ACLU Declares War On Catholic Hospitals For Not Performing Abortions

[markomalley]

From the Daily Caller:

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has declared war on Catholic hospitals for refusing to provide abortions.

The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday to get access to all documents related to complaints against Catholic hospitals refusing to perform abortions. The suit is part of a plan to either force Catholic hospitals to do abortions, or shut them down.

“Upon information and belief, these complaints describe serious harm – including major blood loss and life-threatening infection – that women experienced after being denied appropriate care by Catholic hospitals,” the lawsuit reads.

(remainder snipped)

I posted this thread, Obama Threatens Hospitals: Perform ‘Sex Changes’ Or Lose Federal Funding, yesterday, which is very much related.

The Obama HHS published a regulation on 5/18, which will make the ACLU's task much easier. The specific change is 92 CFR 206:

§ 92.206 Equal program access on the basis of sex.

A covered entity shall provide individuals equal access to its health programs or activities without discrimination on the basis of sex; and a covered entity shall treat individuals consistent with their gender identity, except that a covered entity may not deny or limit health services that are ordinarily or exclusively available to individuals of one sex, to a transgender individual based on the fact that the individual's sex assigned at birth, gender identity, or gender otherwise recorded is different from the one to which such health services are ordinarily or exclusively available.

[musiclady]

And some say there is no war on religious liberty in this country......

May God have mercy on us!

[sinkspur]

Hospitals are a drain on dioceses.  From a pure financial standpoint, I'm sure bishops would love nothing more than shut down these money-losers.

[TomSea]

The Anti-Christian Legacy Union or something like that, they are called.

I'll vote against the genocidal democratic party every chance I get.

[sinkspur]

But they are not a business.  Don't they view it as a ministry?

Even ministries have to be funded.

One thing they will not do is allow Catholic hospitals to perform abortions.  They'll shut them down before they allow that.

[INVAR]

If I were Catholic and a Bishop or something, I would tell the ACLU and the government to pound sand.

Then when they came to attempt to shut down the hospital, put out the call to the Faithful and have them come out armed to defend the hospital from government thugs and their agents of death.

If they want a war, that's as good a place as any to start one: defending a hospital from demands from government agents that they kill infants.

[mystery-ak]

Even ministries have to be funded.

One thing they will not do is allow Catholic hospitals to perform abortions.  They'll shut them down before they allow that.

Hubby works pt for a Catholic Hosp..they are prepared to shut their doors if they are told they have to perform abortions.

[markomalley]

Hospitals are a drain on dioceses.  From a pure financial standpoint, I'm sure bishops would love nothing more than shut down these money-losers.

But they are not a business.  Don't they view it as a ministry?

Actually, if you look at the structure, very, very few Catholic hospitals are owned and operated by dioceses or by religious orders any more. Most have been evolved into (non-profit) corporations with the diocesan bishop and/or members of the religious order that sponsored them as members of the boards of trustees. There are exceptions, but in general that is the rule.

As an example from the local DC area, the biggest hospital "chains" are

Georgetown (owned/operated by Medstar)
Holy Cross (owned/operated by Trinity Health)
Providence (owned/operated by Ascension Health System)

Also, with the availability of insurance, medicare, and medicaid, most of these hospital chains are financially doing quite well...if the salaries paid to the corporate CEOs is any indication.

[INVAR]

Makes sense to me.  It may land us all in jail, though.  Sometimes you have to do what is right no matter the cost.

Jail???

The government and their agents are demanding that a Catholic Hospital get on board with committing the genocide of infants.

If that is not something to DIE over - then absolutely NOTHING in this country is obviously seen as worth dying for.

Except beer, porn and welfare I guess.

[TomSea]

Those kinds of hospitals have already made it clear they would shut down rather than do abortions, these kinds of stories have been around for awhile and are not new.

[mystery-ak]

So I guess they would sell the hospitals?

No idea what they will do but hubby has talked to the Hosp Director and they will follow through on this if and when it happens.

[sinkspur]

Actually, if you look at the structure, very, very few Catholic hospitals are owned and operated by dioceses or by religious orders any more. Most have been evolved into (non-profit) corporations with the diocesan bishop and/or members of the religious order that sponsored them as members of the boards of trustees. There are exceptions, but in general that is the rule.

As an example from the local DC area, the biggest hospital "chains" are

Georgetown (owned/operated by Medstar)
Holy Cross (owned/operated by Trinity Health)
Providence (owned/operated by Ascension Health System)

Also, with the availability of insurance, medicare, and medicaid, most of these hospital chains are financially doing quite well...if the salaries paid to the corporate CEOs is any indication.

But if they operate in a diocese, they do so under the auspices of the local bishop.  If forced to, the local bishop has the authority to shut them down. 

[mystery-ak]

Unless they can sell the hospitals, what will the many communities do when they lose those vital resources?  Do the leftists just plan on stealing the facilities and running them themselves?

In our case Decatur, Il has two major Hosp's...one is Catholic the other isn't..don't know if the other Hosp can handle the extra load but they would have to or maybe buy out the Catholic Hosp and expand...that is my guess.

Not every community is lucky enough to have 2 Hosps

[INVAR]

It is the plan to shut down any hospital or health care service/provider that is not run by and regulated by the Beast at Mordor on the Potomac.

The whole country is going to go VA - and we must remember that long lines and waits should not affect our experience.  We should remember Disneyland and other amusement parks and be grateful and enjoy.

Christian hospitals were on the target list long ago.

[markomalley]

But if they operate in a diocese, they do so under the auspices of the local bishop.  If forced to, the local bishop has the authority to shut them down.

Very true.

But I would like you to remember the story about Catholic Healthcare West and Bishop Thomas Olmstead in Phoenix. (He declared that St Joseph Hospital could no longer call itself "Catholic" after performing an abortion...and excommunicated Sr. Margaret McBride, the "ethicist" who approved the decision to do so). To prevent the problem of meddling bishops in the future, CHW changed their name to "Dignity Health" and removed all charter references to them being "Catholic"...rather that they are in the "Catholic Tradition"

See Dignity Health's statement:

In 1986, two congregations of the Sisters of Mercy joined their ten hospitals together, forming Catholic Healthcare West. In 2012, we changed our name to Dignity Health to better describe what we stand for. Dignity is something everyone is born with. To us, "Dignity" means showing respect for all people by providing excellent care and helping them lead healthy, meaningful lives.

Today, Dignity Health is the fifth largest health system in the nation with 39 hospitals across three states–22 of which are Catholic-based facilities. The mission and values we were founded upon remain the same. Through teamwork and innovation, faith and compassion, advocacy and action, we endeavor every day to keep our patients happy, healthy, and whole. Hello humankindness.

Also think about the Catholic Universities (actually private institutions that were formerly run by religious orders)...they are now almost universally private nonprofit corporations that have lay boards with, perhaps, one or two religious on the boards of trustees. There are any number of examples where universities have defied their local bishops (think about the many controversies with Notre Dame in the past 8-10 years). Consider Marymount...that divorced itself completely from the Church rather than uphold Catholic morality teaching.

Bottom line: if push comes to shove, you will be very, very shocked with the number of these nonprofit organizations that will fold...particularly when faced with loss of federal funds or fines. Not all, certainly, but a whole bunch will go the way of Catholic Healthcare West...