STAND UP FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
HHS Mandate News and Rally Updates

Cardinal Dolan: Keep the Focus on Religious Freedom

Posted by John Jansen (March 5, 2012 at 9:16 pm)

U.S. CapitolThe president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan, issued a letter [PDF] to his brother bishops on Friday in which he strongly hinted that the USCCB intends to file a legal challenge to the Obama Administration’s HHS Mandate:

[O]ur bishops’ conference, many individual religious entities, and other people of good will are working with some top-notch law firms who feel so strongly about this that they will represent us pro bono. In the upcoming days, you will hear much more about this encouraging and welcome development.

As with so many of the public statements issued by U.S. Bishops regarding the HHS Mandate, Cardinal Dolan did not mince words, calling the mandates, at various places, “choking,” “suffocating,” and “strait-jacketing.” [Continue reading …]

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Great New Video from AUL on the HHS Mandate

Posted by Eric Scheidler (March 3, 2012 at 6:23 pm)

Check out this great new video from Americans United for Life, created by Ryan Bomberger of the Radiance Foundation:

Posted in News and Commentary | 6 Comments »

Blunt Amendment Fails; Rally for Religious Freedom Needed Now More than Ever

Posted by John Jansen (March 2, 2012 at 10:53 pm)

U.S. CapitolYesterday, the U.S. Senate had the opportunity to pass the Blunt Amendment, which would have rolled back the Obama administration’s HHS mandate that all employer health plans provide free contraceptives, sterilizations, and abortion-inducing drugs.

The Blunt Amendment would have protected the religious freedom of churches and other institutions from being forced to provide insurance coverage for “services” that violate their moral beliefs.

In other words, it would have restored what was, up until a few weeks ago, the status quo. [Continue reading …]

Posted in News and Commentary | 1 Comment »

Cardinal George Pulls No Punches on HHS Mandate

Posted by John Jansen (February 29, 2012 at 8:18 pm)

Cardinal GeorgeIn the current issue of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s newspaper, the Catholic New World, Francis Cardinal George has a must-read column in which he explains how high the stakes are in the fight against the HHS contraception mandate.

Never one to mince words, His Eminence states clearly that if the contraception mandate is not rescinded, there will be no Catholic hospitals left in the U.S. in two years.

Perhaps the most important paragraph of the column is the following:

The strangest accusation in this manipulated public discussion has the bishops not respecting the separation between church and state. The bishops would love to have the separation between church and state we thought we enjoyed just a few months ago, when we were free to run Catholic institutions in conformity with the demands of the Catholic faith, when the government couldn’t tell us which of our ministries are Catholic and which not, when the law protected rather than crushed conscience. The state is making itself into a church. The bishops didn’t begin this dismaying conflict nor choose its timing. We would love to have it ended as quickly as possible. It’s up to the government to stop the attack.

The Cardinal goes on to recommend getting a copy of the 2012 Archdiocesan Directory “as a souvenir”: [Continue reading …]

Posted in News and Commentary | 3 Comments »

HHS Mandate is Not Just a Catholic Issue

Posted by Matt Yonke (February 27, 2012 at 11:52 pm)

Ecumenical stained glass windowTo hear the media tell it, one might think that the fight against the HHS Mandate was an issue of the Catholic Church being belligerent about an issue that only affects the Catholic Church. One might even think that the whole Catholic Church was not being affected, but only a small minority who actually follow the Church’s teaching on life issues.

But nothing could be further from the truth, and people of all faiths are realizing that the HHS Mandate is nothing short of the first salvo in an all-out war on religious liberty.

The flood of lawsuits that have been filed in the wake of the announcement of the mandate—not just from the Catholic Church and Catholic institutions, but from Protestant colleges, several Protestant denominations as well as the Orthodox Churches and non-profit organizations, states and even individuals make it clear that the impact of this mandate reaches far beyond the Catholic Church. [Continue reading …]

Posted in News and Commentary | 1 Comment »

Catholic Bishops to Speak at Rally Sites

Posted by Matt Yonke (February 24, 2012 at 10:51 pm)

BishopsThe March 23 Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom was called in response to the Catholic bishops’ call for the laity to stand up against Obama’s nefarious HHS Mandate. Laity of all faiths—not just Catholics—have heeded their call and now over 60 cities are confirmed for this nationwide effort.

And now we’re pleased to see those very Catholic bishops are joining the Rally themselves! Three bishops have signed on so far. Washington DC auxiliary Bishop Barry Knestout (left) is confirmed for the Germantown, Maryland rally, Bishop Michael Byrnes will attend in Detroit (center) and Bishop Cirilo Flores (right) will attend in San Diego.

With all 181 US Catholic bishops vocally opposing the HHS Mandate—including a strong new statement [PDF] from New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan—we hope to see more and more of religious leaders of all faiths joining the Stand Up Rally on March 23.

Update 3/16: Unfortunately, Bishop Barry Knestout had a schedule conflict and will not be attending the Germantown Rally. However, in the interrim several other bishops have been enlisted to speak at Rallies across the country. Updated list coming soon!

Posted in Rally Locations | 9 Comments »

Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom Explodes—Over 40 Cities!

Posted by Matt Yonke (February 17, 2012 at 11:12 pm)

mapIn just under a week, the National Rally for Religious Freedom has exploded from our initial two cities to over 40!

Some of the newest additions include Portland, Oregon; San Antonio, Texas; Allentown, Pennsylvania and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We mean it when we say “Nationwide”!

We’ve been blown away by the flood of calls and e-mails from around the country from folks wanting to know how they can get involved. This rally is going to be huge.

To see all the cities, visit the locations page. If you don’t see your city on the list, contact the coalition to get signed up.

Posted in Rally Locations | 4 Comments »

Join the Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom

Posted by Eric Scheidler (February 10, 2012 at 10:50 pm)

On January 20, the Obama administration made it clear that the new HHS mandate requiring employers to provide free contraceptives, sterilization and abortifacient drugs through their insurance plans would be imposed on religious institutions.

The HHS provided a “religious exemption” so narrow that it would exclude Catholic hospitals, universities and charities, forcing these institutions to act in direct opposition to Catholic teaching through the health care plans they provide.

Institutions run by other religious organizations would be similarly affected.

Religious leaders across the country have been speaking out against the HHS Mandate, including 181 Catholic bishops, and numerous lawsuits have been filed by Catholic institutions.

And now it’s time for direct, grassroots activism!

On March 23 at Noon, concerned citizens will gather outside federal buildings in cities across the United States to rally in defense of religious freedom and stand up against the HHS Mandate.

Join the effort! Find a Rally for Religious Freedom in a city near you.

Posted in News and Commentary | 7 Comments »

Entire Novena to Defeat the HHS Mandate

Posted by Matt Yonke (October 11, 2011 at 9:40 am)

Novena to Reverse HHS Mandate—Day 1

Lord God,
You are the Author of Life and Freedom.
In your Spirit, we have the freedom of the children of God,
And in your Name, we promote the freedom of all
To seek, embrace, and live the truth of your Word.

In that freedom, Lord, we your people stand with Life
And reject whatever destroys life
Or distorts the meaning of human sexuality.

In that freedom, Lord, we your people live our lives
In a way that advances your Kingdom of Life,
And we refuse to cooperate in what is evil.

At this moment, therefore, when our government has decided
To force us to cooperate in evil,
We pray for the grace to be faithful to you
And to oppose the unjust laws and mandates
That have been imposed upon us and our institutions.

We pray for the conversion of those in civil authority
Who fail to appreciate the demands of conscience.
We pray for the complete reversal of all policies
That permit the destruction of life
Or coerce the cooperation of your people
In practices that are wrong.

Bring us to a Culture of Life.

We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena to Reverse HHS Mandate—Day 2

Lord Jesus Christ,
You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
You are the ruler of every nation
And you call all nations to obey your law,
Which is higher than any human law.

Lord Jesus,
We lift up to you today
All who serve in public office.

We pray, Lord, for our President
And for the thousands of people who serve in his administration.
We pray that you enlighten and guide them,
And free them from the deception of evil.

Give them a new respect for human life, for freedom of conscience,
And for the rights of your people.
We pray that your people may be free from all unjust laws and mandates
And may always raise their voices
On behalf of human rights.

We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Novena to Reverse HHS Mandate—Day 3

God our Father,
You are the author of Liberty.
You created each human being
In your own image and likeness,
And bestowed upon each person
A dignity that nobody can take away.

You are the defender of our freedom,
A freedom by which we seek you,
And seek to be faithful to your law.

At this time of our history,
We ask you to protect the freedom you have given us
And to defend our dignity.

Give us the grace to speak up
On behalf of conscience,
And the freedom to live out our faith
No matter what the cost.

Give to each person, and to our public officials
the grace to respect
each person’s freedom of conscience and religion.
We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena to Reverse HHS Mandate—Day 4

Lord Jesus Christ,
Ruler of all nations,
You gave your apostles the command
To preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth,
And promised that you would be with them all days,
Even until the end of the world.

After your Ascension,
They went forth to preach your word
And you confirmed with signs and wonders
That you were working through them.

When they were told by the authorities of their day
Not to speak your name anymore,
And were even arrested and scourged,
They boldly declared,
“We must obey God rather than men!”

Lord Jesus,
You continue to proclaim your Word
in your Church today.
Give us the same clarity, courage, and determination
That your apostles had,
That we may not allow any obstacle or earthly power
To intimidate us into silence or compromise.

Grant that our highest loyalty may always and only be to you,
Who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Novena to Reverse HHS Mandate—Day 5

Lord God,
You are Light, and in you there is no darkness.
You sent your Son Jesus Christ
As the Light of the World,
And you sent your Holy Spirit
To enlighten the hearts and minds of all.

Lord, we pray today
That we may always experience
The light of your truth,
Informing our conscience
Of what is right and what is wrong.

We pray that this light
Will reach all of our fellow citizens
That they may recognize the dangers of evil
Which are often hidden along their path.

Open the eyes and minds of all
To the threats that currently exist
To our religious freedom,
To the health and well-being of women,
And to the good of our nation.

Give us the grace not only to recognize evil,
But also to reject it with the unwavering strength
That comes from you.

We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena to Reverse HHS Mandate—Day 6

Father,
You unite the human family
Through the blood of your Son Jesus Christ
And the gift of the Holy Spirit.

At this time of need,
When your Church and all your people
Are called to stand firm against injustices
Inflicted on us from our government,
We ask you to strengthen us in the bond of unity.

Strengthen the unity of your Church,
That none of your faithful may be on the sidelines,
But that everyone may be active in this battle.

Give Church leaders the grace to discern
The many varieties of the working of your Spirit
That they may fan into flame the gifts that the Spirit
Bestows freely on your people.

And give us the wisdom to know
That no group has a monopoly on the defense of life and freedom.
May we work in an ecumenical and inter-religious spirit
And welcome the efforts of all people of good will
Who believe in freedom of religion and conscience.

We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena to Reverse HHS Mandate—Day 7

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
We thank you, Father,
For the grace of repentance
And the power of conversion at work in your people.

We thank you for your Holy Spirit,
Who convicts us of sin and enlightens us
About how to please you.
Lord, enable your people,
In the midst of current persecution and danger,
To live the spirit of repentance
Ever more deeply and effectively.

For every moment we lacked courage in the past,
Give us the grace to repent.
For every time we were silent when we should have spoken,
Give us the grace to repent.
For every time we could have witnessed to life but did not,
Give us the grace to repent.

Made strong by the spirit of repentance,
May your people rise up
And reverse the tide of evil in our midst.

Enable us to defend our freedom
And to build a Culture of Life.

We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena to Reverse HHS Mandate—Day 8

Father,
Your Son Jesus Christ has taught us
That those who mourn over their sins
And over the evils in the world
Are blessed indeed, and will be comforted.

We come before you today
In that spirit of Christian mourning
Over how far our nation’s policies
Have strayed from your law
And from the respect for life and conscience
That every law should reflect.

In the power of your Spirit,
Our mourning does not make us weak,
But rather renews our strength
To work for change.

Enable us, then, to speak up
And educate our fellow citizens,
And to make our voices heard
To our elected officials.

Reverse the unjust policies
That have been forced upon us,
And restore our nation
To the principles of freedom and justice
Upon which it was founded.

We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Novena to Reverse HHS Mandate—Day 9

God of our Fathers,
We thank you for our nation,
Founded by those who believed in your Word
And came to this land as if out of the desert
To seek a place of freedom and rest.

We thank you for their conviction
That our rights come from You, our Creator,
And that government exists
To secure those rights,
And never to destroy or weaken them.

Now that we face unjust mandates
That call upon us to violate our conscience,
We pray for your protection.
Keep us faithful to you in our every deed.

Grant that we may work for change
By being citizens who are active in the process
By which we elect our leaders.

Grant that by our efforts to educate and mobilize voters,
We may replace public officials who ignore your law
With those who observe it faithfully.
Bless our nation’s upcoming elections.

As we rejoice that we are citizens of your Kingdom,
So make us always faithful citizens on earth.

We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Posted in General | 3 Comments »