Posted on 08/22/2009 1:10:20 PM PDT by WhiteCastle
The immensity of the nations Catholic healthcare system could add clout for Catholic bishops as they advance their opposition to healthcare reform as proposed now.
The Catholic Church demonstrated its legislative influence this year when it threatened to close Catholic hospitals if the Freedom of Choice Act passed, which effectively scuttled plans to introduce the legislation. The legislation would have defined abortion as a fundamental right and nullified conscience protections for healthcare providers.
The Catholic health network includes 624 hospitals, 499 long-term nursing facilities, and 41 hospices nationwide, including 11 of the nations largest healthcare systems, according to the Catholic Health Association, there are.
Almost 13 percent of the nations 4,897 community hospitals are Catholic-run and often provide a higher percentage of public health and specialty services than other healthcare providers. Catholic healthcare facilities accounted for 20 percent of hospital admissions in 21 states and the District of Columbia last year, according to CNSNews.com.
Advancing their arguments is Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, who chairs the pro-life committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Rigali told Congress in an Aug. 11 letter that healthcare reform must respect human life and rights of conscience in the context of abortion.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Can anyone confirm this?
That sounds like blackmail to me.
Horse crap,
Catholics voted for this socialist punk.
What it states is that it will cover 'Reproductive services", and through court challenges, abortion WILL eventually be mandated, which is what Obama plans on happening.
Only the Catholics who ignored the Bishops, and many of those did so because they were mad at President Bush about the economy. I suspect those folks are regretting their decision about now.
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