| Religious Exercise |
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| Sunday, 10 June 2007 11:32 | |||
 Archbishop Henry J. Mansell May 16, 2007, was a dark day for religious liberty in the State of Connecticut. On that date, the Governor signed into law the so-called “Emergency Contraception Act” and imposed it on every hospital in the State, including the four Catholic hospitals. The State Senate and the State Representatives had passed the bill prior to the Governor’s enactment. As I have stated many times, Catholic moral teaching is not opposed to emergency contraception for a woman who is a victim of rape. The “Plan B” pill can function as a contraceptive, and that is not a problem for us. But it can also function as an abortifacient, by impeding the fertilized ovum from adhering to the wall of the uterus, and abortion is a major problem. Moreover, the Act prohibits doctors from using the ovulation test to determine whether or not the Plan B pill may be administered. It is a simple noninvasive test which identifies when ovulation is imminent, in other words, when the pill might serve as an abortifacient. The Act forces the “Plan B” pill on all hospitals in the State, including the Catholic hospitals, both as a contraceptive and as an abortifacient. Supposedly, it will become effective Oct. 1, 2007. Obviously, there is the very serious issue of religious freedom at stake here, enshrined as sacred and foundational in the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution. The opening sentence of the First Amendment reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The House of Representatives passed the First Amendment on Sept. 24, 1789. (The next day, it passed, by a two-thirds majority, a resolution calling for a day of national prayer and thanksgiving.) Thomas Jefferson, as President, some years later, wrote: “I consider the government of the United States as interdicted from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, disciplines, or exercises,” and he traced that conviction to the First Amendment. In addition, the State of Connecticut has a State Religious Freedom Act, which went into effect, ironically, on Oct. 1, 1993. During the legislative debate these past few months, statements were made that Minnesota and New Jersey were facing similar issues and that the Catholic bishops of those states were “going along.” I spoke with Archbishop Harry Flynn of St. Paul-Minneapolis and Archbishop John Myers of Newark, N.J., and they assured me that the positions of the Minnesota and New Jersey bishops are the same as ours. I spoke also with Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, who reported that the bishops of Massachusetts hold the same position. A few years ago, Massachusetts enacted the law over the objections of the bishops, but Massachusetts has a conscience exemption. Connecticut does not. Conversations with legislative leaders and other public officials here indicate that the matter is not conclusively resolved. You may be certain we will continue the work. Government cannot trample on the freedom of religious exercise. Archbishop’s Annual Appeal On the matter of religious exercise, there is much more joyous news on another front: the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. As I write this [May 30], the total so far this year is $8,821,115, which is $606,000 ahead of the total for this day last year. A magnificent exercise of religious convictions! And we have seven months to go. The totals are impressive, but the services which they enable bring even more profound joy to the heart. You know the needs and you prove your concern with superlative effectiveness. I express my gratitude to you all for your edifying gifts. I understand that not everyone is able to give, or to give as much as you would prefer. Whether you give or not, your prayers are crucially important and make everything we do a spiritual exercise, a religious exercise. At the risk of embarrassing our priests, I nonetheless must thank them in a special way for their extraordinary leadership and generosity. At this point, 224 priests have contributed $217,952, for an average personal gift of $973. The people who benefit from our gifts come from various backgrounds: ethnic, racial, national, religious, and nonreligious. They are people in need, people who might otherwise fall through the cracks, people for whom we make a significant difference. As you know, substantial initiatives have been sparked by the Appeal the last few years. I am happy to report that they are all on track. The Institute for the Hispanic Family will have its groundbreaking in a few days. Cathedral Green, 28 two- and three-bedroom apartments of affordable/supportive housing, should have shovels in the ground in the early fall. The conversion of the former St. Donato’s Church, New Haven, into a Catholic Charities Center, is moving forward. I visited the Malta House of Care mobile health unit last week. There were 33 people waiting for examinations and assistance, all without health insurance. It is a wonderful service. We need more doctors, more time, and more nurses. They are all volunteers. So are you, and I thank you from my deepest core for making so many dreams real. The seriousness of your religious exercise is unmistakable.
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