Catholic archdiocese accuses Walter Reed
of stifling religious rights with ‘cease
and desist’ order
Fox News,
by
Adam Shaw
Original Article
Posted By: NYC Ral,
4/8/2023 2:07:11 PM
The Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services is accusing Walter Reed National Military Medical Center of denying Catholic service members and veterans their right to practice their religion after it canceled a contract for pastoral care and issued a "cease and desist" order to a community of Catholic priests just days before Holy Week. The Catholic archdiocese says in a statement that Walter Reed issued the order against Holy Name College Friary, a Franciscan community of priests and brothers that has served at the center for nearly 20 years. Instead, it says the contract for Catholic Pastoral Care was terminated at the end of March.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
DVC 4/8/2023 2:09:43 PM (No. 1443897)
The Archdiocese is correct. The Army is run by leftists who hate Christians with a purple rage.
30 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
earlybird 4/8/2023 2:56:21 PM (No. 1443911)
I am nnot a Carholic so excuse my ignorance, but the article saysthe contract ended and the new contract went to “the lowest bidder”. Did Walter Reed have to pay the diocese for these pastoral services?
11 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
bighambone 4/8/2023 2:56:38 PM (No. 1443913)
Chances are is was not the Army, but Biden and his leftist Democrat crew that came up with that order.
18 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Luandir 4/8/2023 3:15:36 PM (No. 1443920)
When people tell you who they are, believe them.
16 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
DVC 4/8/2023 4:19:23 PM (No. 1443939)
Excellent question, #2.
6 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
itsonlyme 4/8/2023 4:51:34 PM (No. 1443953)
The Knotseez are attempting to make strides inside medical facilities.
2 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Illinois Mom 4/8/2023 4:53:08 PM (No. 1443954)
This is one of those headlines that have to be read several times to understand it. The first read is confusing, the second time you think that can't be real, the third starts the blood boiling. Jerks.
They contracted with a "secular" agency, Mmmm I wonder why? Are they afraid that a patient my receive counseling that opposes the Left's culture of death and sexual mutilation on demand? If so, faithful Protestant, and Jewish Ministers and Rabbi's will not be far behind.
The new "secular religions" of "Abortionism," "Transgayism," and "Climatetism," and the supreme "Wokeism" which encompasses all the above, will be able to proselytize freely to their captive audience of the sick and injured.
I think the patients and potential patients should have a say. When you're in the hospital, sick,or injured even if it minor, just being there takes the mind to other things and can be the place to take advantage of a visit from a Chaplain. They are much more aware of their mortality and the desire to "get right with God." For a Catholic, that would include Confession right at that moment. Without a Catholic priest that would not be possible because there would be no Absolution. (Before the non/anti -Catholics speak out) We believe that the ordained priest acts in "persona Christi and can forgive sin. Essential to achieving Heaven. (Yes I know some priests did bad things and no one excuses that but when even a "bad priest" hears Confession according to the Rite he still acts in the person of Christ.)
I hope that individual priests can still make patient calls and administer the Sacraments but I'm sure that local parishes are understaffed. I would imagine that the contract with the Franciscans supports the retired priests and allows the retired priests to live and eat while their performing their essential Ministry.
My Uncle was a military Chaplain in WWII. He told stories of saying Mass off the back end of a truck in every war and weather condition possible. The GI's packed in every time, many non-Catholics in the crowd. After Mass he held Protestant and Jewish services if no other chaplain was available. When he died in 1979, among his papers there were letters sent to him right after the war and well into the '60's from Catholics who appreciated how he had helped them, but, the most touching were from the non-Catholics and Jews who expressed their gratefulness for his kindness and respect for their beliefs.
23 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Venturer 4/8/2023 5:33:48 PM (No. 1443969)
I do not understand the "contract" part either.
Did Walter Reed pay these priests to appear and give their absolutions?
But Contract or no it's a damned bad week to stop the contract. Holy Week.
Did the contract have a date when it was up?
I need more information.
8 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
earlybird 4/8/2023 6:03:17 PM (No. 1443983)
The Fox article has een updated to include this:
In a statement on Saturday, Walter Reed said the center is a "welcoming and healing environment that honors and supports a full range of religious, spiritual, and cultural needs."
"Tomorrow, Catholic Easter Services will be provided to those who wish to attend. Services will include a celebration of Mass and the administration of Confession by an ordained Catholic Priest," the statement said. "For many years, a Catholic ordained priest has been on staff at WRNMMC providing religious sacraments to service members, veterans and their loved ones. There has also been a pastoral care contract in place to supplement those services provided."
"Currently a review of the pastoral care contract is under review to ensure it adequately supports the religious needs of our patients and beneficiaries," the statement said. "Although at this time the Franciscan Diocese will not be hosting services on Sunday parishioners of the Diocese while patients at our facilities may still seek their services.”
The contract was reported to have been with a particular Catholic entity, Holy Name College Friary, a Franciscan community of priests and brothers that has served at the center for nearly 20 years. This statement says it is being reviewed.
I still wonder about “contract”. That usually means pay for services.
6 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
bighambone 4/8/2023 6:21:41 PM (No. 1443986)
This incident is really odd and should be investigated by the Congress. Who ever heard of any sort of discrimination like that in the past against Catholic military chaplains or the Catholic religion in the US military?
4 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
paral04 4/8/2023 6:34:39 PM (No. 1443989)
Would they stop a Muslim Iman from visiting Walter Reed? This needs to be tested.
4 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
earlybird 4/8/2023 6:39:14 PM (No. 1443991)
If you read the updated article or see the update FTA in #9, you will read find that Walter Reed is not ending Catholic pastoral care. As they state, an ordained priest has been on staff for confessions and mass. There will indeed be Easter mass.
The contract with the Franciscan university was separate and additional. We have no idea whether it was providing what patients needed.
Not a good idea to try to get by with reading the headline ane maybe the intro.
2 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
MDConservative 4/8/2023 8:18:37 PM (No. 1444023)
First, let's get the facts straight. The contract was NOT cancelled, rather it expired on 31 March, thus it terminated. The Archdiocese claims the private firm now contracted cannot meet the contract statement of work, which is not available in the news accounts. That is likely to be true, except that there are agencies who hire retired (and sometimes defrocked) priests and other religious. (Cruise lines got caught in this controversy when employment of defrocked priests was discovered.) But, the exact bases of objection are unknown. The Archdiocese doesn't provide details. The switchout does have an odor to it...
3 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
danu 4/8/2023 8:42:20 PM (No. 1444041)
sounds woke. i've never heard of contracts w/ the clergy; there are middle men one supposes, such as united way, catholic charities, which may
have to agree to provide extremely woke gender services we can barely imagine to avoid the ax?
the facts on the ground are few, it would seem.
2 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
BarryNo 4/8/2023 8:53:08 PM (No. 1444045)
It's an illegal order. Go and minister to your flock. Make them arrest you.
4 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
LittleRedHen1 4/8/2023 10:03:59 PM (No. 1444083)
For those who are wondering about payment for the services of a Priest, yes they are paid. If your parish contracts with a Priest (college professor, for example) who is not assigned to a parish to say mass on Sunday to lessen the load of weekend masses, your parish has to pay a stipend. Nothing is free. A rabbi or a minister with a family will want to be paid for his services.
Next issue is that the Federal Government does not have the right to determine who can say mass in a parish. That authority belongs to the bishop, or in this case, the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services. The Vatican made that archdiocese a world wide archdiocese, responsible for all the service members, their dependents, and anyone else posted with the United States Military throughout the world. The First Amendment does not give the Federal Government the authority to manage he Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, which the 'contract' claims to do. That contract should have been a sole-source contract.
2 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
5 handicap 4/9/2023 5:57:53 AM (No. 1444160)
When there is wholly corrupt Garbage, lowlife, POS, "Affirmative Action" Asshat who is Secretary of Defense and A Barney Fife Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.....In other words There is NO Honor the Military any longer, nor any honor in serving the corrupt institution!
1 person likes this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
Harlowe 4/9/2023 3:07:25 PM (No. 1444467)
After having been raised from the dead, Jesus authorized his disciples to “carry His message of forgiveness to the world” bestowing upon them the Holy Spirit to forgive or not forgive mortal man’s sins. When pastors are called and ordained by the church they are permitted, through the sacrament of Holy Communion, to declare penitent sinners that their sins are forgiven, doing this by the command of Jesus who granted this power to the church. Jesus was very explicit in that authority:
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19)
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’” (John 20:22-23)
With all due respect, absolution is not exclusive to the Roman Catholic Church.
1 person likes this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
Faithfully 4/10/2023 6:46:51 PM (No. 1445200)
#16 God and redemption the of sin is free. No Head Office, no franchises. This was the message of Jesus.
0 people like this.
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Sorry for your source "policy." Now that this news is now properly sourced. The Church founded by Jesus Christ fifty days after His resurrection over two thousand years ago is being sidelined from serving military in need of their spiritual well being while Uncle Sam attempts to heal the body and help the injured minds. I hope people see what is going on here! Make a phone call. Send an email. Support our men and women who offer their all for us. Do not let D.C., State or local governments replace the void we in us for a relationship with our Creator,Lord and Savior.