Cardinal George Lashes Out Against Obama's Birth Control Compromise (VIDEO)

Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Francis George, back in town after a visit to Rome, has doubled down on his contempt for the Obama administration's call for faith-based employers to cover their female employees' birth control costs.

George on Saturday called for the mandate to be rescinded as he said it will have the long-term effect that "the Catholic church would be stripped of the institutions that are her instrument for public service," CBS Chicago reports.

"We will lose hospitals. We will lose universities. We will lose our institutions," the cardinal continued.

George, formerly the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a scathing letter on the matter that was read at many of the city's Catholic masses earlier this month. The letter contended that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' mandate "seemingly ignored the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty."

The new rule, set forth by the Affordable Care Act, allows most women employed in the U.S. to have the cost of their birth control covered with no co-pay. The ruling "jolted" conservative religious groups and the Obama administration announced a new "accommodation" earlier this month that would pass the cost of contraception coverage onto health insurance companies in the event that a religious institution objects to footing the bill.

That compromise has not satisfied George, however.

He maintains that "the concern of the conference is not contraception or sterilization or paying for abortion-inducing pills as such," ABC Chicago reports.

"The larger issue here is whether or not the government can tell what is a Catholic institution and we're part of the church here's what you must do in order to be part of our society," the cardinal told ABC.

George further hinted that a lawsuit on the matter could be coming down the pike, as part of "a long conversation" going forward between the Catholic Church and Obama administration, the Chicago Tribune reports.

WATCH "Chicago Tonight" take on the contraception mandate issue:

Comments

[Myonie Payton]

04:40 PM on 03/19/2012

TruthandLife, no reply button, copy/paste what u've sent, will respond via reply....

truthandlife
“There's no reply button on your below comment. I agree with you that reporting to the authorities immediately may be best. I'd have hesitated. For the child's sake, I'm glad I've not been in that situation.
Having done research on media bias, I'm more certain the media is not reporting this completely truthfully. The Church has handed priests over to the authorities. And they've tried in every way to help the children abused. Maybe this hasn't happened in every single case, but head of the Catholic Church, the Pope, isn't to blame. Either way, any organization has confident leaders who know what to do/do it and not so confident leaders who are either unsure what to do or hesitate. Leaders need support to do what is right, not verbal attacks because we think they made a mistake.
If you don't believe in media bias on this topic, these articles clearly show it.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100035776/you-stitched-up-the-pope-and-this-is-how-you-did-it-law-professor-tells-new-york-times/
http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/04/23/here%E2%80%99s-a-crazy-idea-what-if-the-pope-is-innocent/

[Myonie Payton]

06:33 PM on 03/19/2012

Glad to see the mods(or whomever) decided to display the 'reply' option.

I agree that the media does play games to make things fit a certain look and push a certain agenda. Thanks for the link it's interesting. I think the biggest problem is that of all the things I've seen the Catholic Church (mainly in Chicago) rally behind or make an outcry over something I've never seen them the way they are with abortion concerns or things possibly tied to it. As someone who believes in God and that Jesus Christ is His only begotten son, it bother's me even more to know a place of worship host so many people of such behavior who have been given that much authority within the church and even more frightening to think that behavior is possibly condoned by that church. And I know those concerns have not just been found in the catholic church but baptist and pretty much every religious organization, but once those things come to light I feel that it is the churches responsibility regardless of the media to be upfront and act with swift concern & resolution.

[Myonie Payton]

12:40 PM on 02/22/2012

How odd that he's so concerned about lives that have yet to come into existence but less of a rats care about the innocent lives of the children abused by his priest.

[Asmondius]

11:00 PM on 02/22/2012

Your statement is absolutely false.

The Church has done everything it possibly can for those who were concretely identified as victims.

What have you done to help them, or are they just a useful tool for you to use in order to attack the Church?

[Myonie Payton]

11:00 AM on 02/23/2012

Really? so what are some of the things the catholic church has done for those concretely identified victims? also what constitutes as a concretely identifiable victim to the catholic church? Has the catholic church exiled and turned over to authorities any of the concrete child predatory priest?

[Sheridan Isbell]

01:18 AM on 03/17/2012

The Catholic church has a long and sad history of considering females as 2nd class citizens so it is no wonder that they would oppose including contraception in health insurance. I have no problem with the Catholic religion per se but it never ceases to amaze me that the king , , , oops, I mean Pope could outlaw all methods of birth control esp. to women in poor countries. He sits in his Vatican castle wearing gold and jewels surrounded by centuries of wealth and has no conception of life in the real world.

[MelanieMoriarty]

10:36 AM on 02/22/2012

and please ask him to have all Catholic hospitals stop immediately doing tubal ligations so that women will stop using Catholic hospitals to give birth to the last child. Whoops, is that not convenient to the hospital's bottom line?

[Asmondius]

11:08 PM on 02/22/2012

Any type of sterilization is counter to Catholic beliefs, so a Catholic-affiliated hospital would not be in the routine tubal ligations business.

Whoops, there goes your point.

[MelanieMoriarty]

07:18 AM on 02/23/2012

Whoops, my point is right here within me. There was nothing un-routine about about it, done at a Catholic hospital... well wait, I did have very good insurance and had all three of my children at that Catholic hospital too.

[taquinas]

12:20 AM on 02/22/2012

Please ask him to tend to his flock of 98% catholic women who use contraception and leave the running of the government to the President.

[Asmondius]

11:13 PM on 02/22/2012

First, in the United States we do not 'leave the running of the government to the President'.

Secondly, the President is the one intruding upon the rights of personal religious beliefs. The government is not doing anything other than bullying religious people into violating their consciences.

If you love the government so much, don't squawk the day they place you in chains.

[theawfultruth]

11:33 PM on 02/21/2012

this is what I think about all the poseurs in the catholic church including pope
http://theawfultruthblog.tumblr.com/post/17861620875

[Bude]

09:36 PM on 02/21/2012

He's got a lot of room to talk with a haircut like that.

[maricgro]

07:37 PM on 02/21/2012

There have been an awful lot of posts bringing up the problem of abusive priests and the Catholic Church's response to move those priests to other parishes/turn a blind eye. Some are very quick to brush off those who make these comments. What they fail to admit to themselves is that the Church has lost credibililty with it's followers as well as those outside the Church because of their response to these horrible acts. This fact makes their refusal to cover birth control for employees of Catholic institutions farcical. The Church has lost the position to be a "moral authority" on much considering how immoral it behaved regarding such disgusting behavior by those who are supposed to be leaders.

[Asmondius]

08:49 PM on 02/21/2012

The Church has never lost its position as a moral authority for two thousand years, despite many scandals and troubles perpetrated by the failings of its human members including some of the popes. And let's be honest, you didn't respecdt the Church's teachings prior to the crisis. The scandal just gives you some rocks to throw at something much bigger than yourself.

The Church has not lost credibility with Catholics because they worship God, not men (unlike many of you). They are followers of Christ who will not be deterred because some evil gained a foothold in His Church. He foretold this type of hardship. The scandal in fact is resulting in an examination and housecleaning which was long overdo - the Church will ultimately be the stronger for it. You are just another misguided person who misunderstands the Church completely.

The abuse scandal has absolutely nothing to do with this mandate issue. The Church is entitled to its beliefs, and the freedom to practice those beliefs without interference from the government is guaranteed by the Constitution. It makes little difference whether you agree with the Church's beliefs or not.

[James Haun]

03:05 PM on 02/21/2012

the church will continue to have fits over this, but the reality of it is that the health and welfare of american families won this one. the pro-church posters here may act like the issue is far from resolved, but it is. modern secular society...1 church...0 -- maybe one day the cc will move into the current century and adjust its out-dated doctrine to modernity....I am not holding my breath, though. and in fact don't particularly care

[Asmondius]

03:22 PM on 02/21/2012

Since Obama is already caving on this issue, your celebration is a bit premature.

[James Haun]

03:33 PM on 02/21/2012

I don't think so, papist

[theawfultruth]

11:33 PM on 02/21/2012

check what i think of your pious, angelic, direct voice from god pope
http://theawfultruthblog.tumblr.com/post/17861620875

[Sarclown]

02:43 PM on 02/21/2012

What is his purpose? If he is just carrying the Catholic fundy line, he doesn't do it particularly well (for that I am grateful to the man, er, Cardinal, er, Jr. Holy Dude).

[pb28]

01:42 PM on 02/21/2012

When these bush era contraception polices were put in place in 28 states no one said anything. Mike Huckabee instituted the same Obama policy when he was governor of AR.

[Asmondius]

08:58 PM on 02/21/2012

Sorry, don't feel like explaining this once again, but the prior HHS mandate and the laws enacted by most of those states provided opt outs for religious-affiliated organizations - that's why no one was concerend at the time.

The current HHS mandate provides no opt outs at all.

[pb28]

11:09 PM on 02/21/2012

check your facts not your talking points

[vfurman]

01:37 PM on 02/21/2012

Worst Chicago Cardinal after Cody. At least he is not as corrupt (that we know of). Who cares what this diminutive cretin has to say.

[maggiest]

01:37 PM on 02/21/2012

Where was this cardinal when thousands of boys were being molested? I don't believe I got THAT memo.

[Asmondius]

02:20 PM on 02/21/2012

Where were you?

[James Haun]

03:00 PM on 02/21/2012

was 'maggiest' entrusted with the well-being of the flock? no, I didn't think so.

[maggiest]

08:40 AM on 02/22/2012

getting treatment for recovering catholicism. I want nothing to do with this wretched religion and the institution that presides over it. And thanks James, for responding to Asmondius' aburdity.

[ChicagoDMT]

12:34 PM on 02/21/2012

If alter boys could get pregnant, birth control would be a sacrament.

Presently, 62% of Catholic Charities funds come from the government. If the Cardinal and the Catholic hierarchy wants to dictate what services they will and will not provide, then let them turn down government funding.

[JohnnyKay]

12:42 PM on 02/21/2012

Thank you for pointing out religions are big business. No matter how often I hear and read all the good the 'church' does for Humanity, those services are billed and performed by the laity, not the clergy that wouldn't dream of getting their hands dirty.

Unless there's some dirty work to be had 'elsewhere'.

[Asmondius]

02:23 PM on 02/21/2012

Cartholics are Catholics.

[Asmondius]

02:22 PM on 02/21/2012

The HHS mandate applies to all employers regardless if they accept government grants or not.

If the Catholic nonprofits stopped accepting government funds tomorrow, they would still have the same issue.

Your solution does not work and you are debunked.

[ChicagoDMT]

03:45 PM on 02/21/2012

The HHS has accommodated religious organizations by having insurance companies and NOT religious institutions provide employees with contraception coverage.

So, you're the one debunked.

Also, Catholic Charities is having to decide between accepting government money and playing by state rules barring discrimination (as in laws that bar adoption discrimination based on sexual preference) or give up their lucrative, tax based income.

Not only can my solution work, it presently is working.

You've just been pwned twice.

[onionboy]

12:15 PM on 02/21/2012

BS. He acts like Catholic hospitals are still groups of dedicated nuns. Most today are massive not-for-profit corporations. Most Catholic hospitals are part of larger hospital systems. Like other corporations, they have CEOS, VPs, Boards of Directors, etc. They even buy up or merge with non-Catholic hospitals or hospital systems. In other words, even for the Catholic Church, it's become a secular business.

You might find the occasional Catholic hospital still run by a nun or a something, but it's no longer the norm. Neither are the hospitals staffed by Catholics, in healthcare or upper management. In all but the smallest ways, they conduct their business in secular ways.

Now, on this one point, they want to make it a national issue. They don't want to make a national issue of providing medical care to the poor or homeless shelters or dealing with addiction...or any of the things that Catholic hospitals have to deal with on a daily basis. No, they are focusing on a particular type of legal prescription and whether their insurance should cover it.

[Asmondius]

02:31 PM on 02/21/2012

The fact that Catholics run efficient and successful health care organizations is not a negative - they are being good stewards. They do not act as a 'secular' business - please educate yourself.

The Catholic-affiliated nonprofits have governing charters based upon Catholic principles - these are specifc and the local Bishop must verify that the organization lives up to them. The governing board always includes Catholics - typically members of a religous order, frequently nuns.

The Church has no need to make a national issue out of providing for the poor and needy because they are the largest religous charity in this country doing so.

Providing contraceptiuon services violates the Catholic faith - it is not an obscure legal wrinkle.

[onionboy]

02:43 PM on 02/21/2012

Healthcare is a secular business. Fact.

Local bishops? Many hospitals purchased by Catholic healthcare organization are neither Catholic nor even religious. No local bishops are involved. Governing boards are not exclusively Catholic, nor is staff nor management. I could take a completely secular organization with a Board of about 10 people and odds alone will likely mean that there are 2-3 Catholics there. It doesn't make them Catholic organizations. It simply makes their Board appropriately representative of a secular population.

"The Church has no need to make a national issue out of providing for the poor and needy because they are the largest religous charity in this country doing so"

Prove it. You've said this before. I provided you lists of larger secular charities. You didn't respond. Prove this repeated assumption on your part.

"Providing contracept­ion services violates the Catholic faith - it is not an obscure legal wrinkle"

False. Neither the Bible nor the Vatican has said this. Using contraception violates the Catholic faith (although the majority of Catholics disagree).

[bobbyperu]

12:11 PM on 02/21/2012

Go back to buggering your alter boys Cardinal Francis.

[Asmondius]

02:32 PM on 02/21/2012

Yawn - poor substitute for a legitmate comment.

[bobbyperu]

02:46 PM on 02/21/2012

If alter boys could get pregnant the cathoic bishops would be handing out birth control during communion.