Cathy Cenzon-DeCarlo (Photo courtesy of Alliance Defending Freedom)

Mount Sinai Hospital in New York has agreed to additional policy and procedure changes to protect the conscience rights of pro-life nurses and other employees as a result of a federal investigation.

In 2009, the hospital allegedly forced a Catholic pro-life nurse to assist in an abortion in violation of the nurse’s religious beliefs.

Federal law protects conscience rights of health care professionals with conscientious objections to participating in abortion.

The nurse, Cathy Cenzon-DeCarlo, is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, a public interest law firm that focuses on issues including right of conscience and religious freedom.

This case provides yet another illustration of a growing trend of attempting to force people to violate their consciences on issues such as abortion, contraception, family structure, the definition of marriage, religious association, and sexual morality—or pay a price for standing strong.

For example:

These cases illustrate how pressuring conscientious objectors to violate beliefs regarding issues such as abortion, contraception, family structure, definition of marriage, religious association, and sexual morality threatens to turn “culture wars” into “conscience wars.”

In pluralistic societies where consensus is elusive, protecting religious liberty and rights of conscience is one of the most effective and principled ways to promote social peace and civic fraternity.

Public officials and government bodies, along with private citizens and institutions of diverse viewpoints, should work together to promote respect for religious and moral conscience and its essential role in maintaining a free and civil society.