This article describes the efforts underway in the US by church authorities to bring Catholic institutions into greater conformity with church dogma. Georgetown University invited a public official who was responsible for requiring Catholic hospitals to provide contraceptives upon request from individuals in the Affordable Healthcare Act. The bill has been changed to put the onus on insurance companies but the public official is certainly persona non grata to church authorities.
This puts Georgetown University into a difficult position. Catholic colleges, like other colleges in the US, encourage the free exchange of ideas. Criticism from church authorities, that demand conformity to dogma, is inconsistent with the common function of higher education institutions. Opposition to a government bill by church authorities creates a conflict between church and state. The church feels threatened by government legislation on issues like contraception which is in violation of church teachings. The government, on the other hand, does not believe that it should be constrained in providing services to the public that are inconsistent with dogma. This also reflects a general trend in the US in which religious leaders have been taking a more active role in politics. They believe that the government should more actively reflect the values that are part of their faith.
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