NEW YORK -- Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, issued a statement today thanking organizations and individuals who submitted friend-of-the-court briefs to the Supreme Court in support of Priests for Life’s challenge to the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate.
“At this important juncture of Zubik vs. Burwell, and as we celebrate a major positive development, we want to thank publicly all those who filed briefs with the Court,” he said. “It’s truly gratifying, but not surprising, that so many believers of diverse religious backgrounds support Priests for Life in this battle.”
Father Pavone noted that Orthodox Jewish groups and rabbis joined Islamic groups, representatives of the Hindu and Lipan Apache cultures and the Society of Krishna Consciousness to declare that what the Obama administration is trying to impose on people of faith is not just legally wrong, but also potentially disastrous to the millions of impoverished Americans who could be denied the assistance that religious institutions provide.”
“Religious freedom is not just a Catholic right or a Christian right, it is a right that belongs to all believers simply by virtue of being human. Defending together this precious right -- across interreligious lines -- is more and more of a necessity in today's world.”
On Monday, the Supreme Court ordered the seven cases consolidated in Zubik vs. Burwell – including Priests for Life vs. HHS – to be sent back to the lower courts to find an accommodation that is agreeable to the religious petitioners. The Court also vacated previous lower court rulings and continued a stay that prevents religious non-profits from having to pay steep fines for refusing to obey the mandate.
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.
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