Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago and Timothy Dolan of New York criticized the proposed HHS transgender mandate.

“Under this new proposed rule, it would be considered discrimination for a health care facility or worker to object to performing gender transition procedures, regardless of whether that objection is a matter of sincerely held religious belief or clinical judgment,” the prelates wrote. “This is government coercion that intrudes on the religious freedom of faith-based health care facilities.”

“Such a mandate threatens the conscience rights of all health care providers and workers who have discerned that participating in, or facilitating, gender transition procedures is contrary to their own beliefs,” they added.