Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has issued a “cease and desist order” to Holy Name College, a community of Franciscan Catholic priests and brothers, who have provided pastoral care to service members and veterans at Walter Reed for nearly two decades.
The government’s cease and desist order directed the Catholic priests to cease any religious services at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. This order was issued as Catholics entered Holy Week, the most sacred of days in the Christian faith, in which they participate in liturgies remembering Jesus’ passion, and leading the Church to celebrate the Resurrection on Easter morning.
The Franciscans’ contract for Catholic Pastoral Care was terminated on March 31, 2023, and awarded to a secular defense contracting firm that cannot fulfill the statement of work in the contract. As a result, adequate pastoral care is not available for service members and veterans in the United States’ largest Defense Health Agency medical center either during Holy Week or beyond. There is one Catholic Army chaplain assigned to Walter Reed Medical Center, but he is in the process of separating from the Army.
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy Broglio, Archbishop for the Military Services, condemned the move as an encroachment on the First Amendment guarantee of the Free Exercise of Religion. Archbishop Broglio said: “It is incomprehensible that essential pastoral care is taken away from the sick and the aged when it was so readily available. This is a classic case where the adage ‘if it is not broken, do not fix it’ applies. I fear that giving a contract to the lowest bidder overlooked the fact that the bidder cannot provide the necessary service. I earnestly hope that this disdain for the sick will be remedied at once and their First Amendment rights will be respected….”
Story from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA
the company replacing the Catholic ministry is a ‘for-profit company”. Someone might have friends who want to help him…or own part of the company. Lobbying always outguns voters who are rarely informed of issues and choices made
Among other things, the timing of this action by the Biden administration was most inappropriate.
May God bless the men and women who serve and have served our nation.
The Archdiocese for the Military Services does excellent work and is worthy of your support.
And, if you want to reach the next generation for Christ and His Church there is no other diocese comprised mostly of young adults.
More evidence that Joe Biden is a fake Catholic with no regard for those in need of pastoral care.
This doesn’t seem right, I wonder what the whole story is. Also, the Archbishop is a bit wrong here: If the government decided not to fund a catholic chaplaincy, it is hardly encroachment, but rather a recognition that it might be an unconstitutional establishment of religion.
The story is that Democrats hate Christianity. End of story.
That’s why Catholics can’t be Democrats.
Then, wouldn’t they stop the Muslim, Buddhist and other services as well?
And, the establishment of religion in the Constitution means establishing a national (or state) official religion. Thomas Jefferson supported subsidizing some Christian activities, even though not a Christian himself.
You are critical of a good archbishop, yet seem to be making excuses for what’s happening on Joe Biden’s watch.
See below. We’re not asking for special treatment, just equal treatment.
https://walterreed.tricare.mil/Patient-Resources/Pastoral-Care/Scheduled-Religious-Services
I appreciate that you are trying for a fact based response but do we know if the other faiths chaplaincies are paid by the government? I have no idea one way or the other.
To the other commenter that said that Catholics can’t be democrats- I think you need to look around. Many of us are.
YFC “I think you need to look around. Many of us are.” and yes and its a complete contradiction.. I want you to reconcile the current Democrat platforms of making abortion legal up to moment of birth and you being a Catholic. And those other sexual issues that your crowd has raised to that of a sacrament.. I really want to know how you do this
Those “Catholics” are the ones who elected “Catholic” Joe Biden. We are in a sorry state because of him.
While Walter Reed’s chaplain office claims Catholic care is being provided during Holy Week, the AMS maintains that without Catholic priests present at the medical center, service members and veterans are being denied the constitutional right to practice their religion.
From the news release from the Archdiocese
There is no constitutional right to have the government provide priests. The accusation my AMS is taking this to silly levels.
Come on YFC, you got the guts to explain your contradiction…
Click the link and then click on the Walter Reed story then click on read the full statement.
This is happening in the Navy as well. Most Navy regions are firing contract chaplains. All of Navy Southwest has let go of contractor chaplains. In part, the blame goes to the US Bishops who overall consistently refuse to allow young American men to join the military chaplaincy for a career to gain rank and make decisions. Most of the RC chaplains are either junior grade who will be forced to leave Active Duty after about 5-7 years, or foreign born priests with permission to serve in the military. We now have exactly zero AD priests at flag or general officer rank in any branch. Those guys make the decisions.
Biden is persecuting Catholics!
Tony, federal system chaplains are expected to cover the needs of all the religious groups at a facility. A friend of mine who was a priest had to fill in for Native american needs, Protestant needs and i think Jewish. So it wasn’t directly anti-Catholic (although the intention may have been such in the new Washington) A new, colder wind is blowing through. This story needs a follow-through from someone in the press. I bet it indicates some dark directions brewing. There has been a Catholic chaplain shortage for decades, largely, IMHO , due to an anti-military feeling among the American clergy who saw soldiers as lepers unworthy of approaching.
Oh yeah…Happy Easter Everyone. Christ is Risen. He is Risen indeed!
I am sick and tired of hearing Biden this Biden that. He is not a Catholic a leader or a decision maker. He is a senile pervert that can’t tie his own shoes. A useful idiot everyone can blame him for. It’s the ones behind the scenes that tell him what to say and what to do. It’s obvious the election was stollen, Trump is the real president.
Ron, there is no evidence that Biden is a pervert. There is no evidence that Trump won the election. There is no reason to think that Trump is the real president. If I missed something along the way, tell me about it. What are the facts of your allegations?
Secular civilian hospitals do not ‘contract’ with Catholic parishes to provide pastoral care to the sick and injured. They call the local Catholic parish and a priest or deacon, as appropriate, will respond out of their obligation to provide such care to those that request it. Walter Reed is in a parish/diocese. I’m missing where the government needs to contract financially with a group of clergy to do this. Clearly there is a big piece of information missing here.
Given that the US government is “skeptical” of a segment of Catholics …..
“Kaine said Monday that the FBI has been running similar surveillance of American Muslims.
‘We’ve done the same thing for years working in tandem with mosques because there have been groups that have tried to target or radicalize, especially young people,’ the senator said.”….Soviets gave the same excuse in 1979
https://thefederalist.com/2023/04/18/tim-kaine-its-ok-for-the-fbi-to-put-informants-in-churches/
Why should Mack Global LLC be trusted?