La. Catholics Asked to Fight Birth Control Insurance Rule

Catholics in the Archdiocese of New Orleans are being asked to join a campaign against a new federal rule that would require health insurers to offer free birth control.

The Department of Health and Human Services will begin requiring employers to offer their workers insurance that provides a full range of preventative measures with no co-pay from the insured.

These include mammograms, childhood immunizations, colonoscopies, and sterilization services and birth control, including the “morning after” emergency contraceptive.

The Catholic Church frowns on contraception, and church leaders say at the very least there should be a “conscience clause” exempting church-related institutions from the rule.

Archbishop Gregory Aymond asked pastors to distribute a letter during Sunday services that shows Catholics how to file written objects on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website, the Times-Picayune reported Tuesday.

The paper said it wasn’t clear how many parishes followed through, or what the level of response was from church-goers.