Catholic colleges, dioceses, schools, universities and charitable organizations have launched a multi-faceted strike against the Obama administration regarding the contraceptive mandate by the Health and Human Services department.

From LifeNews:

Notre Dame, Franciscan University of Steubenville, and dozens of Catholic hospitals and organizations have filed a total of 12 lawsuits today against Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the Obama administration over the controversial HHS mandate. [snip]

Numbered among the plaintiffs are the Archdioceses of New York, Washington, D.C., and St. Louis, as well as the Dioceses of Dallas, Ft. Worth, Rockville Centre, Pittsburgh, and the Michigan Catholic Conference, which represents all seven dioceses in the state.

From Hot Air:

Noting that Franciscan University did not go looking for this battle, Father Henry [president] said the University retained Jones Day, one of the world's largest law firms, with whom the University has had a relationship for the past twenty years, "because it has the resources to fight the government as long as it takes, and we will settle for no less than a restoration of our First Amendment right to freedom of religion."

Just last week Franciscan University in Steubenville reported it will close its student health care program as of August 15, 2012 because the college will not comply with the HHS directives to cover contraceptives in its health plan.

Also from LifeNews Notre Dame's president, Fr. John Jenkins weighs in:

Let me say very clearly what this lawsuit is not about:  it is not about preventing women from having access to contraception, nor even about preventing the Government from providing such services.  [snip]

This filing is about the freedom of a religious organization to live its mission, and its significance goes well beyond any debate about contraceptives.  For if we concede that the Government can decide which religious organizations are sufficiently religious to be awarded the freedom to follow the principles that define their mission, then we have begun to walk down a path that ultimately leads to the undermining of those institutions. 

Obama's actions have galvanized disparate personalities within the Catholic Church, i.e., conservatives and liberals like Jenkins of Notre Dame; the president surely knew this would happen if he pushed the church too far. Obviously, he doesn't care.

He has one mission in mind: force religious institutions to relinquish rights to religious freedom and become servants of the State.

Read more Ann Kane at Potter Williams Report