Statement on USCCB Directive Against Obamacare

American Life League’s Judie Brown, a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, issued the following statement on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ national campaign mobilizing every parish to oppose abortion in health care reform and demand conscience protections for health care workers.

“We applaud the USCCB’s unprecedented action in its national campaign to mobilize parishes against the current versions of the health care bill. It has taken an important first step in activating Catholics to take back our health care system and our country from the radical pro-aborts in the legislature and sometimes even in the pulpits.

"We proudly stand with the USCCB in its statement: 'Health care reform should be about saving lives, not destroying them.'

"But we remind the USCCB that Catholics cannot stop at opposing abortion and demanding conscience protection. Where is the USCCB on the health care reform bills’ potential to fund Planned Parenthood, to use our tax dollars to indoctrinate children with sex education in schools, to fund euthanasia, in vitro fertilization, human embryonic stem cell research, contraception and health care rationing?

"All of these things are present in all of the current versions of the health care bill. None of these are acceptable according to Catholic teaching. All Catholics are duty bound to reject 'health care reform' if it contains any of the above grievous offenses against human life and personhood.

"Catholics need to know why, at every level, these proposals are fraught with death and destruction of the soul.

"Finally, Catholics need to know that the USCCB, acting of itself, carries no authority to instruct the bishops on the governance of their flocks. It is imperative that each and every bishop make a public statement condemning these health care proposals until they exclude any provisions for:

- abortion
- human embryonic stem cell research
- contraceptives
- rationed care
- in vitro fertilization
- euthanasia
- sex education in schools

"The God-given personhood of all human beings will be recognized in the United States the moment the united, individual U.S. Catholic bishops boldly proclaim and fight for the unchanging doctrines of the Faith."