Twelve Attorneys General Threaten to Sue Over Contraception Mandate

7/31/2019 Twelve Attorneys General Threaten to Sue Over Contraception Mandate

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Twelve attorneys general threaten to sue over

contraception mandate

Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks with reporters outside of the White House. Credit: HHS Chris

Smith

Washington D.C., Feb 16, 2012 / 02:16 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Attorneys general from a dozenstates say they intend to sue over the Obama administration's contraception mandate that requires

many religious employers to violate the teachings of their faith.

In a Feb. 10 letter, the attorneys general voiced their strong opposition to the mandate, which

they called an impermissible violation of the Constitution's First Amendment virtuallyunparalleled in American history.

They said that if the mandate is implemented, they are prepared to vigorously oppose it in court.

The letter was sent to the Department of Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebilius,

Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner and Labor secretary Hilda Solis.

It was signed by Nebraska attorney general Jon Bruning, who was joined by the attorneys general

of Texas, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma,

South Dakota and Colorado.

Bruning and his fellow attorneys general said that they are deeply troubled by the mandatesunprecedented coercion of organizations and individuals to act contrary to their religious beliefs.

They decried the mandate for forcing religious employers to choose between effectively promoting

a message in contravention with their religious principles and ceasing activities of incalculable

value to society.
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The Obama administration has come under fire for the recently-announced mandate, which will

require virtually all employers to purchase health insurance plans that cover contraception,

sterilization and drugs that induce abortions at no cost to employees.

Faced with a storm of protest, the administration announced an accommodation for religious

freedom on Feb. 10. Rather than directly purchasing the coverage they object to, religiousemployers under the new policy would be forced to buy health care plans from insurance

companies that would be required to offer these products free of charge.

Many critics have been quick to suggest that insurance companies will factor the free

contraceptives into the pricing of health care plans, and so employers will ultimately be billed for

the coverage, thus forcing them to violate their consciences.

Bruning has said that he is not satisfied with the accommodation, which he described as a falsecompromise that still tramples on religious freedom.

He and the other attorneys general urged the Obama administration to reconsider its decision,which they said is not only a bad policy but also unconstitutional.

Bishops gather to examine Africas role in New EvangelizationBy David Kerr

The leaders of the Symposium of African and European Bishops deliver their opening remarks onFeb. 13, 2012

Rome, Italy, Feb 15, 2012 / 01:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A conference exploring how the

continents of Africa and Europe can work together in the new evangelization is underway in

Rome.
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Pope Benedict XVI refers to the Catholic Church in Africa as the spiritual lungs of humanity,

said Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and

Madagascar, at the opening session.

This is an enormous challenge to us, for which we shall do all that it takes to share what we have

with the entire Church.

The 2nd Symposium of African and European Bishops is meeting Feb. 13-17 at Romes Regina

Apostolorum University. The gathering is entitled Evangelization Today: Communion andPastoral Collaboration between Africa and Europe.

It comes only months after Pope Benedicts November 2011 trip to the West African country of

Benin, where he signed his Apostolic Exhortation Africae Munus (Pledge for Africa). In it the

Pope outlined a program for pastoral activity for the coming decades of evangelization in Africa,stressing the need for reconciliation, justice and peace.

Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg, South Africa explained to CNA on Feb. 13 that theconference has already helped because it is starting to clarify why Africae Munus was issued,

what is important about that document, and why Africa should treat it very, very seriously.

He said one of the key challenges laid down by the Pope is that theology shouldnt just be somespeculative science, but that bishops should try and translate some of our theology into some

pastoral teaching, some pastoral care, etc.

Over the week the participants are using much of the Popes document on Africa as a template fortheir seminars and debates. They are also gathering every day to celebrate Mass together.

On Feb. 16, they will meet with Pope Benedict at the Vatican to discuss their work.

It is up to us while we are here to become more deeply aware of what the Holy Father has said

and how, in practical terms, we might be able to develop his ideas for the benefit of the people in

Africa, and also for those in Europe, Bishop Tom Burns of Menevia in Wales told CNA.

We can do this by understanding what Africa has to offer -- and we welcome that -- but also by

Africa understanding what we may have to offer. And Im sure they can benefit from that as well,

Bishop Burns said.

Scientists grow sperm in laboratory dishScientists have made a major breakthrough that could soon

see human sperm grown in the laboratory.


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Sperm being prepared for IVF treatment Photo: Eddie Mulholland

The development opens up the possibility of infertile men being able to father their own children

rather than using donor sperm.

Researchers in Germany and Israel were able to grow mouse sperm from a few cells in a laboratory

dish.

In a world first a team headed by Professor Stefan Schlatt, at Muenster University in Germany,

were able to grow sperm by using germ cells. These are the cells in testicles that are responsible forsperm production.

Scientists grew the sperm by surrounding the germ cells in a special compound called agar jelly tocreate an environment similar to that found in testicles.

Prof. Mahmoud Huleihel, who also grew the sperm at Israel's Ben Gurion University in Beersheba,said: "I believe it will eventually be possible to routinely grow human male sperm to order by

extracting tissue containing germ cells from a man's testicle and stimulating sperm production in

the laboratory."

The findings of the sperm trial have been revealed in a major scientific journal published byNature.

Now the scientists who made the discovery have begun experiments that will hopefully lead to the'Holy Grail' - human sperm grown outside a man's body.

Stephen Gordon, a leading NHS male infertility consultant, praised the breakthrough.

He said:"This is an amazing development that could revolutionise fertility treatment and allowevery man to be a natural father.


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"Infertile men naturally want to be the father of their child but at present have to accept that can't

happen. With the mouse discovery, that could now be a possibility."

Professor Richard Sharpe, one of the UK's top fertility scientists, based at Edinburgh University,who hopes to work on the project, said: "This is a significant step forward towards making human

sperm."

The problem of male infertility has grown over the last 50 years and has been matched by huge

decrease in sperm counts in men. Some of this has been attributed to environmental factors such aspollution and female hormones appearing in plastic packaging.

Mr Gordon, a urologist, who practises at Epsom Hopsital, Surrey, said: "Even with our latest

microsurgical techniques there are still thousands of men - who are otherwise healthy -who can't

naturally father babies and rely on sperm donation."

Professor Huleihel said his team were now working 'as quickly as possible' to reproduce their

success in mice to help infertile men.

"We have already applied the same tests as we did with mice in the laboratory, using human cells,

but as yet have not had success. We are confident that if it can be done in a mammal such as amouse it can be done in humans.

"We are experimenting with a number of different compounds to get the germ cells to grow into

sperm. And we believe it will be possible. And, hopefully, soon."

The sperm production breakthrough is reported in the Asian Journal of Andrology this month.

Professor Huleihel added: "We were able to produce viable sperm that could have been used tocreate baby mice. The sperm appeared healthy and were not genetically damaged.

"It has taken us several years to reach this stage so a technique to create human sperm won't come

overnight but we have started that research already after our success with mice."

In an attempt to speed up the search for a way of making human sperm Professor Huleihel's team is

about to start talks with Professor Richard Sharpe at Edinburgh University.

Professor Sharpe said: "What this research shows is that it will be possible to make human sperm

outside the body. The germ cells just need the right environment. That's the tricky part getting

them to think they are in the testes

Professor Sharpe believes that one novel way may make.it possible. He proposes using a livemouse as a 'host' to make human sperm.

He said: "What you would do is take some human testicular tissue with germ cells and place that

under the skin of the mouse and use it to incubate the cells.


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"You could then extract any sperm and use it in fertility treatment. But we would have to

demonstrate that there were no mouse cells present in the extracted sperm if we were to use this

technique and I believe that's possible."

Mr Gordon, who also treats infertile men at the private New Life Clinic, said: "Hundreds of

millions have been poured into research into female infertility but research into male infertilityattracts relatively little interest.

"There will be a lot of infertile men hoping this research succeeds and that in future they won'thave to rely on a sperm donor to have child."

Before human sperm grown in a laboratory could be used in fertility treatment it would have to be

licensed.

But researchers like Professor Sharpe believes that this hurdle will be overcome.

He said: "The main thing that would have to be proved is that the sperm was not geneticallydamaged and was the same as sperm produced in the testes. Similar checks are already carried out

on eggs and embryos used in women's fertility treatment." - TELEGRAPH.CO.UK

Muslim mob in Egypt burns Christian church

Cairo (AsiaNews) - A mob of nearly 2,000 radical Muslims, mainly

Salafists, set fire to the Church of St Mary and St Abram in the village ofMeet Bashar, in Zagazig, Sharqia province (50 kilometres north-east ofCairo). Since Sunday, the area has been the scene of clashes between

Muslim extremists and Christians. Calm returned to the area after mediation by the Muslim

Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, who convinced the Salafists to leave the village.

The violence was caused by the disappearance of Rania Khalil, a Christian teenager who wentmissing last Sunday. Her father is a convert to Islam. She was found today and is in police custody.

She and her mother will be interrogated by police. Salafists believe she was abducted by Christians

to prevent her conversion to Islam.

Since the victory of Islamist parties in Egypt's recent elections, anti-Coptic attacks have increasedacross the country. The latest occurred on 27 January in the village of Kobry-el-Sharbat (el-

Ameriya), near Alexandria, said Fr Rafic Greiche, spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church.

On that occasion, Salafists tried to burn the homes of the village's 62 Coptic families, after some

Muslims accused a Christian tailor, Mourad Samy Guirgis, of having "illicit" pictures of a Muslimwoman on his mobile phone.
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"Muslim radicals use conversions to Christianity from Islam as a pretext to attack and scare the

Coptic community so that it will flee," Fr Greiche explained. "This is happening across Egypt."

"In Western media, the prevailing idea is that religious clashes between Christians and Muslimshappen only in Upper Egypt and Cairo's slums, where people are ignorant. In fact, when it comes

to conversion from one religion to another, there is no distinction between rich and poor, educatedand uneducated, Upper or Lower Egypt."

In Muslim society, anyone who converts to Christianity becomes an outcast, Fr Greiche said. Bycontrast, those who speak out against forced conversions to Islam are not protected by the

authorities and in most cases are forced to withdraw their accusations under pressures and threats.

Things are bound to get worse, the clergyman believes. "Salafists are Egypt's second largest party.

After the election, they hold 20 per cent of the seats in parliament. In the next few months, theycould use their political power against Christians."

Still more news leaks: airing of confidential documentsbedevils Vatican

Just a day after the director of the Vatican press office released an unusual statement responding to

leaked internal documents, the release of still more confidential information added to the Vaticans

embarrassment.

The most recent leaks, published byIl Fatto Quotidiano, included a memo in which CardinalAttilio Nicora, the head of the Vaticans newly created Financial Information Authority,

complained that the recent changes in Vatican rules for financial transfers may not go far enough

to satisfy the concerns of Italian bank regulators. Cardinal Nicora said that loopholes in theVaticans regulations could create serious alarm in the international community, as well as amonginternational anti-money laundering organizations.

Cardinal Nicoras worries--expressed in a memo that was addressed to both the head of the

Vatican bank and the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertoneare particularly damagingbecause the Vatican has been struggling to fend off reports of financial mismanagement. The new

leaks also renew concerns that Cardinal Bertone is facing serious internal opposition among

Vatican officials.

Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, had decried earlier leaks in a

February 14 statement. "There is something very sad in the fact that documents are dishonestlypassed from the inside to the outside in order to create confusion, he said. The Vatican spokesman

denied that the leaks are evidence of an escalating conflict within the Vatican, which some Italian

journalists have characterized as a mutiny of the monsignors.

The Vatican newspaper, in a February 14 article about the 30 years that Pope Benedict XVI has

spent at the Vatican, mentioned that the Pontiff is not stopped by wolves. When asked whether


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the wolves in question included those who had leaked documents, one anonymous senior

Vatican official told the Reuters news service: They certainly are not boy scouts. CW N

Joint Vatican, British declaration stresses commitment toreligious freedom

A February 15 meeting between Vatican officials and a visiting British diplomatic delegation

ended in a joint statement emphasizing a shared commitment to promote and protect religiousfreedom.

Baroness Sayeeda Hussain Warsi led the British delegation, which was in Rome to celebrate the

30th anniversary of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Great Britain and the

Holy See. After meeting with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Secretary of State, the British

government was received in a private audience by Pope Benedict XVI.

The joint statement released after the meeting stressed the urgent need for action to strengthen the

universal commitment to religious freedom as a fundamental human right, and to its practicalapplication with a view to promoting respect for all religions in all countries. The statement went

on to list a number of shared interests: in the efforts to fight poverty and climate change, the push

for global development, a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, support for the UN, peace

in Syria, a restoration of order in Somalia, and more.

The statement also included a sentence reflecting the gentle insistence of the Vatican that the

British government should be aware of dangers to religious freedom implicit in its own policies:

The Holy See emphasized the need to ensure that institutions connected with the Catholic Church

can act in accordance with their own principles and convictions and stressed the necessity ofsafeguarding the family based on marriage, religious freedom and freedom of conscience.

Englands leading Catholic prelate, Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, told Vatican

Radio that the February 15 meeting had been a historic visit, showing the British governments

recognition that the Catholic Church plays throughout the world on many crucial issues.

Most US Catholics disapprove of Obama performance


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Nearly two-thirds of American Catholic voters disapprove of the job performance of President

Barack Obama, according to a new Rasmussen poll.

The nationwide Rasmussen survey found 59% of likely Catholic voters disapproved of thePresidents performance. Of these, 44% said that they strongly disapprove. While 40% approved

of Obamas work, only 19% said that they strongly approve.

Exit polls showed that President Obama won 54% of the votes of self-identified Catholics in the

2008 election. More recently surveys show him trailing likely Republican candidates in the battlefor that key voting constituency.

The Rasmussen poll was taken last week, as nationwide headlines reported President Obamas

clash with Church leaders over his decision to include mandatory coverage of contraception in all

health-care programs.

Documents

Twelve Attorneys General Threaten to Sue Over Contraception Mandate