To the Editor:
The United States bishops want health care reform that is universally affordable and accessible, protecting the life and dignity of all from conception to natural death. We have spoken out on this issue for decades.
This makes your article “Despite Church’s Push on Issue, Some Bishops Assail Health Plan” (front page, Aug. 28) particularly disappointing. It suggested that not only Catholics, but also the bishops themselves, are divided on health care reform, as if there were among them conflicting voices in this debate.
Health care reform that protects the life and dignity of all, especially the poor and the vulnerable, is a moral imperative and urgent national priority.
We have grave concerns about provisions in all versions of the current House bill that could be used to mandate abortion coverage and financing. Keeping in place the longstanding and widely supported federal policies against abortion financing and mandates, and favoring conscience rights, will help—not hurt—passage of urgently needed health care reform.
President Obama, in his Aug. 19 conference call with religious groups, said that health care reform would not finance abortions. We urge him to stand by this promise and back efforts in Congress to ensure that this legislation will not force Americans to support the taking of human life at any stage through their taxes or health premiums.
(Cardinal) Justin Rigali
(Bishop) William F. Murphy
Washington, Sept. 1, 2009
The writers are, respectively, chairman of pro-life activities and chairman of domestic social development for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Note from KBJ: The bishops want reform that is universally affordable and accessible? Surely they want health care that is universally affordable and accessible. Do these people have editors?
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 