Vatican Emphasizes Opposition to Abortion, Contraception in Letter to President Obama
November 9, 2012 — The Vatican on Wednesday in a private letter to President Obama emphasized the differences between the positions of the Catholic Church and his administration on abortion and contraception, Reuters reports.
The Vatican wrote that it hoped Obama would act "in respect of the essential human and spiritual values and the promotion of the culture of life and freedom of religion, which have always been so precious in the traditions of the American people and their culture," according to a spokesperson.
Reuters notes that the phrase "culture of life" often is used to refer to the church's opposition to abortion rights.
The Catholic Church also opposes the federal requirement under the Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148) that most employers' health plans cover contraceptives. The University of Notre Dame, the Catholic University of America, the Archdiocese of New York and other institutions affiliated with the church have filed more than 20 lawsuits against the requirement (Pullella, Reuters, 11/7).
The information contained in this publication reflects media coverage of women’s health issues and does not necessarily reflect the views of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
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The Editors
Debra Ness, publisher & president, National Partnership
Andrea Friedman, associate editor & director of reproductive health programs, National Partnership
Marya Torrez, associate editor & senior reproductive health policy counsel, National Partnership
Melissa Safford, associate editor & policy advocate for reproductive health, National Partnership
Perry Sacks, assistant editor & health program associate, National Partnership
Cindy Romero, assistant editor & communications assistant, National Partnership
Justyn Ware, editor
Amanda Wolfe, editor-in-chief
Heather Drost, Hanna Jaquith, Marcelle Maginnis, Ashley Marchand and Michelle Stuckey, staff writers
Tucker Ball, director of new media, National Partnership
