Cardinal George meets with President Obama; urges Catholics to rally for conscience protection for pro-life health care workers

President Barack Obama met for half an hour on Tuesday, March 17 with Chicago Cardinal Francis E. George, reports the Catholic News Service:

"The president and Cardinal George discussed a wide range of issues, including important opportunities for the government and the Catholic Church to continue their long-standing partnership to tackle some of the nation's most pressing challenges," said the White House statement. "The president thanked Cardinal George for his leadership and for the contributions of the Catholic Church in America and around the world."

The statement from the USCCB said: "The meeting was private. Cardinal George and President Obama discussed the Catholic Church in the United States and its relation to the new administration. The meeting lasted approximately 30 minutes.

"At the conclusion, Cardinal George expressed his gratitude for the meeting and his hopes that it will foster fruitful dialogue for the sake of the common good," the USCCB statement added.

Mercy Sister Mary Ann Walsh, USCCB director of media relations, said she expected no further information about the meeting to be released.

We may not be privy to what transpired in the meeting between Obama and Cardinal George; however, I would imagine it might be related to matters of conscience:

Cardinal Francis George is urging Catholics in the United States to tell the Obama Administration to retain Health and Human Services regulations governing conscience protections for health care workers.

This is vital to keep the government from "moving our country from democracy to despotism," said Cardinal George, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He delivered the message via video available on the Web at http://www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NoCRwMqVzQ.

Those who want to protect conscience rights can speak out through an action alert at http://www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection.

"Respect for personal conscience and freedom of religion as such ensures our basic freedom from government oppression. No government should come between an individual person and God--that's what America is supposed to be about," Cardinal Francis George said. "This is the true common ground for us as Americans. We therefore need legal protection for freedom of conscience and of religion--including freedom for religious health care institutions to be true to themselves."

"I ask you please to lLet the government know that you want conscience protections to remain strongly in place. In particular, let the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington know that you stand for the protection of conscience, especially now for those who provide the health care services so necessary for a good society," he said.

Cardinal Francis George taped the message after the Obama Administration announced in early March that it was rescinding the regulations which guarantee that health workers cannot be forced to provide services that violate their consciences, including abortions.

[Source: USCCB]