Bishops: Reject Health Care bill that does not prohibit abortion coverage

The U.S. Bishops have issued a nationwide call to Catholics to help prevent health care reform from being derailed by the abortion lobby.

To that end, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has sent bulletin inserts and pulpit announcements to almost 19,000 parishes across the country.

“As long-time advocates of health care reform, the U.S. Catholic bishops continue to make the moral case that genuine health care reform must protect the life, dignity, consciences and health of all, especially the poor and vulnerable,” the insert says. “Health care reform should not advance a pro-abortion agenda in our country.”

The insert encourages Catholics to contact their Senators and Representatives, urging them to keep longstanding restrictions against federal funding of abortion and full conscience protection in the legislation. (The house version does this; the Senate version, the one preferred by President Obama, does not.)

If these criteria are not met, the Bishops are calling on Catholics to urge Congress to oppose the final bill.

The bulletin insert and pulpit announcement can be found in English and in Spanish at www.usccb.org/healthcare. Catholics can contact their legislators online by going to www.usccb.org/action.

Good for them. We need more leaders in the Church to exercise courage and to speak out.