Catholic hospitals and schools may soon be required to cover birth control as part of their employees' health insurance coverage. They claim the new rules violate their religious freedoms. Now, the Allentown Diocese is going on the offensive.

"The first amendment says there is a free exercise of religion that the government cannot interfere with," said Allentown Bishop John Barres.

President Obama's national health care bill requires all insurers to cover contraception services with no co-pay or deductibles as of January 2013.

Churches themselves get a pass, but not businesses affiliated with them. Those groups will have one extra year to comply with the mandate, however.

"This is a fundamental violation of religious liberty," said Barres.

This Sunday, the Allentown Diocese will hand out a letter from the bishop, urging parishioners to call Washington to protest.

Dioceses nationwide passed out similar letters last weekend. Some of those letters stated the church will not comply with the new rules.

On the other hand, Planned Parenthood insists contraception is a basic health care right.

"The issue at hand is not about dispensing birth control," said Kim Custer, CEO of Planned Parenthood for Northeast and Mid-Pennsylvania. "The issue is about insurance coverage, and making sure that women have access to it."

Planned Parenthood points to studies claiming the majority of Catholic women use birth control. The group also released a television ad this week, praising the President's move, that will air in select local markets.

"I would hate to see a woman have to choose her job and her family's welfare over access to birth control," said Custer.

At DeSales University in Lehigh County, the new rules mean the school will have to start providing birth control for employees. 69 News asked the school if it intends to comply.

"I certainly don't make that decision," said Father Thomas Dailey, director of the school's Salesian Center for Faith and Culture. "My guess is no."

Dailey said the school may opt to eliminate all health coverage if the rule stands.

"One option would be not to provide health benefits for our employees," he said.