May 21, 2012 - Cardinal Dolan Applauds Church Agencies as They Challenge HHS for Violating Religious

With time running out, dioceses, agencies resort to the courts
Church united in defense of religious liberty
Diversity of church ministries at stake

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), in a May 21 statement applauded 43 dioceses, hospitals, schools and church agencies for filing 12 lawsuits around the nation saying the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandate violates religious freedom.

His statement follows.

“We have tried negotiation with the Administration and legislation with the Congress – and we’ll keep at it – but there's still no fix. Time is running out, and our valuable ministries and fundamental rights hang in the balance, so we have to resort to the courts now. Though the Conference is not a party to the lawsuits, we applaud this courageous action by so many individual dioceses, charities, hospitals and schools across the nation, in coordination with the law firm of Jones Day. It is also a compelling display of the unity of the Church in defense of religious liberty. It's also a great show of the diversity of the Church's ministries that serve the common good and that are jeopardized by the mandate – ministries to the poor, the sick, and the uneducated, to people of any faith or no faith at all.”

http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/ 

Archdiocese Statement on Lawsuits

The Archdiocese of Boston is not a plaintiff.  It was determined that there is no need for every single diocese or other Catholic organization to sue.  The various plaintiffs reflect a broad cross-section of Catholic institutions, and together they represent the wide variety of issues, impacts, economic consequences, and divergent facts that exist among Catholic organizations nationwide.  We are confident in the strength of this broader effort as it is, and we applaud and support it.