Portland’s Catholic Archdiocese Gets in the National Fight Against ObamaCare

June 25, 2012

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Portland’s Catholic Archdiocese has joined a national campaign to fight back against ObamaCare’s anti religious freedom mandates. The US Council of Bishops has begun an event called, Fortnight for Freedom. It started last Thursday and lasts until July 4th, American Independence Day.

The Portland Archdiocese has been particularly subdued since the Health and Human Service’s ObamaCare mandates became front page news. Last January, western Oregon Archbishop Vlazny was among many leaders who wrote a urging Catholics to get in the fight against the ObamaCare policies which forced Catholic institutions to provide coverage for abortion drugs, birth control and offer services ending pregnancies. At the time, Archbishop Vlazny said, “We can not and will not comply with this unjust law.” See the letter nearby.


While parish priests from other diocese across the country read their respective letters from their pulpits or handed parishioners the letter, reports from parishes in Portland showed a much more subdued treatment. The letter, I was told, was put in some cases in the backs of sanctuaries or maybe stuffed in a weekly bulletin. In fact, not only did the Archdiocese not want to give me a copy of the letter they didn’t want to TALK about it at all.

That’s all changed. The Archdiocese’s webpage now features the Fortnight for Freedom prominently on its front page. Before, you couldn’t get a look at the Archbishop’s letter.

Before I couldn’t get the spokesman from the Archdiocese to come on the program and tell me what was going on, but on Friday’s show spokesman Bud Bunce was quite gracious–and vehement–about the stakes involved in getting rid of these mandates. Hear my interview here at 1:16 on Friday.

Bunce said this is the first time he can remember when the Portland Archdiocese has involved itself in a political fight like this. On the other hand, it’s never had to fight for a purpose that so clearly breaks faith with the First Amendment.

Listen to the short interview. And then pray that the US Supreme Court overturns this ghastly unconstitutional monstrosity this week.

Tell ’em where you saw it. Http://www.victoriataft.com