A motion for summary judgment was filed today in the lawsuit of Priests for Life against the HHS mandate. The lawsuit names as plaintiffs not only the organization itself, but also Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Janet Morana, Executive Director, and Alveda King, Director of African-American Outreach, and niece of Martin Luther King, Jr.
What this motion means is that the plaintiffs are asking the court to rule in their favor based on the law itself. In other words, the parties have already agreed that there is no dispute about the facts, namely, what the HHS mandate does, its impact on religious organizations like Priests for Life, or the fact that the case is "ripe" for judgment because harm will befall the plaintiffs very soon, given that the mandate will apply in full force against Priests for Life as of January 1, 2014.
It's time, therefore, for the court to decide whether this mandate violates the US Constitution, as well as the law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
"The judge in our case seems ready and willing to issue a final order on the legality of the contraceptive services mandate before the end of the year," said Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life. "We were among the very first to launch a lawsuit against this mandate, back at the start of 2012. Despite all the promises and so-called accommodations the Obama Administration has made, our moral and legal concerns have not been satisfied. We've waited long enough. It's time to declare this mandate unconstitutional."
For details, and information on how you can get involved, visit www.priestsforlife.org/hhsmandate.
Related Documents:
Declaration of Robert J. Muise
Plaintiffs' Motion for Judgment
Plaintiff's Statement of Material Facts
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.