.- Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York is urging his fellow bishops to “prepare for tough times” after the Obama administration told the bishops’ conference that it is not willing to address religious liberty concerns raised by its contraception mandate.
In a March 2 letter to all U.S. bishops, Cardinal Dolan explained that White House officials told staffers from the bishops’ conference at a recent meeting that revisiting the mandate or broadening the exemption in order to address “the broader concerns of religious freedom” is “off the table.”
Instead, the administration encouraged the bishops to listen to those who accept the new policy.
“The White House seems to think we bishops simply do not know or understand Catholic teaching,” the newly-elevated cardinal said.
He stated in his letter that “religious freedom is under attack” and that “we will not cease our struggle to protect it.”
The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also outlined ways in which the conference will continue its “strong efforts of advocacy and education.”
He said that the bishops’ conference is working to provide catechetical resources on the Church’s teaching about religious freedom, as well as liturgical aids to encourage prayer and inform Catholics about ongoing plans to resist the threats to religious liberty.
“We did not ask for this fight, but we will not run from it,” he said.
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