Little Sisters of the Poor battle it out in court

'I can't imagine a scenario where we would sign the form.'

The Little Sisters of the Poor, who run a chain of nursing homes, are one of seven plaintiffs in Zubik v Burwell, which is a stand against the Affordable Care Act's requirement for health organizations to provide contraceptives.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The Little Sisters of the Poor have been fighting the provision for years, standing on the firm belief that their religious right as Catholics exempts them from providing any forms of contraceptives.

When the Supreme Court initially agreed to listen to the Little Sister's arguments, they faced a nearly $2.5 million annual fine for refusing to comply.

According to The Washington Post, the Little Sisters are allowed to sign a document indicating their refusal to pay for contraceptive coverage, which will still allow employees to receive contraceptives if they are willing to pay for them out-of-pocket, but the Sisters refuse to sign.

"What this form is, it's not an opt-out. It's an opt-in. It's a permission slip by which we would be giving the government permission to go into our plan," Sister Constance Veit said. "By signing that form, we're authorizing the government to go in and take over our healthcare plan. ...I can't imagine a scenario where we would sign the form."

When asked about the proper way to balance women's healthcare rights and an organization's right to religious freedoms, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest argued, "The policy we have in place appropriately balances the need of millions of Americans to have access to birth control, while also protecting the right of religious freedom that is protected in the Constitution."

The decision made by the Little Sisters of the Poor has been commended by Pope Francis, who paid the Sisters a visit during his visit to the United States earlier this year.

It was shortly after the papal visit that Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, the president of the U.S. Bishops Conference, stated: "As you know, the last thing the Little Sisters of the Poor want to do is sue somebody. They don't want to sue in court. They simply want to serve people who are poor and elderly, and they want to do it in a way that doesn't conflict with their beliefs."

Several have criticized the Sisters for choosing to deny their employees access to contraceptives, but the Little Sisters stand by their convictions.

Should the Little Sisters win, none of their 2,500 employees, nationwide, would have access to contraceptives.

Sister Veit admitted the decision would make it more difficult for their employees to receive contraception, but stated, "I would hope that in an environment where we respect each other's convictions, that would be one step that a woman who respects our convictions would make."

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