Newman, in his February 11, 2012 e-mail to John Podesta, wrote:
This whole controversy with the bishops opposing contraceptive coverage even though 98% of Catholic women (and their conjugal partners) have used contraception has me thinking . . . There needs to be a Catholic Spring, in which Catholics themselves demand the end of a middle ages dictatorship and the beginning of a little democracy and respect for gender equality in the Catholic church. Is contraceptive coverage an issue around which that could happen. The Bishops will undoubtedly continue the fight.
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2016/10/13/fake-catholic-groups-and-the-catholic-spring-emails/