Catholic dioceses of Pittsburgh, Erie win injunction against Affordable Care Act

[rug]

November 21, 2013 10:58 PM
By Rich Lord / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The right of church-related organizations to keep a clear conscience trumps the federal government's desire to improve access to contraceptives, a federal judge ruled Thursday in a preliminary decision that could set the tone in a legal fight of national scope.

U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab granted an injunction sought by the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, Diocese of Erie and several affiliated nonprofit groups that do not want their insurance administrators to provide what they call "preventive services" coverage.

The injunction allows them to continue to offer insurance that doesn't include contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs while litigation continues. Without the injunction, the insurance administrators for the organizations -- though not the dioceses themselves -- would have had to start providing the coverage Jan. 1.

"I was relieved, obviously, because the issue that we had been dealing with in this lawsuit is the protection of religious freedom," said Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik, one of the plaintiffs in the case. "This is an absolutely critical decision. If it has to go to the Supreme Court, I'm moving with it all the way."

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2013/11/21/Catholic-dioceses-of-Pittsburgh-Erie-win-preliminary-injunction-against-Affordable-Care-Act/stories/201311210349

The 65 page decision:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/186204897/Zubik-v-Sebelius

[cbayer]

1. I hope that SCOTUS agrees to hear the cases on their docket.

This needs to be resolved and I think this court made the wrong decision.

[rug]

2. It's coming to a head soon. Different Circuits are coming down on different sides.

Hobby Lobby will probably be the one they take.

[cbayer]

3. Hobby Lobby would be a good one, as they would be most likely to lose, imo.

[Brettongarcia]

4. Pennsylvania is the most conservative Catholic district; think Rick Santorum and Charles Chaput

But against PA, the current Pope Francis is speaking against conservative "obsession" with abortion, gay marriage, and so forth.

Things are coming to a head. Though there are many signs that even conservative Catholics may give in to the pope. These are old suits already in the pipeline, that may be dropped as the new pope gains steam.