SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV) -
The new healthcare law and same sex marriage are two hot button issues the Catholic Church is concerned with nationwide.
The Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese, Most Reverend R. Walker Nickless, weighed in on these topics and others during a luncheon with the media on Tuesday.
Bishop Nickless said the Catholic Church is united in its opposition of the new Health and Human Services mandate that's part of the Affordable Care Act.
According to Nickless, the mandate would force the church, Catholic schools and Catholic hospitals to pay for employee health insurance that includes contraception and abortion-causing drugs.
While the Bishop said the church wants affordable healthcare, being forced to pay for services that go against its teachings is wrong.
"It truly is an attack on religious freedom. The government shouldn't interfere with in the way a church operates and that's what's happening. Especially when we look at Catholic hospitals and Catholic colleges and universities and other institutions," said Most Rev. Nickless.
He plans to lead a special Mass at noon on Friday, June 22nd at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.
It is part of the Fortnight For Freedom, a protest against the HHS mandate. It's taking place in every diocese in the United States from June 21st through July 4th.
Also during the luncheon, Bishop Nickless addressed the Catholic Church's stance on same sex marriage. He said same sex marriage doesn't make sense and that it's not a matter of equality.
Nickless said marriage is about love and life: a man and woman become a couple in love that are open to life, meaning children.
He said he realizes parents are in a difficult situation if their child says they are gay.
The Bishop says parents should react with love and understanding, but let those children know that such behavior runs counter to teachings of the church.
"It's a difficult thing. We are totally against prejudice or retaliation or judgment on persons that find themselves in that situation, but we have to tell the truth. We can't say well this is okay, I guess it's okay. We have to tell the truth," Bishop Nickless said.
