In these difficult times, we need leadership with the courage to protect groups such as the Little Sisters of the Poor.
As people’s daily lives remain upended by the coronavirus, unsung heroes continue to serve as a stabilizing presence in high-risk communities across the country. One such group, the Little Sisters of the Poor, a group of Catholic nuns dedicated to caring for the indigent elderly, aren’t letting the coronavirus pandemic keep them from delivering compassionate care to those hard-hit by the disease.
Just as they did during the influenza epidemic of 1918, the sisters have stepped up to care for the poor in a time of great need. The sisters have weathered a number of trials since their founding over 180 years ago, but none so pernicious as the seven-year campaign threatening the sisters with fines or closure unless they comply with the dictates of the Obama-Biden mandate from the Department of Health and Human Services. The hostility by the former administration has forced them to return to the Supreme Court this month, and this should concern Catholics and others who support the service of religious institutions and their critical work.
The Little Sisters of the Poor never sought the limelight nor wanted to be involved in politics. They were forced to stand up courageously for what they believed against an unjust and hostile government. The sisters first went to court in 2013 to defend their freedom of religion against the Obama-Biden mandate compelling them to provide abortion-inducing drugs and devices in violation of their religious beliefs.
Within months of being elected, President Trump signed an executive order protecting the Little Sisters of the Poor and other religious ministries from government persecution. Trump’s order mandated HHS to write an exemption protecting the sisters and other religious groups from having to provide services that violate their consciences. While this exemption has been in place since 2018, Biden ally Josh Shapiro, the attorney general of Pennsylvania, is now attempting to have it struck down.
That is why the Little Sisters of the Poor went to the Supreme Court again, where, hopefully, the justices will grant them their simple request to be left alone — something unlikely to happen under a Biden presidency.
Recall the Obama-Biden administration showed little mercy when the sisters requested a simple accommodation to its HHS mandate. The Democratic Party has since moved even further to the Left, with liberals demanding even more purity and less accommodation, especially on matters related to so-called reproductive health. It’s therefore reasonable to assume such antagonism toward Catholics and religious liberty in general will grow worse if Joe Biden were to emerge victorious in November.
The presumptive Democratic nominee has largely remained silent on whether he’d defend the Little Sisters of the Poor or similarly situated religious groups and other people of faith. As the Washington Examiner reports, “The section of Biden’s campaign website devoted to Catholics focuses on healthcare, immigration, and environmental protection.”
Given the trajectory of our partisan divide, there is no reason to think a President Biden would pursue a different path than the one pursued by President Barack Obama or that the current crisis will soften his attitude toward the selfless work of the sisters. Instead, Biden will almost assuredly continue to do the bidding of liberal ideologues who control the party and double down on the intolerance of the Obama-Biden years. That will force the sisters to continue to spend precious resources, time, and attention on costly litigation instead of the critical work of caring for the needy elderly across the country.
Unlike the Obama-Biden administration, Trump has been an unwavering advocate for the Little Sisters of the Poor since he took office. The president has done everything possible to support their charity to the poor, including multiple invitations to the Rose Garden to recognize their work. Further, he has appointed hundreds of new federal judges likely to be far more protective of religious liberty, including two new Supreme Court justices who may very well decide the outcome of their latest appeal.
Voters who care about freedom of religion and value the work of groups such as the Little Sisters of the Poor have a clear choice in 2020. Biden knows he must satisfy an increasingly radical base, even if that means turning his back once again on selfless nuns helping the elderly poor. Meanwhile, Trump has been a warrior on their behalf. Catholics and people of goodwill who stand with them should keep this in mind when casting their vote for the next president.
Brian Burch is the president of Catholic Vote.