Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York said the Catholic Church will not stand down its opposition to Obamacare’s birth control mandate and warned that the president will lose substantial support if he doesn’t compromise.
“We bishops have really been in kind of a tough place,” said Mr. Dolan, who is the former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and enjoys widespread support as the archbishop of New York, during an NBC “Meet the Press” appearance. “That’s how far we go in this battle. We’re not Johnny-come-latelies.”
Mr. Dolan said that while the Catholic Church has supported universal health care for years, it does not — and will not — support the Obamacare mandate that requires insurance companies to provide employees coverage for contraceptives. Mr. Obama should soften his approach on that provision, Mr. Dolan warned.
“We want to be with you,” he said, but forcing this mandate could “push aside” large swaths of supporters, Fox News reported. “We want to be strong and if you keep doing this, we’re not going to be able to be one of your cheerleaders.”
His comments come just as the Supreme Court agreed to take up a challenge led by the Christian-based Hobby Lobby chain that providing contraceptive coverage for employees runs counter to the company’s religious beliefs.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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