A Talk on Timothy Cardinal Dolan and the HHS Mandate - 1

A Talk on Timothy Cardinal Dolan and the HHS Mandate - 1 In pursuit of the truth - www.cinopsbegoneblogspot.com - Monday, May 7, 2012 Location: St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, Huntington Beach, California Thank you Frank for inviting me to speak to your Catholic Men’s Fellowship on Timothy Cardinal Dolan who has been the President of the U.S. Catholic Bishops since Nov. 16, 2010. Secondly, I will comment on the Government’s Health and Human Service Mandate (HHS) which will force Catholic Schools and Hospitals to pay in their Health Programs employee’s contraception, sterilization and abortion inducing drugs. All of this is contrary to our Catholic beliefs. I will be using the Cardinal’s own words and the questions and answers he gave in the book, “A People of Hope” Archbishop Timothy Dolan in Conversation with John L. Allen Jr. The book was published in early 2012. Because Cardinal Dolan is a great admirer of Pope Benedict XVI, I want to begin with a meditation on Thursday morning May 3rd, from the 1992 Cardinal Ratzinger’s book, “Co-Workers of the Truth” - Meditations for Every Day of the Year. For me, since 2005. “In 1923 in Germany, Father Rupert Mayer received a congratulatory telegram on the occasion of his Silver Jubilee as a priest. The telegram came from the future dictator Adolf Hitler. Father Rupert was a simple priest and recognized the mask of an anti-Christ. He realized from the beginning that Hitler constantly exaggerated and had no scruples about lying… If truth is not held in honor, then freedom, justice and love cannot flourish… Do I always speak the truth? Have I the courage to adhere to it even when it is uncomfortable… Where truth is not present the foundation of society is ripped from under us.” By the way, the Pope’s Coat of Arms is “Co-Workers of the Truth.” It is from there, I created the term - “In pursuit of the truth.”/ “The relentless pursuit of the truth.” On Cardinal Dolan’s website March 3rd, I read a startling one page statement which I typed out on my blog: Mon., March 5th, “I (Cardinal Dolan) Owe You An Update” I will cover this page in four sections; and make comments after reading each one to you. HERE IS THE FIRST SECTION: “OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS OR SO, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES HAS FOUND ITSELF IN SOME TENSION WITH THE EXECUTIVE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER A VERY GRAVE ISSUE: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. Can a government bureau, in this case the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), define for us or any faith community what is ministry and how it can be exercised? Can government also coerce the church to violate its conscience? This has not been a fight of our choosing. We’d rather not be in it… The Catholic Church in America has a long tradition of partnership with government and the wider community in the service of the sick, our children, our elders, & the poor at home and abroad. We’d rather be partnering than punching…” George H. Kubeck - to be continued