May 23, 2012
Bishop Stika Response to HHS Mandate Regarding Right of Conscience February 2012
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Following a visit with Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop Stika declared the federal government "cast aside the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and essentially stripped Catholics and citizens of any faith of our Nation's first and most fundamental freedom - our religious liberty" when it passed the Heatlh Care Reform Act.
In the statement, Stika objected to rules by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services which he claimed "forces" (emphasis his) nearly all employers, including Catholics, to include sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception in their employees coverage plans. Those services will also be included in policies provided by nearly all insurers, Stika added.
Stika warns the rules will force Catholics to violate their conscience or eliminate coverage for their employees and "suffer the penalties for doing so."
