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Gingrich Says Obama 'Declared War on the Catholic Church'

Updated: February 5, 2012 | 12:50 p.m.
February 5, 2012 | 11:18 a.m.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.   (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Newt Gingrich sought to make inroads among religious voters Sunday, accusing President Obama of having “basically declared war on the Catholic Church.”

Gingrich, who converted to Catholicism himself in 2009 (his third wife, Callista, sings in a Catholic choir), was speaking about the Obama administration decision this week to require church-affiliated  employers to cover birth control drugs in their health plans, regardless of religious beliefs.

Gingrich, in an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, said the decision represented “a radical Obama administration imposing secular rules on religion.”

He called it “a tremendous infringement of religious liberty” and predicted it would have “very substantial” political fallout.

“Every time you turn around secular government is closing in on and shrinking the rights of religious America,” Gingrich said.

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