Since Washington D.C. recognizes same-sex marriage Catholic Charities of D.C. has decided to drop spousal insurance benefits altogether.
Too little, too late, I say. Did they let divorced and remarried people onto their plan? Adulterers in the eyes of God? Sinners according to the principles of the Catholic Church? I hear nothing but a deafening silence on that issue.
And what kind of screening process did they have for the recipients of their charity? Is it possible that Catholic donations were going to the undeserving poor? What proof can they offer?
Just because Jesus seemed to extend his love in healing and feeding the hungry without any questions asked doesn’t mean the Church has to let sinners have health insurance. And Catholics are active in the battle to ensure that the government won’t help people get health care either.
So they’ll have to go to charity–which will refuse them. This fosters humility and repentance, at least outwardly, which is good enough.
But those adulterers… Does Catholic Charities insure them? Is it too late for a purge? Can they be excommunicated from insurance?
I think about St.Christopher these days. He’s an ex-saint for an ex-Catholic. I have to drive all day so I say a few prayers to him. He carried the child Jesus across the waters, bearing the burden of the world with compassion. It’s a sweet story even if it’s a legend.
Please forgive this rant. To Sister Winnie and all you good Catholics who are the soul of the Church, I’m sorry that I just lose it sometimes. I hope some day the leadership will follow your example. You are the real living practice of Catholic morality.
Kmareka.com 
It’s incredibly sad and scary that the Catholic church can do this.
Great blog! Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks for sharing. I had read about that, but I didn’t think about all the other “undeserving sinners” that are still getting benefits.
You know just because someone doesn’t share your principles doesn’t mean they lack them.
I know Catholics who live lives of service and voluntary poverty. They have principles. Denying health insurance is politics.
Not agreeing with homosexuality in principled, regardless if you agree or not.
You can’t take what you might like (service and voluntary poverty) and deride the stuff you don’t. The principles come from the same source.
Accordingly, the Catholic Diocese stated:
“We sincerely regret that we have to make this change,” said Orzechowski, “but it is necessary to allow Catholic Charities to continue to provide essential services to the clients we serve in partnership with the District of Columbia while remaining consistent with the tenets of our religious faith.”
Again, you may not agree with their stance but to reduce it to “politics”, in my opinion, demonstrates a lack of understanding of the importance principles have in matters of faith. And again, you may not see this issue as a matter of faith but the Catholic church does and so is acting accordingly.
And rather selectively.
But this is a good argument for reforming the system that ties health insurance to employment. A system that provides access to affordable health care to individuals will remove the whole dilemma from Catholic Charities.
I was baptized Catholic and attended Catholic school for eight years. I couldn’t sum up Catholic principles, but maybe I was staring out the window when the nuns taught them. I don’t know how denying a good and necessary benefit to someone deemed a sinner is a principled stand, but like a Catholic friend used to say to me when things didn’t make sense, ‘it’s a mystery’.