The Pittsburgh and Erie Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania have settled their lawsuits seeking to overturn a federal Affordable Care Act mandate that would have forced them to provide contraceptive and abortion-inducing drugs or services as part of their employee health care plans. President Donald Trump’s administration announced Oct. 6 that it was rescinding the mandate that was part of the health reform laws known as Obamacare. But lawsuits filed in 2012 challenging the mandate still remained after the U.S. Supreme Court last year ordered the religious entities and the government to settle the dispute. Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik, the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court case, announced the settlement Tuesday as one that “restores religious freedom granted by the First Amendment.” The government jointly agreed to the dismissals to settle the lawsuits.
