Diocese files religious freedom suit against federal government

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend , the University of Notre Dame and several other catholic organizations filed a lawsuit against the federal government defending their religious freedom Monday, in response to the recently enacted Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate.

According to the diocese, the mandate forces religious employers, who do not qualify for a narrow exemption, to provide their employees with abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization and contraceptive products and services at no cost to employees.

The plaintiffs believe the HHS mandate is unconstitutional in that it violates the freedom to practice one’s religion without government interference.

The Diocese said in a news release sent Monday that this suit, “is not about whether people have access to certain services; it is about whether the government may force religious institutions and individuals to provide and facilitate services which violate their religious belief.”

President Obama changed his stance on the bill in February and said health care providers would cover the cost of contraception, and not the employer, to any worker who wanted it.

The Diocese said that accommodation was substandard and unacceptable.

The Diocese claimed in the suit that the mandate presents a ‘clear and present danger’ to Catholic entities’ ability to teach and live their faith, and would make them complicit in providing and facilitating products and services contrary to their clearly-stated doctrines.

The University of Saint Francis, Catholic Charities of the diocese, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., Saint Anne Home an Retirement Community of the diocese, and Franciscan Alliance, Inc., were also named as plaintiffs in the suit.