Catholic Bishops Activate 19,000 Churches to Stop Abortion in Health Care
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 11, 2010
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The nation’s Catholic bishops have activated nearly 19,000 churches across the country to stand up to efforts in Congress to force Americans to pay for abortions under a government-run health care bill. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ effort could have a dramatic effect.
When the nation’s bishops called on church-goers to support a ban on partial-birth abortions, they responded with millions of postcards flooding Congressional offices.
Now, in a nationwide call to Catholics to prevent health care reform from being derailed by the abortion lobby, 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," it reads, according to a statement the USCCB sent LifeNews.com.
As Congress negotiates a final health care bill, 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.
If these criteria are not met, Catholics are asked to urge Congress to oppose the final bill, the insert says.
The inserts come at a time when Congressional Democrats are working to merge the House and Senate versions of the government-run health care bill.
The House measure contains the Stupak amendment that stops abortion funding while the Senate bill has the Nelson-Reid abortion deal that allows abortion funding in several ways.
The Catholic bishops have applauded the Stupak amendment while condemning the Nelson-Reid deal. With one senator saying the Senate language will likely prevail in the final legislation, the bishops will likely urge a no vote on the bill.
Related web sites:
USCCB – https://www.usccb.org/healthcare
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