Posted under Alabama, Cases

EWTN v. Sebelius

    • Mother Angelica - Founder of EWTN

    • Mother Angelica founded EWTN to spread the teachings of the church

    • Michael Warsaw, current President of EWTN

Thirty years ago, a cloistered nun named Mother Angelica started a small television network in her monastery garage to spread the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Today, the network she started, Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), is suing the federal government for the right to remain faithful to those teachings against Obama Administration officials who are trying to force the nun’s network to pay for contraceptives, sterilization, and abortion drugs.

EWTN, which is now run by lay Catholics, refuses to pay for contraceptive services and for drugs that destroy human life. The network also rejects the government’s offer last month of another year to “adapt” their consciences to its mandate.

EWTN’s case is the third lawsuit brought by the Becket Fund challenging the Obama administration’s abortion drug mandate.  The Becket Fund also represents Belmont Abbey College (a Benedictine Catholic college in North Carolina) and Colorado Christian University (a nondenominational Christian university in Colorado) in similar lawsuits.

On March 22, 2012, the state of Alabama joined the Becket Fund’s lawsuit on behalf of EWTN, defending their citizens’ rights from offer products against their religious beliefs.

For more information, or to arrange an interview with one of the attorneys, please contact Emily Hardman, Communications Director, at ehardman@becketfund.org or call 202.349.7224.

 

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Complaint – EWTN v. Sebelius

FAQ’s

Media Information Sheet

Press Release – Becket Fund Fights for EWTN (February 9, 2012)

EWTN: Statement of Michael P. Warsaw on the Dismissal of EWTN’s Lawsuit Challenging the HHS Mandate (March 27, 2013)

EWTN Comments on the NPRM (April 5, 2013)

Complaint - EWTN v. Sebelius (February 9, 2012)

Alabama’s Complaint (March 22, 2012)

Alabama’s Motion to Intervene (March 22, 2012)

Becket Fund’s Opposition to Motion to Dismiss (June 1, 2012)

DOJ’s Reply in Support of Motion to Dismiss (June 25, 2012)

EWTN’s Response to the NPRM (February 22, 2013)

Court Opinion (March 25, 2013)

EWTN Comments on the NPRM (April 5, 2013)

Alabama-based Catholic broadcaster sues over Obama policy, Jay Reeves, The Associate Press (2-9-2012)

EWTN Files Suit To Block Contraception Mandate, Joan Frawley Desmond, National Catholic Register (2-9-2012)

EWTN sues US government over contraception mandate, Benjamin Mann, EWTN News (2-9-2012)

Contraception Controversy Consumes DC Campaign, Alan Silverleib, CNN (2-9-2012)

Obama Gets Hit With Another Religious Freedom Lawsuit, Thomas Messner, The Foundry (2-9-2012)

 

Alabama Attorney General, Luther Strange