Archbishop Dolan Feels Betrayed By Obama Regarding Birth Control

By David Gibson
Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS) In the wake of President Obama's controversial decision to mandate that religious groups pay for contraceptives for their employees, much of the coverage focused on how the president had disappointed progressive allies by giving religious groups an extra year to comply.

But the decision also had New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, feeling personally betrayed.

"I have to say, there's a sense of personal disappointment," Dolan said Tuesday (Jan. 24) after he gave a lecture on "Law and the Gospel of Life" at Fordham Law School.

Last November, amid deepening tensions between the bishops and the administration over the pending contraception mandate and other issues, Obama invited Dolan to the Oval Office, where the two men shared what Dolan called a productive and "extraordinarily friendly" meeting.

"The president seemed very earnest, he said he considered the protection of conscience sacred, that he didn't want anything his administration would do to impede the work of the church that he claimed he held in high regard," Dolan recalled on Tuesday. "So I did leave a little buoyant."

That optimism ended last Friday, however, when Obama phoned Dolan to tell him that he was not expanding the conscience exemption to include religious institutions -- such as Catholic hospitals, universities and social service agencies. In a bid to appease critics like Dolan, the White House gave church organizations an extra year to find a way to comply with the mandate that all health insurance plans provide free contraceptive coverage.

"I had to share with him that I was terribly let down, disappointed and disturbed, and it seemed the news he had given me was difficult to square with the confidence I had felt in November," Dolan said.

Dolan indicated that his preference is to keep the lines of communication with the administration open. But Dolan is already facing pressure from other bishops to take a more confrontational stance toward the White House.

Dolan was scheduled to leave Wednesday for a nine-day spiritual pilgrimage to Israel; after a brief return to New York, he will head to Rome where he will be formally elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI.

Comments

[pragmaticalpaula]

01:30 AM on 03/14/2012

Time for the church to loose is tax exempt status. The bishops need to stay in their churches and quit preaching to our government!

[AZRINO]

09:16 PM on 03/20/2012

Agreed!

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[Elinor Dandrea]

05:28 PM on 02/07/2012

Doesnt those who are prevented from getting an abortion because the Catholic church has the nerve to believe in Life,, just tear your heart out? Oh no, thats what an abortion does to the other heartbeat alive in the womans body. How dare anyone claim thats life! How dare anyone say its a womans choice? Why dont they ask the question, why wasnt she prepared not to get prego? Why didnt she get the pill of protection before? Or are all those who get abortions, victims of rape and incest, as the liberal left would want you to believe. I am Pro LIFE...but its my choice, I dont want to mandate MY CHOICE ON OTHERS!.At the same time, I dont want PRO DEATH, to be mandated on ME!

[tlthies]

11:36 AM on 02/06/2012

I totally agree with Phil Lunney. When General Intercessions at this Sunday's mass called for government to stop forcing Catholics to use contraception, I had all to do to stay in my pew as all around me voiced their approval in sheep like fashion. First of all the church's teaching on birth control is blatantly wrong and it is time for Catholics to stand up to the hierarchy related to this issue. A large majority of Catholics of child-bearing age use birth control and do not consider the practice to be sinful. Secondly, no Catholic or any other person is going to be forced to use birth control under the present provisions. If the mandated requirements for insurance coverage could be shaped by particular religious groups' beliefs, how would we ever accomodate Jahova's Witness and Seventh Day Adventists to name two groups? I can see the writing on the wall with the Holy Catholic Church trying to steer the next presidential election. Maybe it is time to look at a new religious affiliation?

[Don Bellizzi]

02:48 PM on 02/05/2012

I am beginning to think the President will have to back down on this.

[ms2632]

11:11 PM on 01/31/2012

You guys really need to get a life. Let's call these comments "the persecution of Catholics". Talk about human rights - really. Fifty Million aborted children in America alone. Look at all those taxes Obama could have passed on to someone else. Sexual abuse happens in all spectrum's of society, including the church. The Catholic congregation sides with Cardinal Designate Archbishop Dolan and your foolish to think otherwise.

[Phil Lunney]

10:50 PM on 01/30/2012

Having been raised Catholic with 17 years of liberal Catholic education, I cannot tell you how disappointed I am with all of the U. S. Catholic Bishops. They have used every excuse available to be against Universal Healthcare. The Catholic Hospitals and Catholic nuns came out in support of the original legislation. To my mind the Catholic Bishops need to stop this stance and come into the 21st Century. If they are against abortion, then reasonable family planning and birth control are the answers, the obstruction of this legislation and the resulting "no-co-pay" birth control access for women is the single most important step to limit the number of abortions in the USA. By not incorporating it into the "Catholic benefits" the Bishops guarantee unintended pregnancies and in turn abortions. They should be ashamed of themselves and no confessor should forgive this trespass.

[Elinor Dandrea]

05:36 PM on 02/07/2012

I would agree with your secular view that birth control would be the answer. However, as Christian, I believe CHRIST said He is the Way, the TRUTH and the LIFE. With this belief, my Christian conscience says birth control is prevention to the Will of God. Thats the problem. Man's mind conforms to his needs. The Catholic Church does not. For 2000 years , wheter you believe how they think or not..This is been the stand they have taken for Christs LIFE.
If for nothing else, I am proud, that there is a place where I can see TRUE INTEGRITY OF BELIEFS..no compromise..THEIR TRUTH..like it or not..and for that alone, I would fight to protect the Churchs standing on this One Holy UNIVERSAL APOSTALIC PRINCIPLE

[Chapstikk]

10:39 AM on 03/02/2012

How is birth control prevention to the will of God? Is insulin for a diabetic prevention to the will of God? Are seatbelts in a car prevention to the will of God?

[SocBeat]

02:43 PM on 03/20/2012

Your case is religious, and therefore has no standing in a public policy dicussion, by authority of the principle of the separation of church and state. To argue that specific laws should not apply to religious organizations is a violation of the same principle.

[Robert Frano]

07:52 PM on 01/27/2012

Re: ""I have to say, there's a sense of personal disappointment," Dolan said Tuesday (Jan. 24) after he gave a lecture on "Law and the Gospel of Life" at Fordham Law School..." {Wee-Timmy-Dolan, faux-papabile}.

There was an 8 year old Brazilian girl, raped & impregnated by her stepfather, (jailed at the time I read about this a couple of years back…) who was excommunicated by her bishop, along with her mother & the medics, (but NOT the rapist step-parent).
The bishop went so far as to publicly express his ‘choice”;
…He stated he’d have chosen the twin rape products, (my phrase, obviously), over the 8 year old, if forced to ’choose’ one over the other…

As I haven’t heard anything else about this case, I assume the little girl & her mother HAVEN’T returned to ‘humbly ask for forgiveness’ in light of their enormous crimes, (‘SNICKER, SNICKER’)!
I wonder:
does this little girl feel betrayed by her step father when HE receives the sacraments?
Does she feel betrayed by the bishop??
I wonder how many people with STD's, as a result of following the ‘no-condoms' theology feel betrayed by this 'religion'?
I wonder how many women who were raped, (while sexually abstinent), & impregnated feel betrayed by the ‘anti abortion/anti-contraception’ dogmas.

[Moogoo]

11:04 AM on 01/29/2012

You play pretty fast and loose with the facts don't you.

[Robert Frano]

09:40 AM on 01/30/2012

Re: "You play pretty fast and loose with the facts don't you..." {Moogoo}

No, I DON'T. I'll conceede I wish I'd saved the 'Url' for documentation; It woud probably be out-of-date/unavailable by now, however...

I'm further reminded of bishop, (now Cardinal) Burke, (...I think it was Burke), who excommunictaed a nun-administrator, at a 'Catholic-run hospital, after she authorized a life-saving abortion for a woman with pregnancy-caused pulmonary hypertention. He's alleged to have made a similar 'choose the conception products over the mother's life' comment!
'Conception products' is (obviously) my phrase...

Which leads me to ask:
Why does a 'never-able-to-be-pregnant-cleric' have 'choice', re someone else's pregnancy, if the pregnant woman or impregnated-child-rape-survivor...doesn't?
Why does a cleric have this 'choice' if the pregnant person ISN'T the same religion as the cleric?
Given the INCREADIBLY blood-thirsty history of the Catholic 'Faith', in particular, (and monotheisim, in general), why does any morally-decent person CARE what
'N.A.M.B.L.A., Rome' thinks, re ANY morality issue/discussion?

[Elinor Dandrea]

05:43 PM on 02/07/2012

I would suggest you read how many women get abortions in this country becuase of rape! I have but Im sure you wouldnt believe my numbers, but you would if you see them for yourself. Why cant we care for those who were raped with our hearts while at the same time, not eliminate the heart beating of the innocent whose purpose had nothing to do with how he came into being..but that we care that he has a chance to be born. I have come to the conclusion, people who hate life, dont see the need to cherish the innocent whose entry into this world was not from the best circumstances. Circumstances should be how we define life!

[Robert Frano]

05:04 PM on 02/08/2012

What caused a specific pregnancy is of no consequence to me.

If a female of any age/other circumstance is pregnant, and doesn't want to be, it is strictly her business, with or without any ‘chosen’ advisors, to manage the situation as she sees fit, which DOESN'T include uncertified amateurs, ('sidewalk' counselors) runnin’ their pie-holes!

The precise etiology behind the female’s choice for an abortion, (and/or, continuing a pregnancy) is utterly irrelevant.
If a female makes such a decision for a reason I agree with, that’s fine; if it’s for a reason I wouldn’t, myself, choose, that’s fine as well…

And… all I have to worry about is that those who disagree with some stranger’s choice to terminate a pregnancy may ‘chose’ to amplify their delusions via pocket howitzer!
I refuse to take it upon myself to stand in the way of other’s personal choices, no matter how much volume is provided by the self-appointed ‘public morality’ folk!

It is simply amusing to watch the moral-olympics, as practiced by the (gold-medal-winning) clerics!
One century, it’s a good thing, spiritually speaking, to murder a non-believer; It even came with papal imprimatur -‘N-everything!
…the next, it’s a ‘sin’, even for non-believers, to get rid of unwanted/unplanned-for crotch fruit… What cathedral-emptying-arrogance!

[No2Morons]

11:54 AM on 01/27/2012

He's disappointed that 299,999,999 Americans won't be held to his draconian view of family planning There is absolutely no restriction on Catholics to not practice birth control. You don't have to do it. Asking your employees that are not Catholic, when you are a tax-exempt organization, to subject themselves to the whims of a bunch of unmarried, childless, look the other way on child abuse, men is not what this country is about. Don't like it, feel free to move to Ireland or Italy where the church still bosses everyone around. This is a pluralistic society with many more Protestants than Catholics. Get over it! That man is no saint. He willfully looks the other way while thousands of women in Africa and Southeast Asia die from having too many pregnancies too close together because politicians cowtowed to religious nuts.

[Veritas is Pro Life]

09:43 AM on 01/27/2012

The Cardinal designate should be disappointed that the Pres. lied to him, but should not be suprised. I saw Archbishop Dolan speak to 20,000 youth at World Youth Day in Madrid a few months ago, what a dynamic man. He is a great person to be the leader of the US Conf. of Catholic Bishops and will do an outstanding job organizing the Church's response to this issue. I am sure that the nearly 500,000 people walking together for the March For Life a few days ago in DC represent a larger number who will be voting this administration out of office. I have read "liberal Catholics" who supported Obama are now against him becuase of this issue. There is no doubt that the Pres. released the decision on insurance just days before the March for Life rally on purpose, in an effort to blunt the March's impact. Of course this didn't work, we still came out in droves - talk about occupying DC!! Veritas.

[PeterinSydney]

02:23 AM on 01/27/2012

Dolan is one big drama queen.

[Julygirl]

09:47 PM on 01/26/2012

I am angry about the incredibly negative and unreasonable comments about the Catholic Church. As a Catholic, I am proud of the tradition and the wonderful gifts the Church has brought to society -- educational institutions, healthcare institutions, an emphasis on human rights to name only a few. Is the Church perfect? No. The Chuch is guilty of sins in the past and in the present.

To those who are so negative, condemnatory and hateful to the Church, I would like to pose a question. When you talk about the sexual abuse scandal -- this applies to 1% of the clergy -- Would it be fair to condemn you if you were judged by 1% of your life? Why do those who are so adamant in hatred of the Catholic Church think that they can impose their beliefs and prejudices on the Church?

Many people disagree with the position of the Church on contraception, but this doesn't make them right -- and this from someone who believes that contraception may be necessary. The Catholic Church is big enough to welcome people on the right such as Newt Gingrich and Robert Novak and people on the left such as Joan Chittister and Ted Kennedy. I consider myself a faithful Catholic who finds meaning within the Church. I am also a progressive, but I often wonder if there is a place for me among progressives. Those who condemn the Church seem to be unable to welcome people like me as progressives.

[Robert Frano]

08:27 PM on 01/27/2012

RE: "I am angry about the incredibly negative and unreasonab­le comments about the Catholic Church..." {Julygirl-reply continued}

...Are you a parent?
Does your child/children feel free to come to you if ‘Monsignor Touchy-Feely’ comes to call?

Will you turn in such a clerical rapist, and/or, his supervisor’s if/when you find out they couldn't have been bothered?
Be careful how you answer that: I’m a post paramedic-career ‘mandatory reporter', unlike Mr. Dolan, (apparently)…

When I DON'T have to read on www.bisopaccountabilty.org, a ‘clerical sex offender’ tracking site, (AND ELSEWHERE), about the worldwide crime wave against children, and/or, the effort to keep as many rapist clerics as possible, (since decent, moral people want NOTHING to do with these criminals/this anti-social dogma), I'll attempt to refrain from losing sleep over your lack of reality orientation.

[Chapstikk]

11:08 AM on 03/02/2012

@ Julygirl-- In answer to your question: if I enabled the sexual abuse of tens of thousands of children, and put as great an effort into covering it up as the bishops, cardinals and popes did, then the answer to your question is...YES.

By the way, your percentage of 1% is inaccurate by a factor of 4. Th actual percentage is 4%. See the study commissioned by the Catholic Church, and conducted by John Jay College, for precise data...The link is here: http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/churchstudy/main.asp

Also, don't take the (well-deserved) criticism of the leaders of the Catholic Church personally. Everyone knows that the grass-roots Catholics like you and most other Catholics had nothing
to do with the abuse, and no involvement in the criminal coverup.

[xenubarb]

02:13 PM on 01/26/2012

Well, Bishop, the women of America are rejoicing. See, it's not about you. It's about us, and our right to plan families as we see fit.

Yar boo sucks to you!

[Asmondius]

08:31 PM on 01/26/2012

Heh - you've got it wrong.

The men of America are rejoicing because this reinforces their hedonistic and promiscuous lifestyles. Women get to ingest hormones and chemicals which may someday lead to cancer or other health risks, and if that fails go to the abortion clinic.

Men need do absolutely nothing but indiscrimanently pick the fruit. So much for equality between the sexes.

[Veritas is Pro Life]

09:33 AM on 01/27/2012

You are right and this is exactly what Pope Paul VI wrote would happen in Humana Vitae in '68. Veritas.

[xenubarb]

12:13 PM on 01/27/2012

Wow, you sure have a weird view of women's lives. We "get to" use birth control. Life can someday lead to cancer or other health risks, get used to it. We may not get eaten by cave bears and sabertoothed cats, but we're not invulnerable to today's hazards.

"If that fails go to the abortion clonic? Your view of women is not very enlightened. What makes you think every woman in the world would opt for abortion over adoption? Your view sir, is twisted and skewed.

And comparing women to low hanging fruit is just disrespectful to the gender. We have standards. Remember that next time a woman turns you down.

[Rebecca Leigh Randolph]

11:49 PM on 02/05/2012

no one is stopping you from using birth control.....you don't have to work for a Catholic institution, after all, but obama is forcing everyone to provide birth control so my suggestion to you is that if you consider free birth control to be such a big priority in your life, don't work for a Catholic institution.

[xenubarb]

11:48 AM on 02/08/2012

Look at it this way. You don't have to avail yourself of birth control if you're a practicing Catholic, but if they are going to offer jobs to the secular community, they had better not try to inflict their unchecked breeding practices on workers who don't share the dogma.

I will work for a Catholic institution if they're offering jobs to the public. You seem like you don't think family planning is important. I assure you that it is. For people who don't want to dump all their income supporting a baby a year, it's very important indeed.

So yanno, if you don't want your workers to have access to birth control, don't advertise positions to the secular community. I'd like to see how that'd work if Catholic hospitals limited their work pool to believers. Can you say 'understaffed?'

Reality is a nasty big dog sometimes. Deal with it.

[ILRN]

01:41 PM on 01/26/2012

I would like the bishop to consider how he would like to be backed into a corner like this:

He is unemployed and really needs a job. He applies for work at a hospital run by Jehova Witnesses. Employment, however, means he has to accept insurance that would not cover blood transfusions -- nor would the people served at that institution be allowed to have transfusions.

An even more interesting situation would be if he applies to a hospital run by Christian Scientists and has _no_ insurance but instead is forced to have people pray over him to cure any health issues -- and the same would go for anyone admitted to that hospital.

Remember ... they're all just following their conscience -- at your expense.

[Asmondius]

08:32 PM on 01/26/2012

Fantastical exaggeration is a poor substitute for reason.

[Robert Frano]

08:48 PM on 01/27/2012

RE: “I would like the bishop to consider how he would like to be backed into a corner like this:” {ILRN}

Early in my paramedic career, I took the time to ‘Hurst-tool’ a woman out of a reasonably severe car wreck. It was what we call a 'money maker', a sarcastic term invoking how one earn’s one's salary by managing really nasty MVA’s, etc.!

That woman almost certainly would have survived if she had taken a transfusion, but…she refused, as was/is the patient’s right!
She is buried.

What a terrible, avoidable-price to pay, to ensure one's membership in the here-after of one's choice!

[Ezra Black]

11:27 AM on 01/26/2012

If the Religious organizations paid taxes along with the rich then we would be out of this mess by mid June ... wishful thinking

[Asmondius]

08:33 PM on 01/26/2012

What mess? Pregnancy?