After a late night of routine work around the house, my comments will have to be brief. However, the story speaks for itself and I will be back later for follow up.
Internet rumors to the contrary, no Catholic hospital in the United States is in danger of closing because of the Freedom of Choice Act.
As a matter of fact, the Freedom of Choice Act died with the 110th Congress and, a week after the inauguration of President Barack Obama, has not been reintroduced.
But that hasn't kept misleading e-mails from flying around the Internet, warning of the dire consequences if Obama signs FOCA into law and promoting a "FOCA novena" in the days leading up to Inauguration Day.
The Catholic Health Association "is strongly committed to opposing FOCA and (the board) is unanimous that we would do all we could to oppose it," said Bishop Robert N. Lynch of St. Petersburg, Fla., an elected member of the CHA board of trustees since June 2006.
"But there is no plan to shut down any hospital if it passes," he added in a Jan. 26 telephone interview. "There's no sense of ominous danger threatening health care institutions."
Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who is CHA president and CEO, was equally sure that FOCA poses no threat to Catholic hospitals or to the conscience rights of those who work there.
"I don't believe that FOCA will pass, although we will continue to monitor all proposed regulations for their potential to help people in this country and for any negative assault on the life issues," she said.
As introduced in previous congresses, the legislation "has never contained anything that would force Catholic hospitals or Catholic personnel to do abortions or to participate in them," she added.
But even in a worst-case scenario, if the most dire predictions were to materialize and a federal law were to mandate that all hospitals provide abortion services, "I want to make it very clear that Catholic health care will not close and we will not compromise our principles," Sister Carol told Catholic News Service Jan. 26.
If necessary, Catholic hospitals will take a lesson from "how people have dealt with unjust laws" in American history, "and we would respond in the same way," she said.
"A very timely example" of that is segregation, which was backed up by U.S. laws and Supreme Court decisions that were unjust, Sister Carol said. "It was a very long and very painful journey to deal with that and now we have an African-American president," she added.
Some of the confusion over FOCA might arise from the fact that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops launched a long-scheduled postcard campaign to Congress against the possible legislation just as the false Internet rumors were reaching a peak.
The postcards, which are being made available for Catholics to sign at Masses over several weekends in January and February, ask members of Congress to oppose FOCA "or any similar measure, and retain laws against federal funding and promotion of abortion."
"At this time of serious national challenges, Americans should unite to serve the good of all, born and unborn," the postcards say.Read the entire story here.
Indeed, one of the concerns that I recently heard voiced was that if FOCA were to be enacted Catholic hospitals would have to shut down. However, I had also heard from a good source that FOCA would only affect government entities but not hospitals, and because of existing contracts even public hospitals run by the Church would not be affected. However, this is probably up for debate...
Indeed.. Elliot Spitzer tried to force learning the technique of abortions onto Catholic doctors and nurses not long ago, so there is reason to worry; it's not a matter of Snopes having to dispel this rumor. It's more than rumor.
Many Catholic hospitals and clinics (and worst of all, nursing homes..) are run and staffed by non-Catholics, and their directives differ greatly from true Catholic teaching!
Also, Mr. O. promised --unless the entire clip is photo-shopped --promised Planned Parenthood his first act as President would be to sign the FOCA. That promise was made before financial institutions crashed, and no doubt, that's the only reason he hasn't much mentioned it.
I have also read in news sites that the bishops will close any Catholic faciity that is ordered to comply with FOCA. So, as always, it's not a federal thing present yet, but neither did the bishops speak after the fact as has so often been the case with abortion; FOCA is present in essence, for abortion regulation is still determined by state government.
Posted by: Carol | January 29, 2009 at 01:58 PM