Bishops: Birth Control Change Not Good Enough

President's compromise is still 'unacceptable'
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 11, 2012 12:17 PM CST
Bishops: Birth Control Change Not Good Enough
A file photo of Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.   (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

It seemed at first that Catholic bishops would be on board with President Obama's tweak on contraception coverage, with an initial statement calling it "a first step in the right direction." They made clear last night, however, that they're still not happy, reports the Wall Street Journal. The bishops registered "serious moral concerns" over parts of the administration's plan, complaining that it still has a "national mandate of insurance coverage of sterilization and contraception," reports Politico.

Their statement also said that a “lack of clear protection for key stakeholders," including religious employers that self-insure, "is unacceptable and must be corrected." It's not clear what kind of an effect the criticism will have, though tomorrow's church sermons could hold a clue. (More birth control stories.)

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