The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has been flexing its political muscles this week, first getting President Obama to pull back from requiring religious institutions to cover contraceptives in their employees’ insurance plans, and now pushing for even greater concessions. In a statement, the bishops lay out “two serious objections” they still have with the revised policy, in which insurers foot the contraceptives bill when religious groups opt out. The first: “All the other mandated ‘preventive services’ prevent disease, and pregnancy is not a disease.” The second, that waivers should be given to any individual “who consider such ‘services’ immoral.” Furthermore, the bishops note a slight catch-22: “at this point, it would appear that self-insuring religious employers, and religious insurance companies, are not exempt from this mandate.” While the worst of the storm may have passed, the president better keep his anorak on, as it’s likely to keep raining angry prelates for some while longer.
