More War on Women

K-Lo reports on Notre Dame's lawsuit against the HHS mandate.

Notre Dame's president, Father John Jenkins:

Today the University of Notre Dame filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana regarding a recent mandate from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). That mandate requires Notre Dame and similar religious organizations to provide in their insurance plans abortion-inducing drugs, contraceptives and sterilization procedures, which are contrary to Catholic teaching. The decision to file this lawsuit came after much deliberation, discussion and efforts to find a solution acceptable to the various parties.

Let me say very clearly what this lawsuit is not about: it is not about preventing women from having access to contraception, nor even about preventing the Government from providing such services. Many of our faculty, staff and students — both Catholic and non-Catholic — have made conscientious decisions to use contraceptives. As we assert the right to follow our conscience, we respect their right to follow theirs...

So there you have it: "respect their right to follow their [conscience]" That's what Chris Matthews would call Notre Dame joining the war on women.


I'm a Catholic convert, and I was a little bit amazed at how many Catholics are OK with birth control and even abortion. I was under the impression that it was a pretty much an absolute rule.

But hey, that is their business. I really have no desire to force the birth control pills from their hands; in much the same way I don't think it's my business what gay Catholics do outside of the pews. (I draw the line in the pews, especially if they're in the same row as me) It's just not my business.

So the father and I are on the same page. I respect your right to take the pill, but you have to respect my right not to buy it for you. That some people can call that a War on Women says a lot about human imagination.