Catholic voters urged to press government to rescind HHS mandate

NASHVILLE, TENN. (CNS) — It will be up to Catholic voters to convince the federal government to rescind a recent decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to go forward with a mandate that all health insurance plans cover contraceptives and sterilization free of charge, said Archbishop Charles J. Chaput.

“Bishops can’t tell politicians what to do, but Catholic voters can,” the Philadelphia archbishop said during a visit to Nashville. Political leaders respond to pressure from citizens, he added, and Catholics ought to demand respect for religious values. Archbishop Chaput joined fellow bishops in urging Catholics in the pew to be more politically active.

“The very principle of religious freedom, the first freedom in the Bill of Rights, is at stake here,” he said. “That’s a lot to be at stake. Once it’s lost, you don’t get it back.”