Bishops’ meeting recapped; HHS statement released

    I am pleased to provide a brief summary of the meeting of the U.S. bishops last week. Thanks to those who remembered us in prayer.
    At the end of this report (below), I have included the bishops’ full statement on the Health and Human Services mandate:
    1. The U.S. bishops sent greetings to Pope Francis in the name of all Catholics in the U.S.
    2. The bishops extended support to U.S. immigration reform.
    3. Archbishop Vigano, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., addressed the bishops and extended the greetings of Pope Francis. He reminded the bishops of the following:
    ➤ Pope Paul VI was a strong witness in challenging times. We must imitate his perseverance, love for the church and strong witness.
    ➤ We as bishops and leaders must be prayerful and live the values of the Gospel, always reaching out to the poor.
    ➤ Pope Francis calls us to be “pastoral” bishops, shepherds with the heart of Christ.
    4. Cardinal Dolan, president of the conference, addressed the bishops.
    ➤ He called us to prayer and support of Christians  throughout the world, who are persecuted for their faith in Christ and sometimes become martyrs. We have modern-day martyrs and must remember them with love.
    ➤ He invited us to pray and work for peace in Syria, Iraq, Egypt and other troubled parts of the world. We must do our part to help others appreciate the need for peace and religious freedom. The bishops need to influence U.S. public policy in their regard.
    5. The National Advisory Council, a group of laity, religious and clergy, gave their input regarding the action items on our agenda for the meeting. Their advice is very helpful to us.
    6. The bishops discussed the upcoming synod in Rome on the pastoral care of the family. Insights were shared as to how we can best consult the clergy, religious and laity in our dioceses in order to assist those participating in the synod. Many suggestions were given.
    (In the archdiocese, we published the survey on the family, requested by the Vatican, in the Nov. 16 issue of the Clarion Herald. It is also available online at www.clarionherald.org. Please give us your feedback!)
    7. A report on our priorities and plans was given to the bishops. It focuses on the new evangelization of faith, worship and witness and how this can become practical.
    8. We discussed the ongoing rebuilding in Haiti and the more recent needs of the Philippines and Vietnam because of the typhoon. Thanks to those who gave spiritual and financial support.
    9. Catholic Relief Services gave a report on their work of bringing care to those suffering in places such as Haiti, Egypt, Syria, the                  Philippines, Vietnam, etc. CRS provides health care, shelter, education and livelihood. The staff reassured the bishops of their support of programs that are faithful to church teaching and do not deviate from Catholic principles.
    10. We discussed the importance of matrimony as is defined by Scripture and the teachings of the church. A presentation was given on the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act and ways in which this can erode the meaning of marriage and family in our country. This emphasizes our need for good catechesis on the theology of marriage.
    11. The bishops voted to extend the call to prayer for life, marriage and religious liberty beyond November 2013 with renewed communication and outreach.
    12. The bishops supported a proposal for the USCCB to issue a formal statement on pornography. The brief statement will be pastoral in nature.
    13. We voted to add a staff position to the USCCB Pro-Life Office to work on a national level with Project Rachel, to support the healing of those who have had abortions.
    14. The bishops approved the use of the “Misal Romano” from Mexico for use in the U.S. This needs approval from Rome.
    15. The bishops approved a new text for the “Order of Celebrating Marriage” and the “Order of Confirmation.” This needs approval from Rome.
    16. The bishops also issued an important “special message” on the HHS mandate at the conclusion of their assembly. A “special message” is a statement issued only at general meetings, which the general membership considers appropriate in view of current circumstances. The message (below) was passed unanimously:

Special message from the bishops of the United States on HHS mandate
    The bishops of this country have just concluded their traditional fall meeting in Baltimore and have spent time on issues important to them and their people: help to those suffering from Typhoon Haiyan; an update on the situation in Haiti; matters of worship and teaching; service to the poor; and comprehensive immigration reform. Among those priorities is the protection of religious freedom, especially as threatened by the HHS mandate.
    Pope Francis has reminded us that “In the context of society, there is only one thing which the church quite clearly demands: the freedom to proclaim the Gospel in its entirety, even when it runs counter to the world, even when it goes against the tide.”
    We stand together as pastors charged with proclaiming the Gospel in its entirety. That Gospel calls us to feed the poor, heal the sick and educate the young, and in so doing witness to our faith in its fullness. Our great ministries of service and our clergy, religious sisters and brothers and lay faithful, especially those involved in church apostolates, strive to answer this call every day, and the Constitution and the law protect our freedom to do so.
    Yet with its coercive HHS mandate, the government is refusing to uphold its obligation to respect the rights of religious believers. Beginning in March 2012, in “United for Religious Freedom,” we identified three basic problems with the HHS mandate:
    – it establishes a false architecture of religious liberty that excludes our ministries and so reduces freedom of religion to freedom of worship;
    – it compels our ministries to participate in providing employees with abortifacient drugs and devices, sterilization and contraception, which violates our deeply held beliefs;
    – and it compels our faithful people in business to act against our teachings, failing to provide them any exemption at all.
    Despite our repeated efforts to work and dialogue toward a solution, those problems remain. Not only does the mandate undermine our ministries’ ability to witness to our faith, which is their core mission, but the penalties it imposes also lay a great burden on those ministries, threatening their very ability to survive and to serve the many who rely on their care.
    The current impasse is all the more frustrating because the Catholic Church has long been a leading provider of, and advocate for, accessible, life-affirming health care. We would have preferred to spend these recent past years working toward this shared goal instead of resisting this intrusion into our religious liberty. We have been forced to devote time and resources to a conflict we did not start nor seek.
    As the government’s implementation of the mandate against us approaches, we bishops stand united in our resolve to resist this heavy burden and protect our religious freedom. Even as each bishop struggles to address the mandate, together we are striving to develop alternate avenues of response to this difficult situation.
    We seek to answer the Gospel call to serve our neighbors, meet our obligation to provide our people with just health insurance, protect our religious freedom, and not be coerced to violate our consciences. We remain grateful for the unity we share in this endeavor with Americans of all other faiths, and even with those of no faith at all. It is our hope that our ministries and lay faithful will be able to continue providing insurance in a manner consistent with the faith of our church. We will continue our efforts in Congress and especially with the promising initiatives in the courts to protect the religious freedom that ensures our ability to fulfill the Gospel by serving the common good.
    This resolve is particularly providential on this feast of the patroness of immigrants, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. She was a brave woman who brought the full vigor of her deep religious faith to the service of the sick, the poor, children, the elderly and the immigrant. We count on her intercession, as united we obey the command of Jesus to serve the least of our brothers and sisters.