WASHINGTON — Five U.S. bishops, chairmen of U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops' committees or subcommittees, said May 17 they were
"gravely disappointed" with the U.S. House of Representatives passage
of the Equality Act.
In an 236-173 vote, the House approved the measure, H.R. 5, which
would add the new terms "sexual orientation" and "gender
identity," as well as "pregnancy ... or a related medical
condition," to the definition of "sex" in federal civil rights
laws, the bishops noted. It also would expand the types of entities covered
under those laws and it exempt itself from the Religious Freedom Restoration
Act of 1993.
"Rather than offering meaningful protections for
individuals, the Equality Act would impose sweeping new norms that negatively
impact the unborn, health care, charitable services, schools, personal privacy,
athletics, free speech, religious liberties and parental rights," said the
chairmen.
Signing the statement were: Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of
Kansas City, Kan., chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities; Bishop
Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic
Justice and Human Development; Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ken.,
chairman of the USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty; Bishop Michael C. Barber
of Oakland, Calif., chairman of the USCCB Committee on Catholic Education; and
Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, Neb., chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee for
the Promotion and Defense of Marriage.
"Our faith calls us to uphold every individual's dignity and
rights against unjust discrimination — including in employment, housing and
services — regardless of characteristics or background," the bishops said.
"Rather than offering meaningful protections for
individuals, the Equality Act would impose sweeping new norms that negatively
impact the unborn, health care, charitable services, schools, personal privacy,
athletics, free speech, religious liberties and parental rights," they
continued.
H.R. 5 contains "unsound definitions of 'sex' and 'gender
identity' (that) would erase women's distinct, hard-won recognition in federal
laws," the bishops said. "Its sex-based nondiscrimination terms would
end women's shelters and many single-sex schools. It would close faith-based
foster care and adoption agencies that honor children's rights to a mother and
father."
The five prelates added that the bill "would even act as an
abortion mandate."
"We must pursue justice and equality for anyone denied it;
but this is a regrettable approach," they said. "We are gravely
disappointed with the act's passage in the U.S. House."
Earlier in May, Archbishop Kurtz and Bishops Dewane, Barber and
Conley were part of a group of a dozen Christian leaders who signed on to a
letter to House members voicing religious freedom concerns with the Equality
Act.
In the letter, the signers said they have "grave concern
over the devastating consequences to religious freedom" should the bill
pass in its current form.
The Equality Act "would devastate the core ministries of a
wide range of religious groups, especially those ministries that serve the most
vulnerable and that help form members of our faiths to serve the common
good," they said.
"These religious freedom concerns are not hypothetical or
academic. The Equality Act undercuts the religious freedom of millions of
Americans who live out their faith by serving others through religiously
motivated charitable ministries and organizations."
The letter cited several potential ill effects:
— "Houses of worship and other religious spaces will be turned
into places of 'public accommodation.'"
— "Federal funds will be denied to thousands of houses of
worship, schools, and charities that currently receive them."
— "Religious adoption and foster care providers would be
devastated, harming innocent children and families."
— "Many privately funded shelters for the homeless and
victims of domestic violence would be rendered illegal, ripping a hole in the
social safety net."
— "Core rights would be stripped from religious colleges and
universities."
— "Houses of worship, religious charities, and religious
individuals will lose the protection of the Religious Freedom Restoration
Act."
— "Religious individuals would be forced to take part in
weddings and funerals that violate their religious beliefs."
Archbishop Kurtz and Bishops Dewane and Conley, on March 20, sent
their own letter to members of Congress on the Equality Act, contending the
bill would "regulate thought, belief and speech," "explicitly
retract religious freedom" granted by the Religious Freedom Restoration
Act, "hinder quality health care," "endanger privacy,"
"threaten charitable services" and "exclude people from various
career paths and livelihoods."
"The Equality Act would impose sweeping
regulations to the detriment of society as a whole" and its
"definitions alone would remove women and girls from protected legal
existence," the three bishops said in March. "Furthermore, the act
also fails to recognize the difference between the person — who has dignity and
is entitled to recognition of it — and the actions of a person, which have
ethical and social ramifications. Conflating the two will introduce a plethora
of further legal complications," they said.