US Army: Catholic Bishop's Letter Is Seditious

If there is a precedent for this outrage I never heard of it. When American Catholic bishops ordered a letter condemning the Obama administration's contraceptive mandate read at all masses the Army's Office of the Chief of Chaplains sent out another communication forbidding Catholic priests to read the letter. Now the Obama administration feels free to mandate what will and what not be read a religious services. The Army claimed it seemed to encourage civil disobedience, and could be read as seditious against the Commander-in-Chief. Seditious against the Commander-in-Chief? Now the Catholics bishops are accused of sedition? Would the President like to make that statement publicly? Archbishop Timothy Broglio who presides over Catholic military chaplains issued this statement.

Archbishop Broglio and the Archdiocese stand firm in the belief, based on legal precedent, that such a directive from the Army constituted a violation of his Constitutionally-protected right of free speech and the free exercise of religion, as well as those same rights of all military chaplains and their congregants. Following a discussion between Archbishop Broglio and the Secretary of the Army, The Honorable John McHugh, it was agreed that it was a mistake to stop the reading of the Archbishop's letter. Additionally, the line: "We cannot-we will not-comply with this unjust law" was removed by Archbishop Broglio at the suggestion of Secretary McHugh over the concern that it could potentially be misunderstood as a call to civil disobedience.

Making sure the point was well taken the military Archdiocesan lawyer wrote a letter to Catholic chaplains which says in part;

The Archdiocese believes that any attempt to keep a chaplain from freely teaching and preaching the Catholic faith, for which you were endorsed, is a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution. If any of you are in any way punished or slated for punitive action, I ask that you kindly call our Archdiocesan Attorney, John L. Schlageter, Esq. at 202-719-3635 and he will immediately place you into contact with a Religious Freedom Law Firm that will be most willing to take your case free of charge