The Catholic Health Association weighs in, too

Following up on my last post, about the USCCB's comments:  Here is the letter (HT: Distinctly Catholic) filed by the Catholic Health Association (an institution that, readers will recall, was instrumental in the passage of the A.C.A.).  This bit, from Sr. Carol Keenan's letter, strikes me as especially powerful:

. . . Through its ministries the Church serves millions of people each year, regardless of their faith or lack of faith. As the late James Cardinal Hickey said, "We serve [them] not because they are Catholic, but because we are Catholic. If we don't care for the sick, educate the young, care for the homeless, then we cannot call ourselves the church of Jesus Christ. . .

Our country has acknowledged and respected the rights of conscience since its founding, and our society's commitment to pluralism lies at the heart of our diverse and vibrant nation. Jefferson’s promise to the Ursuline sisters that their work could continue according to their own rules is reflected now in the many federal and state laws protecting individuals and organizations from being required to participate in, pay for, or provide coverage for certain services that are contrary to their religious beliefs or moral convictions. Requiring our members to cover contraceptive services, including sterilization and drugs with an abortifacient effect, would put them in an untenable situation. Consistent with the principle underlying existing conscience protections, the proposed religious employer exemption must be expanded to allow Catholic hospitals and health care providers to continue their ministry in fidelity to their religious beliefs and values.