On Jan. 20, U.S. Department of Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius reaffirmed the “Preventive Service Mandate” part of “ObamaCare” that mandates all group health insurance plans to include contraception, sterilization procedures and pharmaceuticals that result in abortion. This presents a grave problem for the Catholic Church, since the above drugs and procedures violate Catholic moral teaching.

The “religious exemption” included in the mandate is too narrow because Catholic entities either employ and/or give service to people of a variety of faiths or no faith at all. The Obama administration is allowing one year to be in compliance with the new rule.

Whatever happened to the authentic interpretation of “separation of church and state”? Why is the government trying to force the Catholic Church to violate its moral beliefs?

This “Preventive Service Mandate” has nothing to do with health care. Pregnancy is not a disease.

When an oral contraceptive fails in preventing conception of a new life, its action of thinning the lining of the uterus makes it reject the tiny baby, thus causing a chemical abortion. This includes the patch, Nuva Ring, morning-after pill, etc.

Why should taxpayers have to pay for this?

People of faith must raise their concerns regarding this usurpation of religious liberty. I am asking that people write to or call U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, 515 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510 (202-225-5406), U.S. Sen. Robert Casey Jr., 393 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510 (202-224-6324) and U.S. Sen. Patrick Toomey, 502 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510 (202-224-4254) and ask them to exhaust every possible means to rescind the “Preventive Service Mandate.”

Religious freedom is too precious to lose.