Religious institutions may soon be required to offer birth control in their health care plans.

In a move that angered religious leaders, the federal government’s Health and Human Services department, under the Obama administration, announced Friday that church-related institutions must provide free birth control coverage for women in their employee insurance plans by next year.

While physical churches and other places of worship are exempt from the new rule, religious-affiliated organizations like hospitals and universities fall under the new requirement. Traditionally, religious employers like the Catholic Church do not offer that specific coverage in their plans as the concept of birth control goes against its doctrine. Religious employers are required to comply with the ruling by Aug. 1, 2013.

“This decision was made after very careful consideration, including the important concerns some have raised about religious liberty,” said Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the HHS department. “I believe this proposal strikes the appropriate balance between respecting religious freedom and increasing access to important preventive services. The administration remains fully committed to its partnerships with faith-based organizations, which promote healthy communities and serve the common good.”

Reaction from Catholic organizations came swiftly. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops vowed to fight the edict and said in a release, “(It’s) unconscionable to force citizens to buy contraceptives against their will.”

“Religious liberty is certainly front and center in conversations these days,” said Cardinal-Designate Thomas Dolan, president of the USCCB and current archbishop of New York. The archbishop was featured in a video on the USCCB homepage Friday afternoon. “The administration offered a very narrow religious exemption to some employers such as churches, but the government will still require most Americans to pay for this coverage, even if it violates their consciousness. That’s a foul ball, by any standard. Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out in the marketplace and buy a product that violates their consciousness. This shouldn’t happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the bill of rights.”

The New York State Catholic Conference called the move “an appalling violation of religious liberty.” Cardinal-designate Dolan recommended Catholics contact their representatives to lobby on the Church’s behalf.

“How about letting our elected leaders know that we want religious liberty and rights of conscious restored and the administration’s mandate rescinded,” he said. “We can’t afford to strike out on this one.”

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