On November 13, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a “Special Message” at the conclusion of their fall General Assembly. This is not a typical press release, but a statement that carries a certain uniqueness in that these kinds of special messages are issued rarely. The message was passed unanimously. It is a statement that boldly proclaims the unity of our nation’s bishops who stand firm in their resolve to resist the oppressive burden of the federal government’s HHS mandate and to defend our religious freedom.

For the past two years, this battle between the government and people of good conscience has raged on. And through it all, our beloved bishops have remained strong leaders of great courage. They have worked tirelessly to ensure that our Constitutional right to religious liberty, protected in law since the founding of our nation, would be upheld. But up to this point, their voice, along with the voices of our brothers and sisters of various faith traditions, and many other people of good will, has fallen on the deaf ears and hardened hearts of our country’s leaders.

On a fateful January day in 2012, the federal government issued the infamous ruling from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandating that all insurers would be forced to cover abortifacient drugs, sterilization, and contraception in their health plans, as part of the Affordable Care Act. To add insult to injury, these would be free and without co-pays. Even religious institutions and private business owners who conscientiously object would be forced to comply or face exorbitant fines.

This abhorrent violation of religious freedom and to the ability to act according to one’s conscience was met with an unprecedented response. Within weeks of the mandate’s announcement, every bishop in the country had issued a public letter or statement denouncing the government’s intrusion on our ability to live out our faith. The bishops were quickly joined by many others. One of the most famous and widely quoted expressions of solidarity was from Baptist minister Governor Mike Huckabee, who said, “We’re all Catholics now!”

The government announced a supposed “accommodation” purported to protect those which employ and serve those of their own faith. However, it was quickly noted that even Jesus Himself would not qualify for such an exemption, for He came for all. We don’t serve people because they are Catholic; we serve them because we are.

The Bishops emphasize, “Not only does the mandate undermine our ministries’ ability to witness to our faith, which is their core mission, but the penalties it imposes also lay a great burden on those ministries, threatening their very ability to survive and to serve the many who rely on their care.”

The impact of the HHS mandate on the Church’s ministries is enormous. The Catholic Church provides one-sixth of the healthcare in this country. Can we even imagine the magnitude of what would happen if our hospitals were forced to shut their doors? Consider the incredible loss that would be incurred if we had no more Catholic Charities serving millions of the most vulnerable. How about our Catholic educational institutions? Our society’s future leaders would be done a great disservice by being denied an education that forms and informs their faith and their ability to nurture the gifts that could change the world.

Clearly, many people whose ministries and businesses are affected by the mandate continue to express unanimity with our nations’ bishops and are putting their faith into concrete action. Currently there are 77 lawsuits with over 200 plaintiffs representing hospitals, educational institutions, and businesses, who are fighting to affirm their religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution.

Early on in this debacle, Cardinal Dolan said, “We did not ask for this fight, but we will not run from it.” The message issued by the USCCB this week echoes this sentiment: “The current impasse is all the more frustrating because the Catholic Church has long been a leading provider of, and advocate for, accessible, life-affirming health care. We would have preferred to spend these recent past years working toward this shared goal instead of resisting this intrusion into our religious liberty. We have been forced to devote time and resources to a conflict we did not start nor seek.”

St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Ephesians that we must put on the armor of God. This passage particularly resonates for us now:

“Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones and also for me, that speech may be given me to open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.” (Ephesians 6:10-20)

In his opening address to the General Assembly, out-going conference president Cardinal Timothy Dolan spoke about international religious freedom. While for many of us what happens in other parts of the world sometimes seems distant and removed from our own experience, it’s becoming less of a stretch these days to identify with the persecutions Christians face all over the world. While the opposition to the faith we profess and hold dear in our own country may not be as blatantly visible compared to what others so tragically suffer, we are nonetheless teetering on the brink of a spirit of martyrdom.

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The bishops’ Special Message quoted Pope Francis: “In the context of society, there is only one thing which the Church quite clearly demands: the freedom to proclaim the Gospel in its entirety, even when it runs counter to the world, even when it goes against the tide.”

Let us thank God for our courageous and faithful bishops, and pray continually for them. They know what is at stake and they are truly on the frontlines. Let us join them in word and deed by boldly standing for the Truth, no matter what the cost. May we make the prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola our own:

Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for reward,
save that of knowing that I do your will.

So that one day we may be able to say with St. Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Allison LeDoux is the director of the Respect Life Office and the Office of Marriage and Family for the Diocese of Worcester, MA. Mrs. LeDoux serves as coordinator for the New England region of Diocesan Pro-Life Directors and is a member of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference’s Pro-Life/Pro-Family and Health Care Subcommittees. She received her certification in Catholic Health Care Ethics from the National Catholic Bioethics Center in 2007.Mrs. LeDoux and her husband, John, a permanent deacon, are the parents of eight children.

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