Cardinal criticizes abortion provisions in House health care reform bill
Catholic san Francisco Newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco
(CNS)
By Nancy Frazier O’Brien
Screen shot of a new USCCB website, www.usccb.org/healthcare. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has launched a Web page promoting its support of “truly universal health policy with respect for human life and dignity.” The page, www.usccb.org/healthcare, includes letters from bishops to Congress, videos, facts and statistics, frequently asked questions, and links for contacting members of Congress.
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, who heads the bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said the health reform bill approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee prior to the Congressional recess would make a “radical change” in U.S. abortion policy by making abortion a mandated benefit in the public health insurance plan that would compete with private insurers and by allowing the expanded use of federal funds to pay for abortions. He said the committee “created a legal fiction, a paper separation between federal funding and abortion” through which those in the public plan and in private insurance plans that cover abortion would pay an outof-pocket premium of at least $1 a month to cover abortions beyond those eligible for federal funds under the Hyde amendment. The Hyde amendment, enacted into law in various forms since 1976, prohibits federal funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest and danger to the mother’s life. Cardinal Rigali said the separation of funds in the reform bill “is an illusion” because “funds paid into these plans are fungible, and federal taxpayer funds will subsidize the operating budget and provider networks that expand access to abortion.” In addition, he said, “those constrained by economic necessity or other factors to participate in a public option will be forced by the federal government to pay directly and specifically for abortion coverage ... even if they find abortion morally abhorrent.” The cardinal had praise, however, for amendments to the bill that stipulate that health reform legislation will not pre-empt certain state laws regulating abortion and will not affect existing federal conscience protections on abortion. HEALTH REFORM BILL, page 11
Widely respected priest, Monsignor Bruce Dreier, dies at age 60 Less than two months into the “Year for Priests” declared by Pope Benedict XVI, one of the most respected and well-liked priests of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Monsignor Bruce Dreier, lost an eight-month battle with cancer and died Aug. 10 at the relatively young age of 60 at St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco. Archbishop George H. Niederauer was principal celebrant at a funeral Mass celebrated Aug. 18 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco for Monsignor Dreier, who was pastor of St. Robert Parish in San Bruno from 2004 until his death. Concelebrants at the Mass included retired San Francisco Archbishop John R. Quinn, retired Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Wang, Auxiliary Bishop William Justice, Salt Lake City Bishop John C. Wester, Santa Rosa Bishop Daniel Walsh and Reno Bishop Randolph Calvo, who also presided at a vigil service at St. Robert’s August 17; and more than 100 priests. Monsignor Robert McElroy, pastor of St. Gregory Parish in San Mateo, was homilist. A graduate of St. Anselm elementary and Marin Catholic High School, Monsignor Dreier earned a graduate degree in Counseling from the University of
McElroy became friends when both served as young San Francisco. He was ordained for the Archdiocese men at St. Elizabeth parish in 1979. of San Francisco in 1978, and was named a Prelate of “Bruce was the associate pasHonor with the title of Monsignor tor and I was a transitional deaby Pope John Paul II in 2000. He con on my way to ordination and served at parishes including St. we became very close friends,” Elizabeth and St. Cecilia in San Msgr. McElroy said, beginning Francisco before his appointto laugh as he added, “We did ment as pastor of Church of the an awful lot of stuff together. Epiphany in 1992. He had a great sense of humor He also was a former chapand we played a lot of jokes on lain to the San Francisco Fire one another” Department, and Sacred Heart “Bruce was big-hearted and and Cathedral high schools very much in the trenches as well as former director of working with the parishioners,” Vocations for the Archdiocese Monsignor McElroy recalled. of San Francisco, and secretary, “He had a lot of ideas and would Office of Priestly Personnel and be on the ground level trying to Formation. implement all of them. He had a In the days leading up to the great deal of energy and worked funeral Mass earlier this week, very hard. He emotionally Catholic San Francisco spoke entered into people’s lives. He with people who knew and Monsignor Bruce Dreier wasn’t afraid to cry with people, worked with the late priest. celebrate joyfully with people, to be with them in very While they knew each other at St. Patrick’s Seminary, Monsignor Dreier and Monsignor Robert MONSIGNOR DREIER DIES AT AGE 60, page 10
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Year for Priests . . . . . . . . . . . 3 News in brief. . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 On catholic-sf.org . . . . . . . . . 6 Interfaith efforts . . . . . . . . . . 7 Commentary and letters . 12-13
Back to school, new principals ~ Pages 3, 8 ~ August 21, 2009
Senior Living stories and columns ~ Pages S1-S8 ~
Cardinal Levada at Knight’s convention ~ Page 9 ~
ONE DOLLAR
Scripture and reflections . 14-15 Classified ads . . . . . . . . . . . 19
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