The Little Sisters of the Poor religious order has asked the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to extend an injunction blocking enforcement of a federal mandate to provide contraceptive coverage in employee health insurance. A brief filed Feb. 24 with the appeals court in Denver said the injunction is necessary "to prevent the impermissible government pressure" on the order to offer an employee health benefits plan consistent with their Catholic faith, which is against contraceptives. "For the Little Sisters, an injunction ... is necessary to spare (them) from the illegal coercion" forcing them to provide coverage they oppose, said the brief, filed on behalf of the Colorado-based order and their co-plaintiffs -- Christian Brothers Services and Christian Brothers Employee Benefits Trust. The filing follows the Supreme Court's Jan. 24 order affirming -- for the time being -- an injunction handed down by Justice Sonia Sotomayor within hours of the mandate taking effect at midnight Jan. 1. Noncompliance by that date would have meant thousands of dollars in daily fines levied against the Little Sisters. Under rules issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the mandate requires nearly all employers to cover contraceptives, sterilizations and some abortion-inducing drugs for all employees in their company health plan. It includes a narrow exemption for some religious employers that fit certain criteria. Non-exempt religious employers, such as the Little Sisters, have to direct a third-party to provide contraceptives, which the order opposes. This is clearly a violation of the separation of church and state. The Constitution was created to protect religion and those that choose to worship. Our President does not understand basic principles of our governing documents.
Finding St Anthony Among the Lost Items
Saint Anthony of Padua, though often associated with finding lost articles, was primarily known in his lifetime as a powerful and eloquent preacher. Originally a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, he was inspired to join the newly formed Franciscan order after witnessing the martyrdom of the first Franciscan missionaries in Morocco. His conversion to the mendicant life under St. Francis of Assisi transformed him, deepening his commitment to poverty, humility, and evangelical preaching. Gifted with profound theological knowledge and a captivating speaking style, he traveled across Italy and France, drawing immense crowds with his clear and passionate sermons, converting many and combating heresy with his unwavering faith and intellectual rigor. Beyond his public ministry, St. Anthony was a mystic who enjoyed profound spiritual experiences, most notably a vision of the Infant Jesus. This intimate connection with the Christ Child is a hallmark of his iconography, often depicting him c...
