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Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese Challenging Affordable Care Act

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Affordable Care Act has caused an uproar of late and now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is heading to court to fight against the law.

There were strong words today from Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese leader Bishop David Zubik who missed the first of a three day conference of U.S. Bishop's in Baltimore so he could testify in federal court.

At issue, the preventive services mandate within the Affordable Care Act, which says all employees must have access to health care that covers contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs.

Bishop Zubik told the court: "The issue with the services in the mandate is that they either go against preservation of human life or involve the actual taking of human life."

Churches are exempt from the mandate, but charitable organizations, including Pittsburgh Catholic Charities, are not.

Bishop Zubik told the court this is a problem because, "the practice of charity has to reflect the teaching of the church."

The Diocese can decline to offer the reproductive services coverage to charity employees without penalty if it allows a third party provider to do so.

Watch Jon Delano's report:

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who testified via video deposition, said, "The burden goes beyond the financial; it's moral."

Both he and Bishop Zubik called the services at issue "evil" and say by giving employees access to those services, the Diocese would be "facilitating scandal."

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