As the administration’s healthcare plan is weighed by the American public and the Supreme Court, the debate over the contraceptive mandate continues with high intensity. And for no small reason. Contraception is the only medicine we’ve heard so loudly proclaimed by the government to be completely free of charge. There are many other drugs for diabetes and cancer and heart conditions that are not free to patients and yet are much more necessary for survival and disease prevention. So, why is the administration pushing for contraceptives to be free and not graver health necessities? ()

On Thursday, May 10, Dr. Helen Alvare addressed the Catholic Information Center's Young Professionals Program on the topic of religious freedom versus sexual liberationism. Alvare is an associate professor of law at the George Mason University School of Law, the Chair of the Conscience Protection Task Force of the Witherspoon Institute, the President of the Chiaroscuro Foundation, a Consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Laity at the Vatican, a consultant to the USCCB's Pro-Life Committee and an ABC news consultant. ()

If everyone could just calm down for a moment regarding the Vatican and nuns, perhaps we could all consider some facts.

First, the notion that the Vatican is only investigating the women within its ranks is incorrect. In fact, nuns are rather late in a string of investigations and internal changes the Vatican has been making in America over the past few years. In 2005 and 2006, the Vatican completed an apostolic visitation, or an investigation and evaluation, of American seminaries. ()

This weekend I marched against the War on Women. I put on my protest clothes, laced up my Dr. Marten boots, and met up with the Occupy DC crew in Lafayette Park to march to Upper Senate Park for the “Unite Against the War on Women Rally.” I wanted to march undercover, as a woman warrior, to see what it was all about.

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Among the small fraction of married Catholics who don't contracept, there are two camps: those who space pregnancies by practicing NFP; and providentialists, who may or may not actively pursue pregnancy, but who do nothing to postpone it. Maybe we have respect for Catholics who are in the other camp, and maybe we don't, but we readily identify ourselves as belonging to one or the other. ()