June 29, 2012
VIEW PICTURES FROM THE RALLY — CLICK AND SCROLL DOWN
Kansas’ four Catholic bishops hosted a historic statewide rally for religious freedom at the State Capitol Building in Topeka today.
A record crowd of thousands endured intense heat that surpassed triple digits and listened to remarks from keynote speaker Cathy Ruse, as well as Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, Governor Sam Brownback, State Representative Jerry Henry, and Angela Huelskamp, wife of Congressman Tim Huelskamp.
Prayers were led by Bishop Michael Jackels of Wichita, Bishop John Brungardt of Dodge City, Bishop Edward Weisenburger of Salina, and Dr. Timothy Boyd of the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists.
Selections from America’s founding documents were read, as well as passages from the Bible.
The rally was held to protest recent attacks on religious freedom, the most prominent being the HHS “contraceptive mandate” that requires religious employers to provide employees with health care plans that cover sterilization, contraception, and abortion-inducing drugs, even when it violates the employer’s deeply-held religious beliefs. The policy jeopardizes the ability of Catholic hospitals, charities, and schools to continue to provide crucial services that serve the common good.
Lawsuits challenging the HHS mandate have been filed across the country and remain in effect despite yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling.