Number of lawsuits, including that of Priests for Life, now nine
NEW YORK, March 19, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, hailed the newest lawsuit -- the ninth to be filed against the Health and Human Services mandate on contraception, sterilization and abortifacients -- as another sign that opposition to this unjust mandate has just begun.
O'Brien vs. Sebelius is a lawsuit brought by an individual or private employer not affiliated with any religious institution or organization.
"We are very happy that a private business owner recognizes that this mandate affects virtually all health care plans and all employers, across the board and across the country," Father Pavone said. "In our own lawsuit, Priests for Life vs. Sebelius, which was the fourth of the nine filed so far, Priests for Life is opposing this mandate as employers, not as a religious group. Religious freedom is not a right just of religious groups; it's a right of every American."
Attorney Charles LiMandri filed the Priests for Life suit Feb. 15 in Brooklyn Federal Court. The suit seeks injunctive relief from the HHS rules -- first on behalf of Priests for Life, and then extending universally since all organizations and companies will be affected by the tyrannical HHS decree.
Fr. Pavone observed, "Priests for Life is fighting this mandate on all fronts: mobilizing the Churches, educating the public through the media, supporting legislative solutions, organizing nationwide rallies for religious freedom to take place this Friday in over 100 cities, and being among the first to challenge the mandate in Court. We are grateful for Cardinal Dolan's recent remarks pointing to the importance of the lawsuits as perhaps the best way of solving this problem."
For the full text of the Priests for Life lawsuit, go to
www.priestsforlife.org/hhsmandate/priests-for-life-v-sebelius.pdf
To read a summary of all nine lawsuits currently pending, go to
www.priestsforlife.org/hhsmandate/hhs-lawsuits.pdf
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.
