Further Escalation Between the Government and the USCCB

[Michie]

Relations between the Obama administration and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops haven’t exactly been smooth, to say the least. For the past several years, beginning with the battle over the “Stupak amendment” and running through the ongoing dispute over the contraception mandate, the two sides have seemed to be locked in perpetual opposition. Now, a new decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to end a grant to the bishops’ Migration and Relief Services for an anti-human trafficking program promises to further escalate tensions between the government and the Church.

While HHS was in no way obligated to renew the grant to the bishops’ program, the sudden decision to shift the money away from a program which has assisted over 2,700 women seems like an irregular and studied choice on the part of government officials, who are generally accustomed to doing things by rote.

A government spokeswoman equivocated when asked whether the denial of the grant might have had anything to do with Catholic teaching on life issues:

Marrianne McMullen, spokeswoman for the U.S. Health and Human Services department’s Administration for Children and Families, wouldn’t say whether abortion or contraceptive policy played a role in the awards.

“HHS’s primary focus in serving victims of human trafficking is ensuring that they have access to the high quality and comprehensive case management services they need,” she said in an e-mail. “These are individuals who have endured traumatic experiences in many cases and who face uniquely complex challenges.”
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Though the administration has refused to provide an official explanation as to why the grant money was suddenly redirected, a longstanding ACLU lawsuit may offer another clue.

Continued- Further Escalation Between Government & USCCB
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[AMDG]

Surprised? When Obama was inaugarated the Bishops indicated that it was going to result in Gethsemane Moments for Catholics.

If Catholics feel unloved and treated unfairly by this admin., it's because the *are* unloved and treated unfairly by this admin.

 

[MikeK]

There has not been an administration in my lifetime that gave a hoot what the USCCB teaches about "life issues". Hell, we have self-identified Catholics on this board who have spoken out in opposition to the USCCB's statements on abortion, on emergency contraception and the legitimate use of, one the death penalty and on unjust war. Half or more of OBOBers think they know better than the USCCB, and we're surprised that our secular government isn't 100% on board with them?

 

[AMDG]

The *Bishops* said that *this* administartion would be the cause of "Gethsemane Moments" of Catholics. They were correct over and over and over and over... from an executive order to repeal the Mexico City agreement where we weren't funding overseas abortion, to allowing embryonic stem cell research, to that Health insurance act that will bring down the economy as well as promote abortion and force taxpayers to pay for the killing of unborn babies, to the lack of *real* conscience protections to forcing Catholics to give up their mission of love and evangelization and embrace what they can't ever, to everything inbetween. It's like Catholics (and their mission) have a big target on their backs!