THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Roman Catholic church in the US has launched a huge legal assault against President Barack Obama and his health reforms requiring most American employers to buy contraception for their staff.
Dozens of the church's largest archdioceses, universities and other affiliated groups sued the Obama administration around the country this week, in one of the largest religious lawsuits in US history.
They argue that the US government is violating the religious freedom of bosses whose faith forbids them from using or approving of birth control.
Firms who [sic] do not comply with the law face large fines.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, the president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, accused Mr Obama of "strangling" the church with his health care policies.
"We have tried negotiation with the administration and legislation with the Congress, and we'll keep at it, but there's still no fix," said Cardinal Dolan. "Time is running out, and our valuable ministries and fundamental rights hang in the balance, so we have to resort to the courts now."
The battle threatens to badly damage Mr Obama's support in November's presidential election among Catholics, a group he won by 54 per cent to 45 over his Republican rival John McCain in 2008. » | Jon Swaine, Washington | Tuesday, May 22, 2012
