Pray! : Battling against Obama's HHS

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Battling against Obama's HHS

March 16, 2016

As you well know, it is not just Catholic Sisters who are battling against Obama's HHS mandate in the Supreme Court. It's priests, brothers, and lay people, too! It's men and women, employers and students, Catholics and Evangelicals, in a wide array of Americans standing up for a basic Constitutional and human right -- religious freedom!

There are some 37 different plaintiffs combined into the seven cases that the Supreme Court has combined and is hearing in oral argument this Wednesday, March 23.

One of those seven cases is Priests for Life vs. HHS, and of all the plaintiffs in the Supreme Court right now, we were the first to challenge the mandate with a lawsuit.

Among the various groups that have sent in "Friend of the Court" briefs, moreover, are numerous Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical and Jewish groups, as well as the Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, the International Society For Krishna Consciousness, the Islamic Center Of Murfreesboro, and the Lipan Apache Tribe.

All of this diversity reflects the fact that religious freedom is a human issue -- not merely a Catholic issue or a woman's issue. Nobody has a monopoly on religious freedom, and that is precisely the argument we are making before the Court.

I wanted to share with you my two articles below that were recently published in key publications; you can also find more at http://www.priestsforlife.org/library/5621-op-eds-regarding-the-hhs-mandate. Please read, share, and comment upon these pieces.

And please be sure to spread the word about our prayer campaign for success in this Supreme Court case. See www.SupremeCourtVictory.com.

The oral arguments in the Supreme Court take place this Wednesday, March 23. I will be in the court, and will be sending out commentary as soon as we are finished. Plaintiffs Janet Morana and Alveda King of Priests for Life will be speaking at a rally outside the Court.

And the night before, that is, Tuesday night March 22, we will hold a national prayer rally in front of the Court from 7:30 to 8:30pm. Please promote it (see https://www.facebook.com/events/987383398016534/), and please come if you are able!

Blessings, and onward to victory!

Fr. Frank Pavone

National Director, Priests for Life

The Upcoming Court Battle Over the HHS Mandate (By Fr. Frank Pavone, Crisis Magazine, March 14, 2016)

In what way can simply signing a document be a burden on you or your freedom? Obviously, the answer to that question depends on the document that you’re asked to sign. If you’re a celebrity and a fan hands you a scrap of paper for an autograph, your burden consists of a few seconds of your time—and in fact, it’s probably a joy for you... More

Are Some Priests More Catholic Than Others? The Government Seems to Think So (By Fr. Frank Pavone, National Catholic Register, March 3, 2016)

My classmates and I at St. Joseph’s Seminary in the Archdiocese of New York took the same classes – Sacred Scripture, Sacraments, homiletics and many others – and we were ordained together in November 1988 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral by Cardinal John J. O’Connor. We all looked forward to our first parish assignments as brand new priests...MORE