The Roman Catholic archdiocese of Miami has joined dozens of lawsuits filed by religious groups against President Obama's birth control mandate.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski filed the lawsuit Friday on behalf of Catholic Health Services and Catholic Hospice.

Catholics and evangelicals say the mandate, which forces them to offer insurance that covers abortion drugs and birth control, violates their religious freedom.

"I am defending religious freedom for the Catholic Church and its many ministries," Wenski said during a news conference Friday at the Pastoral Center in Miami Shores.

"The mandate jeopardizes our freedom to serve in a way congruent to our consciences and the moral teachings of our faith," he said.

More than 30 lawsuits across the country have been filed challenging the law.