On September 28, 2012, the General Assembly of the Catholic Medical Association approved two important resolutions: one on the importance of traditional marriage for the well being of children and the second on opposing the HHS mandate.
On September 28, 2012, the General Assembly of the Catholic Medical Association approved the following two resolutions:
1. Resolution to Affirm Marriage as Between a Man and a Woman
Resolved that the Catholic Medical Association calls on all state governments and the federal government to promote the welfare of children by affirming that marriage can only exist between one man and one woman, and that marriage, as traditionally understood, should be upheld as the optimal family setting for raising children.
In approving this resolution, the General Assembly considered the following points brought forward for discussion:
- That the best available published scientific evidence indicates that marriage between one man and one woman in a stable relationship is the optimal situation for the healthy development of children;
- That in same sex unions, children are deprived of a family with one father and one mother, increasingly through newly enacted laws in certain states;
- That children raised in same sex unions are necessarily deprived of a major component of development (i.e., a stable family unit built upon the stable marriage of one man and one woman); and
- That in supporting or facitilitating such a deprivation through legal recognition of same sex unions, the state puts children at greater risk for emotional, relational, and academic harm.
2. Resolution on Opposing the HHS Mandate
Resolved that:
The Catholic Medical Association calls upon members of the judiciary to protect the human, constitutional, and federal rights of religious liberty and respect for conscience for those who have petitioned the courts for relief from the HHS mandate;
The Catholic Medical Association calls upon Congress to enact legislation as quickly as possible that will provide comprehensive and effective protection for conscience rights and religious liberty for all Americans;
The Catholic Medical Association supports bishops, priests, and religious in their public witness against the HHS mandate and shall oppose it by every appropriate means available;
The Catholic Medical Association shall take a leadership role in educating fellow Catholics, neighbors, and citizens about the destructive consequences of the HHS mandate and, in particular, its negative effects on women’s health and on the doctor-patient relationship;
That members of the Catholic Medical Association affirm their commitment to deliver healthcare services that respect the teachings of the Church on life and love and that truly serve the health and well-being of patients and their families.
In approving this resolution, the General Assembly considered, among other things, the points brought forward in the CMA statement, “Reckoning and Resolve: The Obama HHS Mandate.”
