{"id":13037,"date":"2016-02-18T21:36:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-18T21:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling-46774\/"},"modified":"2016-02-18T21:36:00","modified_gmt":"2016-02-18T21:36:00","slug":"ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling\/","title":{"rendered":"EWTN disappointed but hopeful after latest HHS mandate ruling"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><head><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><\/head><body><p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Michael_P_Warsaw_Chairman_of_the_Board_and_CEO_of_Eternal_Word_Television_Network_speaks_with_the_press_in_this_undated_file_photo_Credit_EWTN_CNA_11_6_15.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Washington D.C., Feb 18, 2016 \/ 02:36 pm (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- In a 2-1 decision delivered Feb. 18, a federal court ruled against the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in its challenge to the federal contraception mandate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are disappointed in the Court\u2019s refusal to protect our religious freedom,\u201d EWTN chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe simply want to continue to practice the same faith we preach to the world every day,\u201d he said in a Feb. 18 statement. \u201cWe are prayerful and hopeful that, if necessary, the Supreme Court will correct this critical error.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>EWTN Global Catholic Network was founded by Mother Angelica, a Franciscan nun. Its purpose is to share the Catholic faith across the globe. Reaching over 250 million homes in 144 different countries, it is the largest religious media network in the world and is among hundreds of organizations to challenge the Department of Health and Human Services mandate.<\/p>\n<p>The mandate requires employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and some drugs that can cause early abortions.<\/p>\n<p>Employers who fail to comply with the mandate face crippling penalties. Many Catholic and non-Catholic organizations have filed lawsuits against the mandate, saying it violates religious freedom and compels them to act against their religious and moral beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>In its decision, the federal court said, \u201cWe accept the plaintiffs\u2019 sincere belief . . . that the accommodation puts them to a choice between honoring their religious beliefs and facing significant penalties. We nonetheless conclude that the accommodation imposes no substantial burden.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The dissenting opinion in the case argued that the majority ruling \u201cruns roughshod over the sincerely held religious objections of Eternal Word Television Network,\u201d and threatens core religious freedom legislation. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Directly after delivering its ruling, the court placed its effects on hold until the Supreme Court rules on the mandate later this year. This protects EWTN from accumulating fines while waiting for the Supreme Court\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n<p>Lori Windham, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead attorney on the case, said that the federal court\u2019s decision \u201cis wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRather than provide these drugs and devices through its own exchanges, our government wants to punish EWTN for practicing its faith,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis 2-1 decision is not the end. The government's unconstitutional mandate has lost repeatedly at the Supreme Court, and we believe it will lose again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On Nov. 6, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear several remaining legal challenges to the mandate, including plaintiffs like Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh and the Little Sisters of the Poor.<\/p>\n<p>For failing to comply with the mandate, EWTN said it could face fines of $35,000 per day, about $12.7 million per year. Its amicus curiae, or \u201cfriend of the court,\u201d brief charged that the government aims to force EWTN into \u201ccomplicity with wrongdoing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, a closely-held private company whose Christian owners objected to parts of the mandate. Its ruling on the non-profit challenges to the mandate is expect this summer.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"feedflare\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?a=W6xP6jiiNR8:Dcr-63ajzd8:yIl2AUoC8zA\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA\" border=\"0\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~r\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews\/~4\/W6xP6jiiNR8\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Michael_P_Warsaw_Chairman_of_the_Board_and_CEO_of_Eternal_Word_Television_Network_speaks_with_the_press_in_this_undated_file_photo_Credit_EWTN_CNA_11_6_15.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>Washington D.C., Feb 18, 2016 \/ 02:36 pm (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/\" target=\"_self\">CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- In a 2-1 decision delivered Feb. 18, a federal court ruled against the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in its challenge to the federal contraception mandate.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are disappointed in the Court&rsquo;s refusal to protect our religious freedom,&rdquo; EWTN chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We simply want to continue to practice the same faith we preach to the world every day,&rdquo; he said in a Feb. 18 statement. &ldquo;We are prayerful and hopeful that, if necessary, the Supreme Court will correct this critical error.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>EWTN Global Catholic Network was founded by Mother Angelica, a Franciscan nun. Its purpose is to share the Catholic faith across the globe. Reaching over 250 million homes in 144 different countries, it is the largest religious media network in the world and is among hundreds of organizations to challenge the Department of Health and Human Services mandate.<\/p>\n<p>The mandate requires employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and some drugs that can cause early abortions.<\/p>\n<p>Employers who fail to comply with the mandate face crippling penalties. Many Catholic and non-Catholic organizations have filed lawsuits against the mandate, saying it violates religious freedom and compels them to act against their religious and moral beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>In its decision, the federal court said, &ldquo;We accept the plaintiffs&rsquo; sincere belief . . . that the accommodation puts them to a choice between honoring their religious beliefs and facing significant penalties. We nonetheless conclude that the accommodation imposes no substantial burden.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The dissenting opinion in the case argued that the majority ruling &ldquo;runs roughshod over the sincerely held religious objections of Eternal Word Television Network,&rdquo; and threatens core religious freedom legislation. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Directly after delivering its ruling, the court placed its effects on hold until the Supreme Court rules on the mandate later this year. This protects EWTN from accumulating fines while waiting for the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision.<\/p>\n<p>Lori Windham, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead attorney on the case, said that the federal court&rsquo;s decision &ldquo;is wrong.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Rather than provide these drugs and devices through its own exchanges, our government wants to punish EWTN for practicing its faith,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This 2-1 decision is not the end. The government&#8217;s unconstitutional mandate has lost repeatedly at the Supreme Court, and we believe it will lose again.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>On Nov. 6, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear several remaining legal challenges to the mandate, including plaintiffs like Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh and the Little Sisters of the Poor.<\/p>\n<p>For failing to comply with the mandate, EWTN said it could face fines of $35,000 per day, about $12.7 million per year. Its amicus curiae, or &ldquo;friend of the court,&rdquo; brief charged that the government aims to force EWTN into &ldquo;complicity with wrongdoing.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, a closely-held private company whose Christian owners objected to parts of the mandate. Its ruling on the non-profit challenges to the mandate is expect this summer.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?a=W6xP6jiiNR8:Dcr-63ajzd8:yIl2AUoC8zA\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA\" border=\"0\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~r\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews\/~4\/W6xP6jiiNR8\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>EWTN disappointed but hopeful after latest HHS mandate ruling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Washington D.C., Feb 18, 2016 \/ 02:36 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- In a 2-1 decision delivered Feb. 18, a federal court ruled against the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in its challenge to the federal contraception mandate. &ldquo;We are disappointed in the Court&rsquo;s refusal to protect our religious freedom,&rdquo; EWTN chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw said. &ldquo;We simply want to continue to practice the same faith we preach to the world every day,&rdquo; he said in a Feb. 18 statement. &ldquo;We are prayerful and hopeful that, if necessary, the Supreme Court will correct this critical error.&rdquo; EWTN Global Catholic Network was founded by Mother Angelica, a Franciscan nun. Its purpose is to share the Catholic faith across the globe. Reaching over 250 million homes in 144 different countries, it is the largest religious media network in the world and is among hundreds of organizations to challenge the Department of Health and Human Services mandate. The mandate requires employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and some drugs that can cause early abortions. Employers who fail to comply with the mandate face crippling penalties. Many Catholic and non-Catholic organizations have filed lawsuits against the mandate, saying it violates religious freedom and compels them to act against their religious and moral beliefs. In its decision, the federal court said, &ldquo;We accept the plaintiffs&rsquo; sincere belief . . . that the accommodation puts them to a choice between honoring their religious beliefs and facing significant penalties. We nonetheless conclude that the accommodation imposes no substantial burden.&rdquo; The dissenting opinion in the case argued that the majority ruling &ldquo;runs roughshod over the sincerely held religious objections of Eternal Word Television Network,&rdquo; and threatens core religious freedom legislation. &nbsp; Directly after delivering its ruling, the court placed its effects on hold until the Supreme Court rules on the mandate later this year. This protects EWTN from accumulating fines while waiting for the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision. Lori Windham, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead attorney on the case, said that the federal court&rsquo;s decision &ldquo;is wrong.&rdquo; &ldquo;Rather than provide these drugs and devices through its own exchanges, our government wants to punish EWTN for practicing its faith,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This 2-1 decision is not the end. The government&#039;s unconstitutional mandate has lost repeatedly at the Supreme Court, and we believe it will lose again.&rdquo; On Nov. 6, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear several remaining legal challenges to the mandate, including plaintiffs like Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh and the Little Sisters of the Poor. For failing to comply with the mandate, EWTN said it could face fines of $35,000 per day, about $12.7 million per year. Its amicus curiae, or &ldquo;friend of the court,&rdquo; brief charged that the government aims to force EWTN into &ldquo;complicity with wrongdoing.&rdquo; In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, a closely-held private company whose Christian owners objected to parts of the mandate. Its ruling on the non-profit challenges to the mandate is expect this summer. &nbsp;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"EWTN disappointed but hopeful after latest HHS mandate ruling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Washington D.C., Feb 18, 2016 \/ 02:36 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- In a 2-1 decision delivered Feb. 18, a federal court ruled against the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in its challenge to the federal contraception mandate. &ldquo;We are disappointed in the Court&rsquo;s refusal to protect our religious freedom,&rdquo; EWTN chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw said. &ldquo;We simply want to continue to practice the same faith we preach to the world every day,&rdquo; he said in a Feb. 18 statement. &ldquo;We are prayerful and hopeful that, if necessary, the Supreme Court will correct this critical error.&rdquo; EWTN Global Catholic Network was founded by Mother Angelica, a Franciscan nun. Its purpose is to share the Catholic faith across the globe. Reaching over 250 million homes in 144 different countries, it is the largest religious media network in the world and is among hundreds of organizations to challenge the Department of Health and Human Services mandate. The mandate requires employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and some drugs that can cause early abortions. Employers who fail to comply with the mandate face crippling penalties. Many Catholic and non-Catholic organizations have filed lawsuits against the mandate, saying it violates religious freedom and compels them to act against their religious and moral beliefs. In its decision, the federal court said, &ldquo;We accept the plaintiffs&rsquo; sincere belief . . . that the accommodation puts them to a choice between honoring their religious beliefs and facing significant penalties. We nonetheless conclude that the accommodation imposes no substantial burden.&rdquo; The dissenting opinion in the case argued that the majority ruling &ldquo;runs roughshod over the sincerely held religious objections of Eternal Word Television Network,&rdquo; and threatens core religious freedom legislation. &nbsp; Directly after delivering its ruling, the court placed its effects on hold until the Supreme Court rules on the mandate later this year. This protects EWTN from accumulating fines while waiting for the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision. Lori Windham, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead attorney on the case, said that the federal court&rsquo;s decision &ldquo;is wrong.&rdquo; &ldquo;Rather than provide these drugs and devices through its own exchanges, our government wants to punish EWTN for practicing its faith,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This 2-1 decision is not the end. The government&#039;s unconstitutional mandate has lost repeatedly at the Supreme Court, and we believe it will lose again.&rdquo; On Nov. 6, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear several remaining legal challenges to the mandate, including plaintiffs like Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh and the Little Sisters of the Poor. For failing to comply with the mandate, EWTN said it could face fines of $35,000 per day, about $12.7 million per year. Its amicus curiae, or &ldquo;friend of the court,&rdquo; brief charged that the government aims to force EWTN into &ldquo;complicity with wrongdoing.&rdquo; In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, a closely-held private company whose Christian owners objected to parts of the mandate. Its ruling on the non-profit challenges to the mandate is expect this summer. &nbsp;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Catholic News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-02-18T21:36:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Michael_P_Warsaw_Chairman_of_the_Board_and_CEO_of_Eternal_Word_Television_Network_speaks_with_the_press_in_this_undated_file_photo_Credit_EWTN_CNA_11_6_15.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling\/\",\"name\":\"EWTN disappointed but hopeful after latest HHS mandate ruling\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-02-18T21:36:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-02-18T21:36:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\"},\"description\":\"Washington D.C., Feb 18, 2016 \/ 02:36 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- In a 2-1 decision delivered Feb. 18, a federal court ruled against the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in its challenge to the federal contraception mandate. &ldquo;We are disappointed in the Court&rsquo;s refusal to protect our religious freedom,&rdquo; EWTN chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw said. &ldquo;We simply want to continue to practice the same faith we preach to the world every day,&rdquo; he said in a Feb. 18 statement. &ldquo;We are prayerful and hopeful that, if necessary, the Supreme Court will correct this critical error.&rdquo; EWTN Global Catholic Network was founded by Mother Angelica, a Franciscan nun. Its purpose is to share the Catholic faith across the globe. Reaching over 250 million homes in 144 different countries, it is the largest religious media network in the world and is among hundreds of organizations to challenge the Department of Health and Human Services mandate. The mandate requires employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and some drugs that can cause early abortions. Employers who fail to comply with the mandate face crippling penalties. Many Catholic and non-Catholic organizations have filed lawsuits against the mandate, saying it violates religious freedom and compels them to act against their religious and moral beliefs. In its decision, the federal court said, &ldquo;We accept the plaintiffs&rsquo; sincere belief . . . that the accommodation puts them to a choice between honoring their religious beliefs and facing significant penalties. We nonetheless conclude that the accommodation imposes no substantial burden.&rdquo; The dissenting opinion in the case argued that the majority ruling &ldquo;runs roughshod over the sincerely held religious objections of Eternal Word Television Network,&rdquo; and threatens core religious freedom legislation. &nbsp; Directly after delivering its ruling, the court placed its effects on hold until the Supreme Court rules on the mandate later this year. This protects EWTN from accumulating fines while waiting for the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision. Lori Windham, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead attorney on the case, said that the federal court&rsquo;s decision &ldquo;is wrong.&rdquo; &ldquo;Rather than provide these drugs and devices through its own exchanges, our government wants to punish EWTN for practicing its faith,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This 2-1 decision is not the end. The government's unconstitutional mandate has lost repeatedly at the Supreme Court, and we believe it will lose again.&rdquo; On Nov. 6, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear several remaining legal challenges to the mandate, including plaintiffs like Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh and the Little Sisters of the Poor. For failing to comply with the mandate, EWTN said it could face fines of $35,000 per day, about $12.7 million per year. Its amicus curiae, or &ldquo;friend of the court,&rdquo; brief charged that the government aims to force EWTN into &ldquo;complicity with wrongdoing.&rdquo; In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, a closely-held private company whose Christian owners objected to parts of the mandate. 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Its purpose is to share the Catholic faith across the globe. Reaching over 250 million homes in 144 different countries, it is the largest religious media network in the world and is among hundreds of organizations to challenge the Department of Health and Human Services mandate. The mandate requires employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and some drugs that can cause early abortions. Employers who fail to comply with the mandate face crippling penalties. Many Catholic and non-Catholic organizations have filed lawsuits against the mandate, saying it violates religious freedom and compels them to act against their religious and moral beliefs. In its decision, the federal court said, &ldquo;We accept the plaintiffs&rsquo; sincere belief . . . that the accommodation puts them to a choice between honoring their religious beliefs and facing significant penalties. We nonetheless conclude that the accommodation imposes no substantial burden.&rdquo; The dissenting opinion in the case argued that the majority ruling &ldquo;runs roughshod over the sincerely held religious objections of Eternal Word Television Network,&rdquo; and threatens core religious freedom legislation. &nbsp; Directly after delivering its ruling, the court placed its effects on hold until the Supreme Court rules on the mandate later this year. This protects EWTN from accumulating fines while waiting for the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision. Lori Windham, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead attorney on the case, said that the federal court&rsquo;s decision &ldquo;is wrong.&rdquo; &ldquo;Rather than provide these drugs and devices through its own exchanges, our government wants to punish EWTN for practicing its faith,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This 2-1 decision is not the end. The government's unconstitutional mandate has lost repeatedly at the Supreme Court, and we believe it will lose again.&rdquo; On Nov. 6, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear several remaining legal challenges to the mandate, including plaintiffs like Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh and the Little Sisters of the Poor. For failing to comply with the mandate, EWTN said it could face fines of $35,000 per day, about $12.7 million per year. Its amicus curiae, or &ldquo;friend of the court,&rdquo; brief charged that the government aims to force EWTN into &ldquo;complicity with wrongdoing.&rdquo; In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, a closely-held private company whose Christian owners objected to parts of the mandate. Its ruling on the non-profit challenges to the mandate is expect this summer. &nbsp;","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"EWTN disappointed but hopeful after latest HHS mandate ruling","og_description":"Washington D.C., Feb 18, 2016 \/ 02:36 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- In a 2-1 decision delivered Feb. 18, a federal court ruled against the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in its challenge to the federal contraception mandate. &ldquo;We are disappointed in the Court&rsquo;s refusal to protect our religious freedom,&rdquo; EWTN chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw said. &ldquo;We simply want to continue to practice the same faith we preach to the world every day,&rdquo; he said in a Feb. 18 statement. &ldquo;We are prayerful and hopeful that, if necessary, the Supreme Court will correct this critical error.&rdquo; EWTN Global Catholic Network was founded by Mother Angelica, a Franciscan nun. Its purpose is to share the Catholic faith across the globe. Reaching over 250 million homes in 144 different countries, it is the largest religious media network in the world and is among hundreds of organizations to challenge the Department of Health and Human Services mandate. The mandate requires employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and some drugs that can cause early abortions. Employers who fail to comply with the mandate face crippling penalties. Many Catholic and non-Catholic organizations have filed lawsuits against the mandate, saying it violates religious freedom and compels them to act against their religious and moral beliefs. In its decision, the federal court said, &ldquo;We accept the plaintiffs&rsquo; sincere belief . . . that the accommodation puts them to a choice between honoring their religious beliefs and facing significant penalties. We nonetheless conclude that the accommodation imposes no substantial burden.&rdquo; The dissenting opinion in the case argued that the majority ruling &ldquo;runs roughshod over the sincerely held religious objections of Eternal Word Television Network,&rdquo; and threatens core religious freedom legislation. &nbsp; Directly after delivering its ruling, the court placed its effects on hold until the Supreme Court rules on the mandate later this year. This protects EWTN from accumulating fines while waiting for the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision. Lori Windham, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead attorney on the case, said that the federal court&rsquo;s decision &ldquo;is wrong.&rdquo; &ldquo;Rather than provide these drugs and devices through its own exchanges, our government wants to punish EWTN for practicing its faith,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This 2-1 decision is not the end. The government's unconstitutional mandate has lost repeatedly at the Supreme Court, and we believe it will lose again.&rdquo; On Nov. 6, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear several remaining legal challenges to the mandate, including plaintiffs like Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh and the Little Sisters of the Poor. For failing to comply with the mandate, EWTN said it could face fines of $35,000 per day, about $12.7 million per year. Its amicus curiae, or &ldquo;friend of the court,&rdquo; brief charged that the government aims to force EWTN into &ldquo;complicity with wrongdoing.&rdquo; In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, a closely-held private company whose Christian owners objected to parts of the mandate. Its ruling on the non-profit challenges to the mandate is expect this summer. &nbsp;","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling\/","og_site_name":"Catholic News","article_published_time":"2016-02-18T21:36:00+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Michael_P_Warsaw_Chairman_of_the_Board_and_CEO_of_Eternal_Word_Television_Network_speaks_with_the_press_in_this_undated_file_photo_Credit_EWTN_CNA_11_6_15.jpg"}],"author":"CNA Daily News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CNA Daily News","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling\/","name":"EWTN disappointed but hopeful after latest HHS mandate ruling","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website"},"datePublished":"2016-02-18T21:36:00+00:00","dateModified":"2016-02-18T21:36:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1"},"description":"Washington D.C., Feb 18, 2016 \/ 02:36 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- In a 2-1 decision delivered Feb. 18, a federal court ruled against the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in its challenge to the federal contraception mandate. &ldquo;We are disappointed in the Court&rsquo;s refusal to protect our religious freedom,&rdquo; EWTN chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw said. &ldquo;We simply want to continue to practice the same faith we preach to the world every day,&rdquo; he said in a Feb. 18 statement. &ldquo;We are prayerful and hopeful that, if necessary, the Supreme Court will correct this critical error.&rdquo; EWTN Global Catholic Network was founded by Mother Angelica, a Franciscan nun. Its purpose is to share the Catholic faith across the globe. Reaching over 250 million homes in 144 different countries, it is the largest religious media network in the world and is among hundreds of organizations to challenge the Department of Health and Human Services mandate. The mandate requires employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and some drugs that can cause early abortions. Employers who fail to comply with the mandate face crippling penalties. Many Catholic and non-Catholic organizations have filed lawsuits against the mandate, saying it violates religious freedom and compels them to act against their religious and moral beliefs. In its decision, the federal court said, &ldquo;We accept the plaintiffs&rsquo; sincere belief . . . that the accommodation puts them to a choice between honoring their religious beliefs and facing significant penalties. We nonetheless conclude that the accommodation imposes no substantial burden.&rdquo; The dissenting opinion in the case argued that the majority ruling &ldquo;runs roughshod over the sincerely held religious objections of Eternal Word Television Network,&rdquo; and threatens core religious freedom legislation. &nbsp; Directly after delivering its ruling, the court placed its effects on hold until the Supreme Court rules on the mandate later this year. This protects EWTN from accumulating fines while waiting for the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision. Lori Windham, senior counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead attorney on the case, said that the federal court&rsquo;s decision &ldquo;is wrong.&rdquo; &ldquo;Rather than provide these drugs and devices through its own exchanges, our government wants to punish EWTN for practicing its faith,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This 2-1 decision is not the end. The government's unconstitutional mandate has lost repeatedly at the Supreme Court, and we believe it will lose again.&rdquo; On Nov. 6, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear several remaining legal challenges to the mandate, including plaintiffs like Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh and the Little Sisters of the Poor. For failing to comply with the mandate, EWTN said it could face fines of $35,000 per day, about $12.7 million per year. Its amicus curiae, or &ldquo;friend of the court,&rdquo; brief charged that the government aims to force EWTN into &ldquo;complicity with wrongdoing.&rdquo; In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, a closely-held private company whose Christian owners objected to parts of the mandate. Its ruling on the non-profit challenges to the mandate is expect this summer. &nbsp;","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/ewtn-disappointed-but-hopeful-after-latest-hhs-mandate-ruling\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"EWTN disappointed but hopeful after latest HHS mandate ruling"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/","name":"Catholic News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1","name":"CNA Daily News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CNA Daily News"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13037","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1031"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13037"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13037\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}