Source: The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/02/AR2009070202451.html
President Barack Obama said today that he still favors a "robust" federal policy protecting health-care workers who have moral objections to performing some procedures even though he plans to roll back a Bush administration rule that expanded such protection.
Speaking to eight religion reporters at the White House before his first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI next Friday, Obama sought to reassure Catholic health-care workers that they would not be forced to perform abortions and other procedures that violate the Church's teachings. Obama said he is a "believer in conscience clauses" and supports a new policy that would "certainly not be weaker" than the rules in place before the expansion late in President George W. Bush's administration.
Obama's comments were part of a broad interview that touched on issues including his hopes for his meeting with the pontiff, abortion and his struggle to choose a home church for him and his family.
Obama's trip to the Vatican will coincide with his participation in the Group of Eight summit, a meeting of leaders of major industrial nations, Wednesday to next Friday.
Obama said he hopes his meeting with the pope will lead to cooperation in several areas -- including Mideast peace, poverty, climate change and immigration -- in which he said Benedict has shown "extraordinary leadership."