The Biden administration continues its efforts to force Catholic hospitals to perform sex-change operations contrary to Catholic faith and morals, or risk losing federal funding. According to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, it is illegal for a hospital, even a Catholic hospital, to refuse to perform sex-change operations or other services regarded as “gender-affirming care.” The courts have ruled on this several times, each time affirming a Catholic hospital’s right to provide care according to the principles of Catholic faith and morals. Even still, the Biden administration continues its efforts to force Catholic hospitals to act contrary to those faith and morals.

During a recent appearance before Congress, Secretary Becerra refused to commit to not stop federal funding to Catholic hospitals who refuse sex-change operations. Becerra said, “If a healthcare facility is violating the law and not providing the service they’re required to, they are not entitled to the resources.” This, in spite of the fact that courts have consistently upheld that Catholic hospitals are not required to provide services contrary to Catholic teaching.

It seems, as far as the Biden administration is concerned, that Catholic hospitals are obliged to perform sex-change operations, abortions, euthanasia, and sterilizations and can be punished with the removal of federal funds if they refuse to do so, regardless of what the courts of ruled. Just like with student loan forgiveness, Biden and Becerra do not regard their administration as subject to the rulings of the courts. They do what they want regardless.

As of now, Catholic hospitals are not being forced to perform services contrary to Catholic faith and morals. I don’t think that’s going to change. If the Biden administration attempts to withhold federal funds from Catholic hospitals for refusing to offer these “services,” the hospitals will sue, as they’ve already done, and the Biden administration and HHS will continue to lose.

Even still, this on-going battle consumes resources better spent on offering their patients the genuine medical care they need. The federal government is not in the business of directing hospitals or other institutions founded on faith, how they’re supposed to act based on their faith. Certainly, the federal government is not in the business of telling people of faith that they’re not allowed to practice that faith when it comes to the services they provide to others. The Catholic Church has a long history, in fact, the longest, of providing care and services to people in need, and not restricting those provisions to people based on their religion, race, ethnicity, or any other immutable characteristic. That the federal government now sees it as its duty to direct the care the Catholic Church provides is a direct violation of the U. S. Constitution and of every ethical principle of just governance.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.