The broad, sweeping healthcare legislation passed in the United States last year brings with it some long overdue reforms that are very popular. It puts a halt to a number of abuses by insurance companies that are simply unconscionable. It hopes to make comprehensive coverage available to everyone at an affordable cost while maintaining or improving the current level of care. These goals are compatible with Catholic teaching on social justice and should have the support of every Catholic.
HOWEVER, and very unfortunately, it does much more than that. It provides for a massive increase in support for abortions and sets us firmly on the road to socialized medicine. Regardless of any other benefit this law may provide, its support for the grave evil of abortion alone makes it unacceptable to faithful Catholics.
“An evil action cannot be justified by reference to a good intention” (cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Dec. praec. 6). The end does not justify the means.
CCC 1759
Further, socialism is contrary to the catholic teaching of social justice. Around 400 AD Saint John Chrysostom (Doctor of the Church) explained this. More recently, so did Pope Leo XIII, Pope Pius XI and Pope John XXIII as I wrote about last year.
At this time, a majority of the states have joined Florida in suing the federal government to block this bad law.
Last month Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro-Carámbula covered recent developments in an article for Human Life International:
Around the world we are engaged in a fight against the totalitarian tendencies of contemporary democracies that stifle the most basic human rights given to man by our Creator. So we have to celebrate the courageous ruling of Judge Henry E. Hudson handed down on Monday December 13th declaring that a pivotal section of the national health care reform law is unconstitutional. The case was brought by the Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, challenging the constitutionality of the law’s mandate requiring individual citizens to purchase health insurance. It is important to see how the Minimum Essential Coverage Provision is the linchpin which provides financial viability to the other critical elements of the overall regulatory scheme.
[…]
We have to keep in mind that these legal maneuvers have the purpose of transforming the constitution into an instrument of social change. These changes in the interpretation of the Constitution make it an instrument for the establishment of an unnatural regime that is contrary to the vision of the framers of the Constitution. This is a type of regime that through the constant growth of the power of the government reduces the rights of the states and erodes the space of freedom of the individual members of society. This erosion creates a clear risk that in the future the government might assault the free exercise of the religion, just as it has been constantly assaulting the rights of the unborn and the rights of families for many decades. As the Judge rightly notes, “The unchecked expansion of congressional power to limits suggested by the Minimal Essential Coverage Provision would invite unbridled exercise of federal police powers.”
We have to understand well that the National Health Care Reform contained in the Affordable Care Act is evil not only because it allows and abets immoral procedures like abortion, but because it is a step towards the establishment of a totalitarian state. A state that will not only allow, but impose all sort of immoral actions like abortion and marriage between persons of the same sex and will launch a persecution against Christians. These actions by totalitarian “democracies” will be a consequence of the materialist ideology that is at their core.
This legal decision shows also the value of prayer. On the day that the Court heard oral arguments in this case, October 18th, the day of the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, Fr. Frank Papa the chaplain of HLI offered Mass for this intention. His prayers were no doubt united with the prayers of many good Christians all over the United States of America.
Read the whole article entitled Stopping Socialized Medicine.
George, I think the following presents a more authentic view of the Catholic position concerning Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: http://usccbmedia.blogspot.com/2011/01/bishops-seek-health-care-thats.html.
Thanks Ruth Ann, it is a good link and touches on the need for accessibility and the extremely serious abortion related failures of the law.
Unfortunately, this staff produced document does not attempt to address the law with regards to the Catholic teaching of subsidiarity. Deal Hudson touched on this issue at Crisis Magazine in Does the USCCB Understand Subsidiarity?, along with a lively debate in the comments.
Msgr. Barreiro-Carámbula (quoted above) and others (including Archbishop Joseph Naumann, Bishop Robert Finn, Bishop Walker Nickless, Bishop Thomas Doran, Bishop James Johnston, Archbishop Charles Chaput and Bishop Samuel Aquila) have warned of this very important danger in the law.