Prayer-Soldier writes "OPINION - On 3 Feb 2012, Business Insider reported that the Army's Office of the Chief of Chaplains prohibited Catholic priests from reading a letter to military parishioners which challenged a Health and Human Services regulation which will require all employers to provide health insurance which covers contraception, sterilization and coverage for abortion-inducing drugs. The Business Insider stated the reason was because, “it seemed to encourage civil disobedience, and could be read as seditious against the Commander-in-Chief.”
The Business Insider went on to report that the instruction from the Army's Office of the Chief of Chaplains generated considerable concern within the ranks of Catholic chaplains with some disregarding the prohibition and others seeking clarification. According to the Business Insider, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who is in charge of Catholic military chaplains, took exception to the directive from the Army's Office of the Chief of Chaplains.
The office of the Archbishop issued the following explanation: “Archbishop Broglio and the Archdiocese stand firm in the belief, based on legal precedent, that such a directive from the Army constituted a violation of his Constitutionally-protected right of free speech and the free exercise of religion, as well as those same rights of all military chaplains and their congregants.” The statement continued, “Following a discussion between Archbishop Broglio and the Secretary of the Army, The Honorable John McHugh, it was agreed that it was a mistake to stop the reading of the Archbishop's letter.”
On 6 Feb 2012, a FOX News commentary quoted Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum as saying, “This is the problem when government tells you they can give you things.” Santorum continued, “They can take it away but even worse they can tell you how they are going to exercise this new right consistent with their values instead of the values guaranteed in the Constitution.”
On 8 Feb 2012, the Catholic News Service reported that Archbishop Broglio complied with McHugh's suggestion to remove the line: "We cannot-we will not-comply with this unjust law" over the concern that it could potentially be misunderstood as a call to civil disobedience. The revised letter was redistributed at Masses the weekend of Feb. 4-5.
The Catholic Church and some other Christian denominations view the position of the Obama Administration as a threat to the First Amendment and the free exercise of religion. While the Obama Administration points out that no one will be forced to use the services, what they leave out is the fact that because of the nature of insurance, those who believe in the sanctity of life are forced to pay for the lifestyle of those who do not.
Cited Articles and Posts
Business Insider (3 Feb 2012)
FOX News (6 Feb 2012)
http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/army-silences-catholic-chaplains.html
Catholic News Service (8 Feb 2012)
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1200490.htm"
