Inside See our Catholic Schools Week Criterion Supplement, pages 1B-16B. Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com January 27, 2012 Vol. LII, No. 15 75¢ HHS delays, but does not ‘I thank God every single day’ change, rule Unwed mother on contraceptive who chose life MaryPhoto by Ann Garber coverage shares her WASHINGTON (CNS)—Although Catholic leaders vowed to fight on, the Obama moving story administration has turned down repeated requests from Catholic bishops, hospitals, schools and charitable organizations to revise at annual its religious exemption to the requirement that all health plans cover contraceptives and Respect Life sterilization free of charge. Instead, Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Rally in Services, announced on Jan. 20 that non-profit groups Indianapolis that do not provide contraceptive By Mary Ann Garber coverage because of their religious beliefs Tears filled her eyes as Liz Carl spoke will get an additional of her beautiful 4-year-old son, Braden, year “to adapt to this who was conceived during a rape when she new rule. was only 17. “This decision was Smiling through made after very her tears, she took a careful consideration, deep breath and including the described how God Kathleen Sebelius important concerns helped her as a rape some have raised survivor to choose about religious liberty,” Sebelius said. life then place her “I believe this proposal strikes the baby in an open appropriate balance between respecting adoption with religious freedom and increasing access to wonderful parents. important preventive services.” Liz Carl “He is the love But Cardinal-designate Timothy of my life,” the M. Dolan of New York, president of the University of Louisville graduate student U.S. Conference of told nearly 900 pro-life supporters gathered Catholic Bishops, on Jan. 23 at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral said the Obama in Indianapolis for the archdiocese’s second administration had annual Local Solemn Observance of “drawn an Roe v. Wade. unprecedented line in The pro-life Mass, march and the sand” with the Respect Life Rally marked the decision. 39th anniversary of the tragic Elizabeth Jamison, center, associate director of vocations for the archdiocese, and more than “The Catholic 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized 400 other pro-life supporters from parishes in central and southern Indiana brave the cold during bishops are committed abortion during all nine months of the archdiocese’s second annual Local Solemn Observance and Respect Life March on Jan. 23 in to working with our pregnancy. Indianapolis to peacefully protest the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the tragic Supreme Court fellow Americans to Msgr. Joseph Schaedel, pastor of decision that legalized abortion in the United States during all nine months of pregnancy. Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan reform the law and St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in change this unjust Indianapolis and principal celebrant, said in sterilization coverage in employee health nonsense.” regulation,” he added. “We will continue to his homily that “Washington wants to force plans then make all of us Americans pay During her emotional keynote speech at study all the implications of this every employer to offer contraception and for it. The Church cannot put up with this See LIFE, page 9A troubling decision.” See HHS, page 2A T-shirts, banners proclaim pro-life crowd’s convictions WASHINGTON (CNS)—Mark Hosbein they walked toward the March for Life stood on the corner of a busy Washington rally on the National Mall near the intersection under the steady rain on Jan. 23 Smithsonian Castle. From the castle, the with a small duffle bag at his feet and a Washington Monument in one direction CNS photo/Bob Roller simple message for passers-by—“Please and the Capitol in the other were consider spiritually adopting an unborn shrouded in fog and barely visible. baby who is in danger of abortion.” The weather in Washington was Handing a reporter one of his brochures, uncooperative, with intermittent rain and Hosbein said as president of Hearts For temperatures hovering in the high 30s. Life, he is following the lead of the late But as in most years when the weather Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who promoted was bad, the tens of thousands of pro-life the idea of spiritual adoptions for the supporters, a majority of them high unborn years ago. school and college age, were undeterred. People who commit to such an adoption Donning rain gear and holding umbrellas, agree to pray once a day for a year for an they descended on the nation’s capital to unborn child, he explained. “Our belief is solemnly mark the 39th anniversary of God will save the life of the baby. It’s a the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing simple and powerful devotion.” abortion. The Supreme Court handed A young man leans on a sign while standing Hosbein, a member of St. Lawrence down the decision on Jan. 22, 1973. in mud during the annual March for Life rally Parish in Indianapolis, said in the past As they streamed toward the rally site in Washington on Jan. 23. The annual pro-life five or six years, the organization has from various points, rallygoers carried demonstration solemnly marks the passed out 100,000 of the brochures. signs that declared their pro-life views. 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized He was among several people giving Among the messages were: “Adoption is abortion across the nation. signs and literature to pro-life supporters as See MARCH, page 8A Page 2A The Criterion Friday, January 27, 2012 the exemption. HHS “With the existing restrictive continued from page 1A ‘With the existing restrictive definition in definition in this mandate, the ministry of this mandate, the ministry of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ himself would not be U.S. Cardinal-designate Edwin F. considered a religious entity,” he said. O’Brien, pro-grand master of the himself would not be considered a “Just as the identity of Knights of the Holy Sepulcher and religious entity.’ Catholic Charities is firmly rooted in the apostolic administrator of the teaching of its Church, the identity of this Baltimore Archdiocese, called the decision nation includes a mandated respect of “shocking and disturbing” in a Jan. 20 —Father Larry Snyder, religious beliefs,” Father Snyder added. “It statement from Rome. president of Catholic Charities USA is this long-standing history that gave us Saying it would force individuals hope that as a religious institution we and religious organizations “to surrender would be granted the freedom to remain their beliefs—rooted in long-held faithful to our beliefs while also being Judeo-Christian tradition and practice— committed to providing access to quality for the sake of political and financial services to those who were not Catholic have a year to figure out how to violate our health care for our 70,000 employees and expediency,” he called on Catholics and would inappropriately involve the consciences,” the cardinal-designate said in their families across the country.” “to pray for our elected officials and to government in decisions about whether an a separate statement. “To force American Bishop Robert N. Lynch of work to reform this unjust regulation.” organization is “religious enough” to be citizens to choose between violating their St. Petersburg, Fla., who had earlier said Sebelius announced the mandate and a exempted. consciences and forgoing their health care that he would be forced to stop offering narrow religious exemption to it on “As it stands, it is unlikely that any is literally unconscionable. It is as much an health insurance to his employees if the Aug. 1, 2011. Under the plan, after Aug. 1 Catholic college or university will be attack on access to health care as on HHS mandate remained unchanged, said, of this year, new or significantly altered exempt,” said Michael Galligan-Stierle, religious freedom. Historically, this “The callous disregard for long-held health plans will be required to provide all president of the Association of represents a challenge and a compromise personal and ecclesial beliefs augurs a FDA-approved contraceptives, including Catholic Colleges and Universities. of our religious liberty.” chilling moment for believing and some that can cause abortions, without Holy Cross Father John Jenkins, Franciscan Sister Jane Marie Klein, who practicing Catholics in these United States. co-pays or deductibles as part of president of the University of Notre Dame chairs the board of Franciscan Alliance, a “I hope that no Catholic voting adult preventive health care for women. in South Bend, Ind., described the system of 13 Catholic hospitals, including will soon forget this egregious and The only religious organizations Obama administration’s decision as Franciscan St. Francis Health in insensitive intrusion by our government exempt from the requirement would be “profoundly disturbing on many levels,” Indianapolis, characterized the decision as into our rights of conscience,” he added. those meeting four specific criteria— and called for “a national dialogue among “nothing else than a direct attack on But it was not only Catholics who “(1) has the inculcation of religious values religious groups, government and the religion and First Amendment rights.” protested the HHS announcement. as its purpose; American people Sister Carol “Freedom of conscience is a sacred (2) primarily to reaffirm our Keehan, a Daughter gift from God, not a grant from the employs persons country’s historic of Charity who is state,” said Galen Carey, vice president who share its respect for president and CEO of for government relations at the religious tenets; freedom of the Catholic Health National Association of Evangelicals. (3) primarily serves conscience and Association, said the “No government has the right to compel persons who share defense of announcement was a its citizens to violate their conscience.