Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, R.I., demanded that CHA remove St. Joseph Health Services of Rhode Island from its membership rolls, calling its affiliation with CHA “embarrassing.”
In a March 29 letter to CHA President and Chief Executive Officer Sister Carol Keehan, Tobin said CHA had “misled the public and caused serious scandal for many members of the church.”
The CHA supported the health care bill, saying it would not increase public funding of abortion. The U.S. Catholic bishops disagreed, and urged the bill’s defeat. The bill passed on March 21, after President Obama promised to sign an executive order upholding a longstanding ban on federal funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest, and the poor health of the mother.
I’m not sure what the practical ramifications of this move are, but as Kendall has often reminded us, in a conflict situation where tensions run high, “differentiation” is a very good, honorable thing. And for RC bishops to differentiate themselves from a Catholic organization that supported Obama’s health care bill is thus a good thing. No waffling. No unclear bugle calls (1 Cor. 14:8).
The last line in the article notes that there are some 620 Catholic hospitals in America. We’ll see if other bishops follow suit.
David Handy+
This is the same bishop who took a CINO member of the Kennedy clan
to task for his politician’s overly nuanced views on abortion. Glad
the bishop relies on clarity, not nuance.