The Catholic Medical Association (CMA) is celebrating the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to side with the Health and Human Services’ exemption to the contraception mandate of the Affordable Care Act, affirming the church’s freedom to make such decisions about the use of contraception within itself. 

“The SCOTUS decision is a win not only for Little Sisters of the Poor but for Catholics and anyone else who respects life,” CMA President Dr. Michael Parker said in an online statement. 

The contraception mandate has been in stark contrast to the Catholic Church’s stance on birth control, as it requires all employers who provide health insurance to their employees to also provide contraceptive coverage, Parker said in the statement. Such a mandate was a painful reality for employers who are faithful to the Catholic Church. 

The Supreme Court’s recent decision is that the final rule is indeed constitutional. The final rule allows for persons or businesses with a moral or religious objection to the mandate exemptions from enforcing it, the website reported .