Lawrence Eugene Brandt

"The Catholic Church in the U.S. has been fighting this battle to preserve its religious freedom for several years now. And this battle probably will not be resolved in the next few weeks. We must remain firm in our convictions and not succumb to accommodations, including third-party payments of premiums for coverages that are contrary to our beliefs. Most of all, we must pray. Pray that the courts and judges will protect our First Amendment rights, which are given to us by God, not by the government. Pray for God’s protection. And pray for our country, which was settled and established by people who had a deep desire and made great sacrifices to secure religious freedom for themselves, their families and their descendants."