Catholic Family Campaign

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has been very supportive of health care reform but has expressed disappointment at the direction that the current legislation is taking.

USCCB Position on Health Care Reform includes the following:

• a truly universal health policy with respect for human life and dignity
• access for all with a special concern for the poor and inclusion of immigrants
• pursuing the common good and preserving pluralism including freedom of conscience and variety of options
• restraining costs and applying them equitably across the spectrum of payers

The USCCB has issued an updated bulletin insert and is encouraging parishioners to get involved and contact their Representatives and Senators.

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. Health care reform should not advance a pro-abortion agenda in our country.

• On November 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed major health care reform that reaffirms the essential, longstanding and widely supported policy against using federal funds for elective abortions and includes positive measures on affordability and immigrants.

• On December 24, the U.S. Senate rejected this policy and passed health care reform that requires federal funds to help subsidize and promote health plans that cover elective abortions. All purchasers of such plans will be required to pay for other people’s abortions through a separate payment solely to pay for abortion.

• Outside the abortion context, neither bill has adequate conscience protection for health care providers, plans or employers.

• These two bills must now be combined into one bill that both the House and Senate will vote on in final form. Provisions against abortion funding and in favor of conscience protection, affordability, and immigrants’ access to health care must be part of a fair and just health care reform bill, or the final bill must be opposed.

Read the rest of the insert and ACT today!

Tags: Family Values, Pro-Life
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As our Representatives head back to Washington and Congress goes back in session, we have an obligation to educate ourselves on the current health care debate.  This has the potential to have the most significant legislation and societal changes of our lifetime.

Implementation of any of the existing health care reform initiatives will have the effect of institutionalizing deeply held values from both the left and the right.  The premise that health care is a basic human right which everyone should have access to is a concept that liberal politicians have been advocating for decades.  The tenets of Catholic Social Justice implies that same thing and this has been strongly supported by the USCCB.

The difference of opinion among Americans, and even among Catholics comes down to the delivery of health care services and what those basic services represent.

Earlier this fall, Kansas City, Kansas Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Kansas City – St. Joseph Bishop Robert W. Finn have released a joint pastoral statement on Principles of Catholic Social Teaching and Health Care Reform.  The statement reflects the fundamental principles of Catholic social and moral teaching that must accompany any evaluation of the varied health reform proposals.  Included in the letter was an in depth explanation of the principles of Subsidiarity and Solidarity; both of which play a significant role in defining the need for and the limitations of health care reform.

For years, the right has been successful in restricting the use of federal dollars in funding abortions.  Depending on the language that comes out of the conference committee, the signing of this legislation could ingrain the use of tax dollars for the funding of abortion in federal law or provide a permanent injunction against it.

Each of us has an obligation to educate ourselves on the legislation as it clears the committee and heads back to the House and the Senate for a final vote.   As Catholics we have an obligation to actively promote a just and moral solution to the existing health care crisis.  There is no excuse for sitting back and relying on the press or even our Priest and Bishops to let us know what is going on.  The obligation lies with each of us individually.

Tags: Family Values, Pro-Life
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Tags: Family Values, Pro-Life
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Kansas City, Kansas Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Kansas City – St. Joseph Bishop Robert W. Finn have released a joint pastoral statement on Principles of Catholic Social Teaching and Health Care Reform.  The statement reflects the fundamental principles of Catholic social and moral teaching that must accompany any evaluation of the varied health reform proposals.

1. The Principle of Subsidiarity requires the we respect the inherent dignity and freedom of the individual by never doing for others what they can do for themselves, and thus enabling individuals to have the most possible discretion in the affairs of their lives.
2. The Principle of Sanctity of human life ensures respect for the sacredness of every human life and the dignity of the human person — no matter stage of development, age, or physical or mental condition.
   • The “Right to Health Care” as taught by the Church is a companion to the fundamental right to life.  Therefore, every individual is entitled to have access to health care as well as the other necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter for sustaining and caring for human life.
   • The responsibility of each individual to take proper care of his or her health and a duty to acquire health care for oneself and one’s family.
3. The Principle of Promotion of the common good reminds us that we have an obligation to be concerned not just about our own welfare and the welfare of our family, but the welfare of each and every member of society.
4. The Principle of Solidarity reflects the special claim the poor and vulnerable have on our concern.  As such, we should desire for them the same access to quality health care as we want for ourselves and our own families.

The pastoral statement does a good job of making the case for why reforms are needed from a moral perspective in order to ensure that all individuals have access to adequate heath care but also defines the principles that should be a guiding force to evaluate and craft an effective health care reform measure. 

Tags: Human Dignity, Religious Freedoms
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