USCCB Chairmen Condemn Regulations Forcing Gender Ideology and Potentially Abortion on Health Care Workers

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Monday issued proposed revisions to its Affordable Care Act regulations which would force health care workers to perform gender transition procedures, require health insurance issuers to cover them, and entertain a mandate to perform elective abortions. 

Archbishop William Lori, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, Archbishop Paul Coakley, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty, issued a statement outlining their concerns with the proposal. 

"Catholics have been called to care for the sick since the earliest days of our faith," said the bishops. "Today, the various agencies and social service ministries of the Catholic Church taken together are equivalent to the largest nonprofit health care provider in the country." 

Stating that the proposed regulations "threaten our ability to carry out our healing ministries, and others' to practice medicine," the bishops announced their intent to file "more thorough comments" with HHS at a later time. 

The full statement can be read here.