Joe Biden, who is Catholic, long ago left Catholic doctrine behind with his stand on abortion, and today the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) called him out on his lie in last night’s debate about Catholic institutions being exempt from government control.
Last night Biden said:
With regard to the assault on the Catholic Church, let me make it absolutely clear. No religious institution — Catholic or otherwise, including Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital — none has to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide. That is a fact. That is a fact.
No, it’s not, and the USCCB harshly condemned Biden for lying. In a statement, they said:
This is not a fact. The HHS mandate contains a narrow, four-part exemption for certain ‘religious employers.’ That exemption was made final in February and does not extend to ‘Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital,’ or any other religious charity that offers its services to all, regardless of the faith of those served.
The USCCB added that HHS has used an additional “accommodation” that called religious organizations like these “non-exempt.” The USCCB asserted that the organizations will have to serve as a vehicle to get contraception “because they will still be forced to provide their employees with health coverage, and that coverage will still have to include sterilization, contraception, and abortifacients. USCCB continues to urge HHS, in the strongest possible terms, actually to eliminate the various infringements on religious freedom imposed by the mandate.”
This is nowhere near the first lie Biden has told; but it certainly ranks with his best, if he really believes in the same God Catholics do. It’s understandable that Biden gets confused; he has to choose between the Judeo-Christian God (who may punish him later) and the one in the White House (who will punish him now.). But if the Catholic Church rises up and advises its constituents to rebuke Obama/Biden for their attacks on virtually everything the Catholic Church holds dear, there may be justice served much earlier than Biden thinks.
Follow William Bigelow on Twitter: @williamtbigelow