Cardinal Dolan on Religious Freedom

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York is my latest hero. He's been leading the Church's charge against the Obama administration's attack on religious freedom in general and on the Catholic Church in particular. The president has been trying to present the controversy to the public as if it were solely a dispute over contraception, which of course it isn't. Although Church teaching is clear in its condemnation of artificial contraception, the bishops are not at all seeking to ban contraception. Indeed, the controversy isn't about banning anything. No, Cardinal Dolan and his brother bishops object to the administration's attempt to force the Catholic Church and its institutions to provide contraception, sterilization, and abortifacients in the health care plans it offers to its employees.

I can guarantee this issue will not go away, and I can't see the U.S. bishops caving on any aspect of it, not as long as Cardinal Dolan's in charge. The below video is of Cardinal Dolan's appearance on Bill O'Reilly's Factor show in late March. As you might expect, O'Reilly doesn't fully understand the basis of the controversy and apparently thinks the Church and its bishops want to ban contraception.