Kentucky bishops urge 'new commitment' to health care for all

Published: 2005-12-13

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (CNS) -- Saying all people have "a moral right" to basic health care, the Catholic bishops of Kentucky have called for "a new commitment" in the United States and Kentucky to provide access to affordable care. "It is not acceptable that millions of people in our country and hundreds of thousands in Kentucky do not have access to affordable health care," the bishops of the state's four Catholic dioceses said in a statement released Dec. 6. In addressing one of the major national issues today, the bishops said access to health care is "a fundamental human right" that is "necessary for the development and maintenance of life and of the ability of human beings to realize the fullness of their dignity." The statement, titled "Health Care Is a Moral Right, a Safeguard of Human Life," is signed by Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly of Louisville and Bishops John J. McRaith of Owensboro, Roger J. Foys of Covington and Ronald W. Gainer of Lexington.

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