... and is simply a harbinger of things to come:
A lesbian couple from Westchester yesterday filed the first suit against a Catholic institution for refusing to recognize New York’s gay-marriage law.
The Manhattan federal court filing says the women — identified only as “Jane Roe” and “Jane Doe” — were wed Oct. 15, and that “Roe,” who’s worked at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers since 2007, later applied to add “Doe” to her medical-benefits coverage.
But the request was denied by both St. Joseph’s and its insurance administrator, Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, because hospital policy excludes same-sex spouses.
The class-action suit seeks an order declaring that both women are entitled to insurance coverage under federal law. It also says “thousands of legally married, same-sex couples” have been, or will be, denied benefits under similar policies administered by Empire, which is also named as a defendant.
The women are seeking an injunction ordering Blue Cross Blue Shield not to acquiesce to a company that wants to deny same-sex benefits because of religious beliefs, said Jeffrey Norton, their lawyer.
A Catholic hospital today, a Catholic church tomorrow.
All the more reason to be paying attention to this:
The US bishops’ Fortnight for Freedom campaign in defense of religious liberty begins with a June 21 evening Mass celebrated by Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore. The Mass will take place at Baltimore’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption.
"Culminating on Independence Day, this special period of prayer, study, catechesis, and public action would emphasize both our Christian and American heritage of liberty," the bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty said in April upon announcing the campaign. Dioceses across the nation are planning Masses, holy hours, Eucharistic processions, rallies, concerts, lectures, and other activities as part of the fortnight.
The fortnight will conclude on July 4 with Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.
You will be hearing more about that on these pages and sooner rather than later.
Carry on.
Comments