Spare a thought for the Little Sisters of the Poor in the US who are fighting Barack Obama's HHS Mandate. Like so many other Catholic charitable institutions they are resisting Obama's directive which amounts to nothing less than a direct attack on the religious sensibilities of those opposed to abortion and contraception. This is the pro-abortion lobby and the anti-life wing of the US Democratic Party at its ugliest and most tyrannical.
These sisters have spent their lives, as have many others in that congregation, imitating the example of their foundress St Jeanne Jugan, reaching out to the elderly poor, providing them with a home, food and loving care in the latter years of their lives. Many destitute old men and women died with dignity and in comfort thanks to the humble service of these sisters. They do not discriminate, but receive all into their homes and care for all equally, the only "ideology" which motivates their work is the command of Jesus Christ to care for the poor, the sick and the dying.
One would imagine that any government would be thrilled to have such a dedicated congregation quietly working in its country, For one thing it takes pressure off governments to provide care for dying citizens. However in the "land of the free", where homelessness, poverty and neglect of the elderly are at a serious level, such generous acts of charity still have to conform to the anti-religious and anti-life ideology of the government. Charitable work will only be accepted as long it pays homage to the culture of death, indeed worships it and pays the tithe for it. Such an act is repugnant to simple, humble Christian women who seek to respect human life at its most vulnerable stage.
These daughters of the Church will not pay the tithe to fund abortion, they are resisting and knowing some of the women in their congregation they would prefer to do time or even die rather than betray the Christian faith. Unlike many women's apostolic congregations, the Little Sisters of the Poor have remained faithful to the charism of their foundress, to their simple life, their habit, their community life and their communal prayer. They had their troubles at the beginning of their congregation's life and they learned the hard way that only authentic charity and fidelity to the truth will keep them on the right road.
Please remember these sisters in your prayers, and with them all the charities resisting Obama's attempt to bankroll the culture of death through his mandate.
If you would like to support the work of the Little Sisters of the Poor in the US, you can contact them through their website here. If in Ireland and you would like to make a donation to the sisters' worthy work, they can be found at Sacred Heart Residence, 5 Sybil Hill Road, Raheny, Dublin 5.
