catholic church lobbying in washington

Prophetic Intelligence Briefings BY: Pastor Hal Mayer

Catholic Church Lobbying in Washington · February 07, 2012

A few weeks after Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York City unleashed a stinging attack on some of the policies of President Barack Obama, he got an invitation to the White House.

Dolan, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) had released a statement in which he said that the Bishops would form a new “lobbying unit” (not exactly legal under U.S. law for churches and other non-profits) to fight Obama’s policies on reproductive and gay rights, and other social issues.

Shortly after that, Obama gave Dolan another reason to smile: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that she was rejecting a recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration to make emergency contraception more broadly available without a prescription.

The exchange between President Obama and Archbishop Dolan “underscores the political power of the U.S. bishops,” wrote Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a religious liberty watchdog.

“Dissatisfaction with the president led the USCCB to take the extraordinary step of announcing the creation of the new lobbying body called the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. The bishops already engage in significant powerful and finely tuned lobbying in Washington DC spending more than 26 million last year. But the bishops want to form a lobbying group specifically dedicated to “religious liberty and marriage issues.” Advising the bishops are the Knights of Columbus whose 2009 budget was an astonishing $1.7 billion.

Rome uses the term “religious liberty” a lot because most American’s like the idea. But the bishops have their own definition of the term. To them, it means exemptions from laws that oppose their dogma on social policy or when they want church teaching written into American law, says the ACLU.

For instance the Catholic Church has argued at both state and federal levels that they have the “right to educate their children in Catholic schools at taxpayer expense,” which leads to “demands for vouchers and other types of public aid for the church’s parochial school system.”

“The hierarchy has also taken aim at the rights of gay and lesbian Americans.” Through open opposition and quieter forms of lobbying around Washington DC the bishops seek to influence legislation and regulations in its favor or in harmony with its teachings. On one hand, they seek government funding for church operations, but claim “religious exemptions” when for those parts of legislation that counter church policy.

“Over the years, church-related groups have become quite adept at tapping the public purse even while demanding the right to maintain their religious identity. That may be changing,” said Americans United.

What could be at the heart of the matter? “Journalist Sarah Posner reported recently that public documents show that in 2011, the federal government doled out more than $753 million to Catholic Charities alone.”

This money and its use give the church a very positive public profile. If the church cannot get the funds because they don’t want to comply with legal requirements, it could significantly damage its operations. Therefore the church lobbies to protect this flow of money and well as use its influence in American legislation. If they are denied a contract they claim it was the result of anti-Catholic bias.

The church also presents itself as a victim or potential victim. “In November, Cardinal Raymond Burke, the former archbishop of St. Louis who is now working at the Vatican, went so far as to assert that the United States is ‘well on the way’ to persecuting Christians,” and suggested that “the day may come when Catholics might be arrested for their faith.”

“The well-funded bishops’ lobby is backed up by industrial behemoths like the Catholic health care industry, looking after the bishops’ special interests,” Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, told Church & State.”

But “having failed to convince Catholics in the pews, the bishops are now obsessed with trying to legislate their ultraconservative interpretation of Catholic teachings into law to force Catholics and non-Catholics alike to follow their dictates,” O’Brien continued.

The bishops are in line with the religious right. When the bishops announced their new lobbying drive, Religious Right groups were delighted. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, wrote, “I welcome their renewed commitment to the fight before us. We are united in the fight for faith, family, and freedom.”

Perkins’ overture is only the latest in an ongoing effort to bridge the gap between Catholic leaders and the Religious Right. Theological differences and mutual hostilities have been largely resolved. In 1994, both O’Connor and Robertson signed on with a group of prominent evangelicals and traditionalist Catholic leaders who joined forces to endorse “Evangelicals and Catholics Together.” The document espoused a vision of a united Christendom fending off the secularism of the modern age…

“More recently, a second group of evangelicals and Catholics linked arms to publish the Manhattan Declaration in November of 2009,” in which the signers pledged to disobey any requirements that violated their consciences on key issues.

“The bishops are also savvy enough to keep the lines of communication open with both parties. With a Democrat in the White House, Religious Right leaders are largely shut out of the Oval Office. Top Catholic prelates, by contrast, represent a constituency that has supported the president in the past and thus find the doors open to them.”

While many might not agree with some of the views of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, they have made a number of very insightful remarks concerning the power and influence and purposes of the Roman Church in modern times.

“The Roman Church is far-reaching in her plans and modes of operation. She is employing every device to extend her influence and increase her power in preparation for a fierce and determined conflict to regain control of the world, to re-establish persecution, and to undo all that Protestantism has done.” Great Controversy, page 565 & 566

The Bishops, Obama and Religious Freedom