I fear that this may give the Democrats wavering about the health care bill because of abortion the religious cover they need to vote in favor of the health care bill.
Here is an article in the WaPo.
Catholic nuns urge passage of Obama’s health bill
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 17, 2010; 10:14 AMWASHINGTON — Catholic nuns are urging Congress to pass President Barack Obama’s health care plan, in an unusual public break with bishops who say it would subsidize abortion.
Some 60 leaders of religious orders representing 59,000 Catholic nuns Wednesday sent lawmakers a letter urging them to pass the Senate health care bill. It contains restrictions on abortion funding that the bishops say don’t go far enough.
The letter says that "despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions." The letter says the legislation also will help support pregnant women and "this is the real pro-life stance."
The Catholic Bishops need to rise up as a man and do something about this act of defiance from the LCWR.
Here is the text of the letter the sisters sent to Representatives forwarded to me by a staffer for a member of the House:
Subject: Catholic Sisters for Healthcare Reform
Dear Representative,
We write to urge you to cast a life-affirming "yes" vote when the Senate health care bill (H.R. 3590) comes to the floor of the House for a vote as early as this week. We join the Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA), which represents 1,200 Catholic sponsors, systems, facilities and related organizations, in saying: the time is now for health reform AND the Senate bill is a good way forward. [So this is effectively liberal women who say they are Catholic who are effectively doing what they can to pave the way for funding for abortion even though they claim that that is not what they are doing.]
As the heads of major Catholic women’s religious order in the United States, we represent 59,000 Catholic Sisters in the United States who respond to needs of people in many ways. Among our other ministries we are responsible for running many of our nation’s hospital systems as well as free clinics throughout the country.
We have witnessed firsthand the impact of our national health care crisis, particularly its impact on women, children and people who are poor. We see the toll on families who have delayed seeking care due to a lack of health insurance coverage or lack of funds with which to pay high deductibles and co-pays. We have counseled and prayed with men, women and children who have been denied health care coverage by insurance companies. We have witnessed early and avoidable deaths because of delayed medical treatment.
The health care bill that has been passed by the Senate and that will be voted on by the House will expand coverage to over 30 million uninsured Americans. While it is an imperfect measure, it is a crucial next step in realizing health care for all. It will invest in preventative care. It will bar insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. It will make crucial investments in community health centers that largely serve poor women and children. [NB] And despite false claims to the contrary, the Senate bill will not provide taxpayer funding for elective abortions. [Prove it!] It will uphold longstanding conscience protections and it will make historic new investments – $250 million – in support of pregnant women. This is the REAL pro-life stance, and we as Catholics are all for it. [No kind of Catholic I recognize. Right in the eye of the Catholic bishops. No?]
Congress must act. We are asking every member of our community to contact their congressional representatives this week. In this Lenten time, we have launched nationwide prayer vigils for health care reform. We are praying for those who currently lack health care. We are praying for the nearly 45,000 who will lose their lives this year if Congress fails to act. [WHAT?] We are also praying for you and your fellow Members of Congress as you complete your work in the coming days. For us, this health care reform is a faith mandate [?] for life and dignity of all of our people.
We urge you to vote "yes" for life by voting yes for health care reform in H.R. 3590.
Sincerely,
Marlene Weisenbeck, FSPA LCWR President Leadership Conference of Women Religious Leadership Team Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Leadership Team Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Joan Chittister, OSB Co-Chair Global Peace Initiative of Women Erie, PA Sr. Mary Persico, IHM President Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, PA Sr. Susan Hadzima, IHM Councilor for Missioning and Community Life Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scranton, PA Mary Pelligrino, Marguerite Coyne, Rosanne Oberleitner, Carolyn Bodenshatz Leadership team Sisters of St. Joseph Baden, PA Sr. Helen McDonald, SHCJ Province Leader Society of the Holy Child Jesus Philadelphia, PA Vivien Linkhauer, SC Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, United States Province Greensburg, PA Ruth Goodwin, OSF Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia Sister Barbara Hagedorn, SC Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Mt. St. Joseph, Ohio Marilyn Kerber, SNDdeN Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Canonical Representative, Ohio Province Sisters of St. Francis Tiffin, Ohio Leadership Team Sisters of the Precious Blood Dayton, OH Nancy Conway CSJ Congregation Leadership Team The Congregation of St. Joseph Joan Saalfeld, SNJM, Provincial Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary U.S.-Ontario Province Jo’Ann De Quattro, SNJM Sisters of the Holy Names U.S.-Ontario Province Leadership Team Josephine Gaugier, OP Adrian Dominican Sisters Holy Rosary Mission Chapter Prioress Adrian, MI Kathleen Nolan, OPAdrian Dominican SistersOffice of the General Council Joan Mumaw, IHM – Vice President On behalf of the Leadership Council Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Monroe, MI Corinne Weiss, Servants of Jesus Leadership Team Saginaw MI Beatrice Haines, OLVM President, Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters Huntington, IN Eileen C. Reid, RJM Provincial Superior Religious of Jesus and Mary Washington DC Sister Cecilia Dwyer, O.S.B. Prioress Benedictine Sisters of Virginia Sr. Dorothy Maxwell, Councilor Sisters of St. Dominic Blauvelt, New York Adrian Dover OPPrioress Dominican Sisters of Houston, Texas Francine Schwarzenberger OP Dominican Sisters of Peace Denver, Colorado Rose Mary Dowling, FSM President Franciscan Sisters of Mary Margaret Byrne CSJP – Congregation LeaderTeresa Donohue CSJP – Assistant Congregation Leader Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace Sr. Carmelita Latiolais, S.E.C. Sisters of the Eucharistic Covenant Sheral Marshall, OSF Provincial Councilor Sisters of St Francis The Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes Sister Joann Sambs, CSA General Superior The Leadership Team of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis Sister Jane Blabolil, SSJ-TOSF Sister Michelle Wronkowski, SSJ-TOSF Sister Dorothy Pagosa, SSJ-TOSF Sister Linda Szocik, SSJ-TOSF Sr. Mary Genino (RSHM), Provincial Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary Western American Province. Debra M. Sciano, SSND Provincial Leader Milwaukee Province, School Sisters of Notre Dame Sister Liz Heese School Sisters of St. Francis US Province, Milwaukee, WI Marlene Weisenbeck, FSPA, President Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration La Crosse, WI Sharon Simon, OP President Racine Dominicans Maryann A. McMahon, O.P. Vice President Dominican Sisters of Racine, WI Agnes Johnson, OP Vice President Racine Dominicans Pat Mulcahey, OP Prioress of Sinsinawa Dominicans Theresa Sandok, OSM Servants of Mary (Servite Sisters) Ladysmith, Wisconsin Sister Maureen McCarthySchool Sisters of St. FrancisU.S. Provincial TeamMilwaukee, WI Dolores Maguire Sisters of the Holy Faith Northern California LCWR Region XIV Patricia Anne Cloherty, PBVM Leadership Team, Sisters of the Presentation, San Francisco Pam Chiesa, PBVM President Sisters of the Presentation, San Francisco Gloria Inés Loya Leadership Team Sisters of the Presentation, San Francisco Gloria Marie Jones, OP Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose Congregational Prioress and Council Mary Litell Provincial Councilor Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity St. Francis Province Sr Claire Graham SSS General Director Sisters of Social Service Encino CA Sr. Gladys Guenther SHF Sisters of the Holy Family Congregational President Fremont, CA Sister Patricia Rayburn, OSF, Provincial Minister, Sisters of St. Francis, Redwood City, CA Sisters of St. Louis, California Region Marianites of Holy Cross Sr. Suellen Tennyson, MSCCongregational Leader New Orleans, LA Sister Clare of Assisi Pierre, SSF Sisters of the Holy Family New Orleans, LA Congregation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Sister Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, O.Carm. Sister Andree Bindewald, O.Carm. Lacombe, Louisiana Sister Marla Monahan, SNDProvincialSisters of Notre Dame(St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead, KY and St. Charles Care Center in Covington, KY) Sr. Mary Elizabeth Schweiger, OSB Subprioress Mount St. Scholastica Atchison, KS Janice Cebula, OSF President Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa Mary Rehmann, CHM President Congregation of the Humility of Mary Davenport, IA
UPDATE 1557 GMT:
Check CMR‘s entry "Nun of the above"
"The sisters point to the many good things the bill may accomplish. But you can’t caveat evil. It’s still just evil."
There it is.
UPDATE 1619 GMT:
The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (the "matter" to the LCWR "anti-matter") issued a statement of their own, very different from the dissenting pro-abortion stance of the LCWR.
UPDATE 1734 GMT:
At least one bishop has a clear statement. Read what Bp. Finn has to say.
UPDATE 2022 GMT:
Biretta tip o{]:¬) to the youthful papist and I like his title: "How did a few hundred nuns become 60,000?"
10-048
March 18, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEClarification
Washington—A recent letter from Network, a social justice lobby of sisters, grossly overstated whom they represent in a letter to Congress that was also released to media.
Network’s letter, about health care reform, was signed by a few dozen people, and despite what Network said, they do not come anywhere near representing 59,000 American sisters.
The letter had 55 signatories, some individuals, some groups of three to five persons. One endorser signed twice.
There are 793 religious communities in the United States.
The math is clear. Network is far off the mark.
Sister Mary Ann Walsh
Director of Media Relations
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
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