandate in legislatures and in court.

“The only thing we’re certainly not prepared to do is give in. We’re not violating our consciences,” Dolan told reporters at a national bishops’ meeting. “I would say no door is closed except for the door to capitulation.”

Zoll notes that some are calling for the President to take note of this stance and be open to dialogue on a way forward with the Church,

The Rev. Thomas Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, said the administration should compromise. Although liberal-leaning Catholics disagree with the bishops on gay marriage and other issues, these same Catholics would oppose anything that threatened the church’s social service work with the poor, war refugees and other disadvantaged people.

“This is a situation where being a gracious victor is not only the right thing to do, it makes good political sense,” Reese said.

Read the whole piece.

Cardinal Dolan’s stance, and that of the Church, reminds me of a song I’ve heard with a similar theme.