August 21, 2009

Bishop Gettelfinger and all U.S. bishops: Health care reform must respect life

By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)

Editor’s note: The following article includes information reported by Nancy Frazier O’Brien, from Catholic News Service.

Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger has called for health care reform that respects human life from conception to natural death. In a statement released to the Message and to news media in southwestern Indiana, he listed four “non-negotiables” for health care reform — including requirements that there be no funding of abortion, no mandates for abortion under any circumstance, and no preemption of state laws prohibiting abortion. He said conscience protection must be included.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has launched a Web site that seeks to clarify its position on the health care reform debate and to help Catholics add their voices to the discussions.

The Web site at www.usccb.org/healthcare features videos addressing various aspects of the health reform debate, answers to several frequently asked questions, copies of bishops’ documents and letters to Congress, facts and statistics about Catholic health care in the United States, and links to send messages to members of Congress.

The bishops also plan to offer specific “action alerts” on the site when Congress returns to work on health reform legislation in September.

The site urges Catholics to tell Congress that “health care reform should:

“Include health care coverage for all people from conception until natural death, and continue the federal ban on funding for abortions.
“Include access for all with a special concern for the poor.
“Pursue the common good and preserve pluralism, including freedom of conscience.
“Restrain costs and apply costs equitably among payers.”

In one of the videos on the USCCB site, Kathy Saile, director of domestic social de-velopment in the USCCB Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, notes that the bishops have not taken a position for or against any particular piece of health reform legislation.

“A lot is happening in Congress. It changes daily, but our principles and criteria remain consistent,” she said.

“The bishops are right at the center of the debate,” Saile added. “But the debate is go-ing to continue in Congress for several more months. There will be lots of opportunities to call, to e-mail and to continue that dialogue with members of Congress.”

In other videos, Richard M. Doerflinger, associate director of the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, explains why the bishops are insisting that any health reform legislation be “abortion-neutral.”

“Abortion is the opposite of health care; it kills the patient,” he said. “We can’t support reform if it is going to turn doctors against some of their patients.”

At the same time, Doerflinger said, the bishops’ goal is not to “advance the pro-life cause” through health reform legislation. “We just want to preserve all major existing policies and provisions, so that (reform legislation) doesn’t forge new ground against the life of the unborn.”

The Catholic Health Association has a similar message on its Web site at www.chausa.org.

“CHA has not endorsed any of the health care reform bills, but our message to lawmakers is clear: Health reform should not result in an expansion of abortion and it must sustain conscience protections for health care providers who do not want to participate in abortions or other morally objectionable procedures,” it says.

The association also has detailed information about its “vision for U.S. health care” on a separate Web page at www.our-healthcarevalues.org.

In his statement, Bishop Gettelfinger encouraged Catho-lics of the Diocese of Evansville to contact members of congress in support of reform based on principles of moral truth, hu-man dignity, solidarity and sub-sidiarity.

The text of Bishop Gettelfinger’s statement follows.

Statement on Health Care Reform

My brother bishops and I, alongside the leaders of Catholic Charities and the Catholic Health Association in the United States, support health care reform that truly respects hu-man life from conception to natural death. True reform must honor the dignity of each person especially the disenfranchised, the vulnerable and the poor. Children, legal immigrants, and pregnant women regardless of status are among the most vulnerable.

We bishops as teachers of our respective dioceses hold the following as non-negotiables. Under the umbrella of health care reform:

There must be no funding for abortion;
There may be no mandates providing abortion under any circumstance;
There may be no preemption of state laws already prohibiting abortion, and
There must be the protection of individual conscience without jeopardizing their position or employment.

As the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Evansville, I urge each of you to contact your members of congress in support of reform based on the principles of moral truth, human dignity, solidarity and subsidiarity.

Following is the contact information. Email them today!

How to contact your elected officials

Email addresses and other contact information are available at the website of the Indiana Catholic Conference, www.indianacc.org. Click on Legislative Action Center.

Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind.
Website: ellsworth.house.gov
Washington, D.C. Office:
513 Cannon House Office Building, District of Columbia 20515-1408.
Phone: (202) 225-4636
Fax: (202) 225-3284
Evansville Office: 101 NW Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Room 124, Evansville, Indiana 47708
Phone: (812) 465-6484
Fax: (812) 422-4761

Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind
Website: baronhill.house.gov
Washington, D.C. Office:
223 Cannon House Office Building, District of Columbia 20515-1409.
Phone: (202) 225-5315
Fax: (202) 226-6866
Jeffersonville Office: 279 Quar-termaster Court, Jeffersonville, Indiana 47130.
Phone: (812) 288-3999
Fax: (812) 288-3873

Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.
Website: bayh.senate.gov
Washington, D.C. Office: 131 Russell Senate Office Building, District of Columbia 20510-1404
Phone: (202) 224-5623
Fax: (202) 228-1377
Indianapolis Office: 1650 Mar-ket Tower, 10 West Market St., Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Phone: (317) 554-0750
Fax: (317) 554-0760