Irondale, AL, Aug. 22, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EWTN President & Chief Executive Officer Michael P. Warsaw will receive the "Defender of the Faith" award from Fullness of Truth Catholic Evangelization Ministries at its annual summer conference on Saturday, August 24 in San Antonio.
" The Fullness of Truth Board selected Michael Warsaw to receive the 2013 Defender of the Faith award for his uncompromising stance in protecting religious freedom," said Fullness of Truth Executive Director Patrick Ryan. "Specifically, leading EWTN as one of the first organizations to file a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Contraceptive Services Mandate. In addition, Mr. Warsaw's efforts to promote the beauty of the Catholic faith in the New Evangelization are unparalleled."
Warsaw, who will give a talk at the Fullness of Truth Conference on Saturday, August 24, said: "I am honored to be receiving this award, and I thank Fullness of Truth for recognizing EWTN's efforts. However, I am saddened that the actions of the U.S. Government made the filing of a lawsuit necessary in the first place. As I stated when we filed our suit on Feb. 9, 2012, EWTN is being forced by the government to make a choice: either we fund coverage for contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs and violate our conscience or offer our employees and their families no health insurance coverage at all. Neither of those choices is acceptable."
Over the past 18 months, the fight for religious liberty has continued to escalate. The State of Alabama joined EWTN's lawsuit as a plaintiff on March 22, 2012. Almost one year to the day later, a federal judge found that the Network did indeed have legal standing to file the lawsuit, but dismissed the case because of the promise of future revisions by the Obama Administration. Since that March 25, 2013 dismissal, the Administration has hardened its stance, which led Warsaw to assert once again that "EWTN remains committed to fighting this senseless mandate."
Warsaw has also led an outreach to the public on this issue. He wrote a well-received editorial that was published by "The New York Times;" he has given numerous television and print interviews on the subject; he has organized panels on Religious Liberty, including one as recently as August 19, 2013; and he has given a platform to U.S. Bishops and others in their efforts to instruct the faithful about the importance of religious liberty.
Fullness of Truth Catholic Evangelization is a lay Catholic apostolate based in Kingwood, Texas, which is dedicated to facilitating the "New Springtime of Evangelization" through regional family conferences, local parish-based events, an expanding array of multi-media platforms and the Fullness of Truth Book & Gift store.
"The Defender of the Faith Award is given annually to a person who demonstrates an unusually high level of leadership and courageousness in their efforts to preserve religious freedom in the Catholic tradition," Ryan said. "This person's actions serve to motivate others in living out their Catholic faith with boldness and conviction."
EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 33rd year, is available in over 225 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website www.ewtn.com, electronic and print news services and publishing arm, EWTN is the largest Catholic media network in the world.
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