Bishop Wester's statement on the Hobby Lobby decision

Salt Lake City — As Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, I am pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores.  In its ruling, the Supreme Court reaffirmed vital constitutional protections for our individual right to fully form our own conscience.

The narrow ruling recognizes that privately held companies are run by individuals with deeply held religious beliefs.  It reflects the reality that certain forms of so-called contraception are really abortifacients, designed not to prevent conception, but to end life.  As such, the Court’s decision respects the sanctity of an individual’s well-formed conscience by recognizing the undue burden the contraception mandate places on employers who believe in the dignity and sacredness of human life. The ruling does not allow an employer to impose a point of view on others, but it does protect the employer from having to act against his or her religious belief.

I am grateful to the justices for ensuring that religious freedom and rights of conscience remain cornerstones of our democracy.