The Bishop of Phoenix's decision to strip a Catholic Healthcare West hospital of its Catholic status adds to tensions between the Catholic Health Association and the Church hierarchy that started with healthcare reform, according to a report by the Catholic News Agency.
Meanwhile, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted hinted that more such actions could be taken against Catholic Healthcare West hospitals, according to a report by the Arizona Republic. The bishop said he had "recently learned that many other violations . . . have been taking place at" other hospitals in the system.
Bishop Olmsted's decision to revoke the Catholic status of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, due to an abortion performed there to save the mother's life, means the hospital will have to remove communion wafers from the chapel and may no longer celebrate Mass.
Sister Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association, voiced general support for Catholic Healthcare West, telling the Catholic News Agency, "Catholic Healthcare West and its system hospitals are valued members of the Catholic Health Association."
Previously, the Catholic Health Association joined the AHA and other hospital organizations in support of the reform law, putting Sister Keehan's group at odds with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which criticized the law for funding abortion.
Hospitals acquired by Catholic systems are confronting stricter interpretations of the Church's ban on reproductive services, according to the MergerWatch Project, which monitors Catholic takeovers of hospitals. These hospitals "are finding administrators who are fearful of permitting procedures that might not be considered appropriate under Catholic doctrine," a project official said.
Following the Phoenix incident, the American Civil Liberties Union asked CMS to ensure Catholic hospitals provide emergency reproductive care to pregnant women. The ACLU said refusals to provide such care are increasingly becoming a problem.
Read the Catholic News Agency report on St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center's Catholic status.
Read more coverage of St. Joseph's Hospital losing its Catholic status:
- Phoenix's Bishop Strips St. Joseph's Hospital of Catholic Status
- Phoenix's St. Joseph Hospital May Lose Catholic Status
Meanwhile, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted hinted that more such actions could be taken against Catholic Healthcare West hospitals, according to a report by the Arizona Republic. The bishop said he had "recently learned that many other violations . . . have been taking place at" other hospitals in the system.
Bishop Olmsted's decision to revoke the Catholic status of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, due to an abortion performed there to save the mother's life, means the hospital will have to remove communion wafers from the chapel and may no longer celebrate Mass.
Sister Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association, voiced general support for Catholic Healthcare West, telling the Catholic News Agency, "Catholic Healthcare West and its system hospitals are valued members of the Catholic Health Association."
Previously, the Catholic Health Association joined the AHA and other hospital organizations in support of the reform law, putting Sister Keehan's group at odds with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which criticized the law for funding abortion.
Hospitals acquired by Catholic systems are confronting stricter interpretations of the Church's ban on reproductive services, according to the MergerWatch Project, which monitors Catholic takeovers of hospitals. These hospitals "are finding administrators who are fearful of permitting procedures that might not be considered appropriate under Catholic doctrine," a project official said.
Following the Phoenix incident, the American Civil Liberties Union asked CMS to ensure Catholic hospitals provide emergency reproductive care to pregnant women. The ACLU said refusals to provide such care are increasingly becoming a problem.
Read the Catholic News Agency report on St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center's Catholic status.
Read more coverage of St. Joseph's Hospital losing its Catholic status:
- Phoenix's Bishop Strips St. Joseph's Hospital of Catholic Status
- Phoenix's St. Joseph Hospital May Lose Catholic Status