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Saturday, February 20, 2016

EWTN Press Release: Court rules against EWTN in HHS Mandate Case




Appeals Court Rules Against EWTN in HHS Mandate Case
11th Circuit Court of Appeals Refuses to Protect Catholic Network



Irondale, AL (EWTN) –This afternoon, the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled against EWTN Global Catholic Network in its long-running battle against the government’s insurance mandate requiring employer-sponsored health plans to provide coverage for contraception, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs. A three-judge panel issued a 2-1 decision more than a year after oral arguments before the Appeals Court.

“We are extremely disappointed that the Court has refused to protect our religious freedom,” said EWTN Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael P. Warsaw. “This decision by the Court of Appeals ignores the arguments that EWTN and numerous plaintiffs around the country have made with regard to this mandate. In effect, this decision orders EWTN to violate its religious beliefs and comply with the government’s HHS mandate or pay massive fines to the IRS.”

In the majority opinion, the Court stated "We accept the plaintiffs’ sincere belief . . . that the accommodation puts them to a choice between honoring their religious beliefs and facing significant penalties. We nonetheless conclude that the accommodation imposes no substantial burden." 

“This is wrong,’ said Lori Windham, Senior Counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead attorney on the case. “Rather than provide these drugs and devices through its own exchanges, our government wants to punish EWTN for practicing its faith. This 2-1 decision is not the end. The government’s unconstitutional mandate has lost repeatedly at the Supreme Court, and we believe it will lose again.”
EWTN filed its original lawsuit Feb. 9, 2012 against the Department of Health & Human Services, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and other government agencies seeking to stop the imposition of the contraception mandate as well as asking the court for a declaratory judgment that the mandate is unconstitutional. The Attorney General of the State of Alabama filed a motion to join EWTN March 22, 2012 as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. That lawsuit was dismissed pending the final HHS mandate rules.

The final rules promulgated in July 2013 granted no relief to EWTN.  In October 2013, EWTN and Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange joined together to challenge the unconstitutional HHS mandate. A federal judge ruled against EWTN in that case as well.  Hours after the US Supreme Court decision in the Hobby Lobby case in June 2014, the 11th Circuit granted EWTN an emergency injunction, protecting EWTN from the mandate while it filed an appeal. Today, a different panel of judges rendered a split decision, voting 2-1 against EWTN.

In a blistering dissent, Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat stated: "The majority runs roughshod over the sincerely held religious objections of Eternal Word Television Network," and concluded that "at bottom, the majority’s reasoning takes aim at the heart of RFRA (the Religious Freedom Restoration Act) itself."

Said Warsaw: “As we have said repeatedly, contraception, abortion-inducing drugs and voluntary sterilization are not health care and the government should not force EWTN to provide them as part of our employer-sponsored health plan. We are grateful for the prayers and support of the EWTN Family over the course of this litigation, as well as all those who have written in support of our lawsuit and in support of religious liberty. We ask for continued prayers as we consider our response to the Court’s decision.”


EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 35th year, is the largest religious media network in the world. EWTN’s 11 networks broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 264 million television households in more than 145 countries and territories. EWTN services include direct broadcast satellite television and radio; AM & FM radio networks transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 500 domestic and international radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; the largest Catholic website in the U.S.; electronic and print news services, including “The National Catholic Register” newspaper, and two global wire services; as well as a publishing arm.







1 comment:

  1. If EWTN loses in the Supreme Court, which is a distinct possibility now, they should move their entire operation offshore. Every employee should be given the opportunity to move with them, but they should shut down any operation on US soil, continuing to broadcast from say Rome or Brazil or any country that will respect their Religious Freedom and Catholic faith.

    While I would hate to see this happen, if it doesn't then why shouldn't the government and society run roughshod over our religious freedom and beliefs if our response is to say...oh, ok, well we tried... and go along with the flow. To pay the penalties would to be worse as you would be funding/rewarding the very system you fought. Perhaps if enough Catholic companies and people, especially a high profile one like EWTN voted with their feet and wallet, others would take notice.

    This is what happens when you concede ground to an aggressor, he continues to press you until you are against a wall fighting from a severely weakened position. The Church has remained silent for decades on *all* important issues. We should not be surprised by Francis' statement "who am I to judge" the Catholic Church has been under that policy for decades.

    In the mean time, start airing the truth (aka dirty laundry/secrets) of every politician, bureaucrat and judge involved in this process, you have the means to expose the Devil, playing nice is what he depends on. Failing the appeal to the Supreme Court, EWTN, send a message, close shop and leave the USA, broadcast from offshore.

    ReplyDelete

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Julie @ Connecticut Catholic Corner