Catholics Step Up Fight Against 'Unacceptable' Healthcare Bill

NEWSMAX.com ^ | August 21, 2009 | John Rossomando

[WhiteCastle]

The immensity of the nation’s 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 nation’s largest healthcare systems, according to the Catholic Health Association, there are.

Almost 13 percent of the nation’s 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.”

[Always Right]

I wrote about this earlier, Separation of Church and Health Care. This is a major threat to Catholic Hospitals if passed. Democrats have assaulted these types of freedoms to health care providers throughout the country. I think government controlled health care will eventually lead to the destruction of all Catholic Hospitals.

[Prov3456]

My understanding is that Obama has held up reinstating the "conscience clause" (medical personnel who object to abortion on moral grounds do not have to perfom them) which was implemented just before the end of the Bush administration until or unless Catholic hospitals accept his "overhaul" of health care.

Can anyone confirm this?

That sounds like blackmail to me.

[mimaw]

What will he do if Catholic Hospitals are shut down?

[Always Right]

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White House set to reverse health care conscience clause

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[Joe Boucher]

Horse crap,
Catholics voted for this socialist punk.

[SuziQ]

“You’ve heard [healthcare reform] is all going to mean funding of abortion, not true,” Obama said.

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.

[SuziQ]

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.

[jmaroneps37]

http://www.collinsreport.net/2009/08/10/do-you-want-to-do-something-to-directly-fight-obamacare/