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May 18th, 2012
02:58 PM ET
Health secretary addresses health care, religious freedom in protested graduation speechBy Dan Merica, CNN Washington (CNN) – In an anticipated and controversial address Friday, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius delivered a speech that blended inspirational messages to graduates with a discussion of public policy's tough decisions, including health care and honoring religious freedom. Her speech at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute awards ceremony had been considered controversial by conservative Catholic organizations that saw her appearance as the university validating her positions on abortion and contraception. The speech did not mention the controversy directly, but Sebelius did address faith in public life in a section of the speech devoted to John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic president of the United States. "Kennedy was elected president on November 8, 1960," she said. "And more than 50 years later, that conversation, about the intersection of our nation's long tradition of religious freedom with policy decisions in the public square, continues."  Georgetown University has played host to a string of big political controversies this year.
May 18th, 2012
08:49 AM ET
In culture war skirmishes, Georgetown becomes political footballBy Dan Merica, CNN Washington (CNN) - In the latest round of culture wars over contraception and religious liberty, most Americans would probably identify places like the White House and Congress as key battlefields. But another nearby locale has emerged as a national platform for such skirmishes: the stately campus of Georgetown University, the country's oldest Roman Catholic college. On Friday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, a Catholic, spoke at a relatively low-profile graduation ceremony for one of Georgetown's individual schools, an appearance that attracted criticism from the Catholic archdiocese of Washington. The archdiocese and conservative Catholic groups blasted Sebelius' appearance after the role she played in crafting the new contraception mandate for insurance companies that says they must provide such coverage even to employees at Catholic institutions and because of her support for abortion rights.
May 18th, 2012
04:53 AM ET
Belief Blog's Morning Speed Read for Friday, May 18
By Laura Koran, CNN Here's the Belief Blog’s morning rundown of the top faith-angle stories from around the United States and around the world. Click the headlines for the full stories. From the Blog: CNN: Artist wants Jesus Popsicles to stand as statement on fanaticism, violence CNN: Your Take: Rebuttals to rethinking the Bible on homosexuality |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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