An important letter from the Reverend Archbishop of Milwaukee

The following letter is being circulated among the Catholic population in our area.  The Archbishop of Milwaukee is sounding the alarm - an warning that the Catholic church and faithful are under assault from the Obama-led federal government.  The letter should serve as a "wake-up" call to not just the Catholic faith, but others that may soon see the government overstep it's reach into areas of religion like never before. 

Will people sit quietly by and do nothing?  Hopefully not.  Obama and Co. already are facing a Supreme Court ruling as to the constitutionality of forcing people to buy health care.  If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the majority of people who are against this mandate, it will be a big blow to Obamacare and such a ruling may put an end to it all together. 

In the meantime, Obama & Co. are now taking aim at the Catholic faith - requiring Catholic employers to offer health insurance with specific stipulations which go against the very nature of the Church's beliefs.  Such requirements are aimed at ignoring the pro-life stance of the church.  Obama's marxist tendencies continue to be exposed -  it is clear that Obama wishes to make government the only true religion. 

“The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of man is a requisite for their real happiness."  -  Karl Marx

What is this country coming to?  Remember just a few years ago, when those suffering from Bush-derangement syndrome called  Bush an "emperor" - supposedly "ruling" over the people?  President Bush did no such thing, of course, but the left repeated this mantra in hopes many eventually believed so.  Well, folks, here is honest-to-goodness "ruling" over the people, by President Barack Hussein Obama, acting like a dictator.   President Barack Obama and the federal government are leading the charge against the Catholic church.  Whether or not you agree with the church's  pro-life beliefs, what the government is attempting to do should be alarming to everyone.   If Obama gets his way, this will set a dangerous precedent for the future for all faiths.

Here is Reverend Archbishop Jerome Listecki's letter in its entirety: 

January 31, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

In conjunction with the U.S. Bishops and the Bishops of the State of Wisconsin, I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith.  The federal government, which claims to be "of, by, and for the people," has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people - the Catholic population - and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees' health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception.  Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those "services" in the health policies they write.  And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.  My recent blog on this topic is available at www.archmil.org.

In so ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation's first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty.  As a result, unless the rule is overturned, Catholics must be prepared either to violate our consciences or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so).  The Administration's sole concession was to give Catholic institutions one year to comply.

We cannot - we will not - comply with this unjust law.  People of faith cannot be made second class citizens.  We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom.  Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build America's cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God-given rights.  In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties.  I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same.  Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.

I would ask of you two things.  First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice must prevail, and religious liberty may be restored.  Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible.  Second, I recommend visiting www.usccb.org/consience, to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Administration's decision.

     We cannot stand idle and allow the infringement of government in the practice of our faith.

     With assurance of prayers, I am,

                                                                Sincerely yours in Christ,

                                                               Most Reverend  Jerome E. Listecki

                                                                 Archbishop of Milwaukee