Contact: Joe Scheidler, Pro-Life Action League, 773-777-2900, 312-965-1030 cell

CHICAGO, Oct. 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- "It is outrageous to expect the Catholic Church to go against its own beliefs, said Joseph M. Scheidler, National Director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, in response to the ruling by New York State's Court of Appeals that Catholic Charities must provide contraceptive coverage to its employees.

"Some common forms of contraception can even cause abortions," said Scheidler. "This ruling is a blatant affront to the right of conscience that should protect every religion."

"The Catholic Church should not be punished for hiring employees who are not Catholic or for providing their services to non-Catholics," said Scheidler. "Perhaps the Court should consider the consequences of Catholic institutions restricting their services only to members of the Catholic Church. The state would then be burdened with providing not only social services to thousands of people, but health insurance for the additional employees that would be required to meet these needs."

"This Court of Appeals ruling is extremely short-sighted and discriminatory," said Scheidler. "If it is not overturned by the Supreme Court, this country is in serious trouble."

The Pro-Life Action League has taken a public position against contraception as the root cause of abortion. Its groundbreaking conference, "Contraception Is Not the Answer", held last month in Rosemont, IL, explored the impact of contraception on society from the perspective of history, sociology, demography and theology. For further information, visit www.prolifeaction.org.