The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty has been monitoring a number of new and forthcoming federal regulations that they say pose a threat to religious freedom.
One is a recently issued proposed regulation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that would interpret Section 1557 of the nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. According to the new rule, it would be considered discrimination for a health care worker or a Catholic hospital to object outright to performing gender transition procedures.
In addition, the proposed rule also suggests that the government may refuse to honor the right of health care workers and providers not to perform or participate in abortions. The proposed HHS Section 1557 rule could function as both an abortion mandate and a gender transition procedure mandate, the bishops said.
“The Church’s ministries of healing, education and social services bear witness to Jesus Christ and build up the common good,” they said. “Church institutions are not mere providers of social services. They are expressions of Christian ministry dedicated to human flourishing.”
The bishops said these ministries serve all people without regard to race, sex, religion or any other status because God has imbued every person with human dignity. The rule proposed by HHS would prevent Catholic hospitals, clinics, assisted living facilities and health care workers from carrying out their work, they added.
“The USCCB is vigorously opposing the provisions in the rule that do harm to life and religious liberty. All Catholics and people of good will can help,” the bishops said.
HHS set a deadline of Oct. 3 for people to express their opinion on the mandates. Click here for more information about the HHS mandate and a link to a form where a message can be composed.