Chaminade Voices Opposition to Obama Contraceptive Rules

The Marianists are taking on the Obama Administration.

The religious order of brothers which oversee in Mineola, Kellenberg Memorial and the St. Martin De Porres schools in Uniondale have expressed their opposition to the plan put forth by President Barack Obama which requires that contraceptive health care options and services be provided by insurance companies, even of those with a religious connection.

In a one-page letter dated February 17 which was sent out to alumni on Monday, Bro. Thomas Cleary, S.M., the provincial head of the Marianists and , wrote that the move by the administration was an “unprecedented violation of individual freedoms and conscience.”

The letter heavily cites The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ take on the situation and recently announced changes by the President where:

It would still mandate that all insurers must include coverage for the objectionable services in all the policies they would write. At this point, it would appear that self-insuring religious employers, and religious insurance companies, are not exempt from this mandate.

The letter provides a link which “will easily allow you to email your representative,” Bro. Cleary wrote and to voice their opposition to the plan.

The mandate, which takes effect in August 2013, requires insurance companies to include contraceptive services for female employees of religiously affiliated institutions – such as schools, colleges and hospitals ­– who provide health insurance.

The original proposal saw the religious organizations faced with providing contraceptives to their employees

New York State currently requires coverage for contraceptives, but religiously affiliated institutions declare themselves “self-insured,” thereby bypassing the requirement through an exemption, which would not be allowed under the Obama proposal.

Each of the 181 Catholic bishops in the United States has condemned the Health and Human Services mandate and numerous groups have objected to the rules on the grounds that it violates the First Amendment on religious grounds and that it violates the Catholic teaching of the sancity of life.

In testimony before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told lawmakers that “numerous studies have shown that the incidence of abortion decreases when women have access to contraception.”