catholic health

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has lobbied for decades to persuade the government to provide universal health insurance, says it opposes the bill unless it bans the use of subsidies for plans that cover abortion.

“We have said to the White House and various Senate offices that we could be the best friends to this bill if our concerns are met,” Richard M. Doerflinger, a spokesman for the bishops on abortion issues, said in an interview. “But the concerns are kind of intractable.”

It may be an overstatement to say the USCCB has lobbied for decades to persuade the government to provide universal health insurance. They have, in general terms, encouraged the government to protect its citizens' access to adequate, quality health care, but the USCCB has not typically dictated specific policy decisions.

The US bishops, and the Catholic Church in general, exist to teach the Gospel of Christ, which is professed in specific doctrinal and moral teachings. Neither the US bishops, nor the Catholic Church in general, exist to make policy decisions regarding economics or political structures. Thus, the US bishops do not get involved with policy questions (whether a public option is a good idea or not, etc.). They do get involved when specific moral truths are involved, such as abortion. For example, if the health care plan includes provisions that all US taxpayers, including Catholics, should pay (via their taxes) for any woman who wants to abort her child, this is obviously morally problematic from a Catholic point of view (or from any sensible point of view, IMHO).

So, in answer to your question, should the bishops control health insurance coverage for all Americans, no. That is the decision of the American people, as expressed through our representative government. Should the bishops voice their opposition to taxpayer-funded abortions, yes. That is their job.

2009-09-30 15:42:50 by homegirlredux

US bishops back comprehensive health coverage for illegal immigrants

The American Catholic bishops have apparently thrown their support behind a proposal to offer comprehensive health care to illegal immigrants.

In a May 20 letter to members of the US House of Representatives, Bishop William Murphy-- writing in his capacity as chairman of the Domestic Justice and Human Development committee for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)-- argues that the federal government should ensure "comprehensive and affordable health care for every person living in the United States." Bishop Murphy writes that individuals' access to comprehensive coverage should not depend on "where they live or where they come from." Those two sentences seem clearly to signal support for coverage that would be extended to people living in the US illegally.

While Bishop Murphy's letter indicates some concern about controlling the costs of health care, he does not grapple with the potential costs of offering comprehensive coverage, at the government's expense, to anyone living in the United States. The costs of such extensive coverage would presumably be enormous, however, particularly since the bishop specifies that the coverage should be "comprehensive," rather than providing simply for basic medical necessities.
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/feat ures/index.cfm?recnum=60326

Good idea, but not going to happen. Many people in the USA has MONEY in health care and the last thing they would do is an affordable health care plan, not even for the citizens themselves

As we can see here, people shift the point. They say that they cannot get good health care themselves, despite being citizens

My point exactly

Not even the citizens can obtain good health care.

The USA is the ONLY developed country that DOES NOT offer its citizens affordable health care. They spend the money building baseball stadiums ( Florida Marlins ) or the wars. Bush bankrupted the country with his wars and nobody says anything. They blame the illegals instead.
The Congress gave Bush even their undergarments

Really, the chain breaks at the weakest link ( the illegals are blamed for everything bad in the USA )

People find easier to deny than to present a valid argument. They give me thumbs down
Oh, well, that happens. It is called DENIAL

2009-05-28 09:17:07 by †††Goddess†††Jill †††Rose†††

Price: $39.95

It is a disgrace to the U.S that the Catholic Church is interfering the health care debate.

The Catholic Church should stay away from ANYTHING POLITICAL. As a matter of fact, I think that any church that endorses any candidate, or any political stance should automatically lose their tax exempt status.

T

2009-11-23 13:35:42 by spider

I read somewhere that they were, and many other religious leaders were as well. Does anyone have a current link on this?

BTW-I am Christian and I support the bill wholeheartedly. It seems on YA answers many people assume that just because you support access for affordable health insurance for the middle class, it means you have to be atheist. That does not make sense to me.

Merry Christmas!

The Catholic clergy members that I have spoken to are very much in favor of it.

2009-12-24 04:09:52 by froggy

They just came out separately from the Bishops in support of Health Care Reform for the increased prenatal care for poor women.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100317/ap_o n_go_co/us_health_overhaul_catholic_nuns _1

I have not paid attention to anything the Catholic nuns say ever since I finished high school, but I have never heard of them falling out of lock-step with the bishops.

The Washington Post says:
"Experts on religion, politics and the Catholic Church said they could not remember the last time leading figures within the church so publicly contradicted the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the official voice of the church in the United States." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con tent/article/2010/03/18/AR2010031802456. html

2010-03-17 10:50:42 by oohhbother