U.S. bishops promise to continue fight against health law's birth control mandate

Cardinal Dolan, the nation's top bishop, made clear that the Roman Catholic church will not comply with the Obama administration requirement regarding contraception coverage and will continue to fight it.  

The Associated Press/ABC News: Top Bishop: We Won't Give In On Birth Control Rule 
New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said church leaders are open to working toward a resolution with federal officials, but will meanwhile press ahead with challenges to the mandate in legislatures and in court. ... The bishops have made the issue the centerpiece of a national campaign on preserving religious freedom, which they consider under assault on several fronts from an increasingly secular broader culture. The Department of Health and Human Services adopted the rule as a preventive service meant to protect women's health by allowing them to space their pregnancies (Zoll, 11/13).

The Hill: Catholic Bishop Vows To Keep Fighting Birth-Control Mandate
Churches and houses of worship are exempt from the administration's policy requiring employers to include contraception in their employees' healthcare plans. The White House has also made a more nuanced "accommodation" for religious-affiliated employers, such as Catholic hospitals and universities. In a series of lawsuits challenging the contraception policy, critics argue that any employer should be able to opt out of the mandate based on their religious beliefs, even if their business isn't at all connected to a religious organization (Baker, 11/13).