Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix, Arizona has revoked consent for St John's Hospital and medical center in Phoenix to use the name "Catholic" or to be identified as Catholic. The reason for this decision is set out in a separate notice, mentioning particularly the hospital's being responsible for contraception, sterilisation and abortion.At the Diocese of Phoenix website, there is the video featured above in which Bishop Olmsted makes a statement and answers questions. Several people have pointed to the answer he gives at about 23'30" on the reactions to him in the Catholic blogosphere. His answer drew applause:
I really don't read the blogospheres. I try to pray each day to find my identity in Jesus Christ. I start my day every day with an hour of adoration. I celebrate the Eucharist. I pray morning prayer, midday prayer, evening prayer and night prayer. My identity comes from Christ. Christ is present in his living body, the Church: that's my identity, it comes from that. If I'm unfaithful to that, then whether I'm looked at one way or another, if I'm given praise or whether I'm given ridicule, it doesn't matter. What I'm called to be is faithful to Jesus Christ and his Church.I think you will agree that it is a shoo-in for Bishop Olmsted to receive the "backbone award."
11 comments:
Excellent attitude! Just what we need in our bishops!
Wow. What powerful words and a beautiful testimony to the truth and centrality of faith in the life of this godly man. Thank you for sharing.
There is an interesting account on the background and effects of this to be found on:-
http://canonlawblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/bp-olmsted-canon-216-and-st-josephs.html
Not only can this hospital no longer be called Catholic but Mass cannot be said there and the Blessed Sacrament can no longer be placed in the tabernacle of the hospital chapel.
And last night he just consecrated an Extraordinary-Form–only parish's church, run by the Fraternity, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Very sad. It was a pioneering hospital in America in the 70's for the care of premature babies - a national centre of excellence for many years, and the person who set that in motion was a wonderful Sister of Mercy and her team - I have had the privilege of knowing her for nearly 40 years. They had a special mission to give care to Native American babies as well. How deeply ironic as well as shocking it is that a centre dedicated to life should be in such dire straits.
Yes, a very powerful witness by Bishop Olmsted, forced into a difficult decision by circumstances that had been evolving for many years. This was not a decision taken lightly, but after much prayer, entreaty and engagement with the people and institution involved. Bishop Olmsted comes across as the faithful shepherd who is concerned for the salvation of all of his flock, innocent and guilty alike. God bless and preserve him!
How we desperately need Priests and Bishops in this country of this quality of life, who don't spend their time in useless distractions like Blogging, tweeting Church notice board material & Catholic tabloid newspapers.
Wish our own Cardinal Murphy O' Connor has the backbone to threaten a similar action to St. John & Elizabeth hospital.
Thanks for putting that part into text. As fast as I type, I'm lousy at that. I loved his answer.
There is an interesting development in this case. As you may know, Catholic Health Association, run by dissident Sr. Carol Keehan, DC who has pit herself against US bishops on healthcare, has backed Catholic Healthcare West on this.
Phil Lawler at Catholic Culture gives us a little tidbit: Lloyd Dean - the CEO and President of CHW is on the board of CHA.
http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otn.cfm?id=746
It would be nice to think that backbones are catching. We could certainly do with some over here.
On the subject of abortion, Catholics will be aware that on 28th January the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) will attempt to secure a ruling in the High Court allowing it to dispense 'first stage' abortion pills (ie pills that kill a foetus inside a woman, as opposed to 'second stage' pills that expel a killed foetus from a woman's body) for "home-use." That is to say, women would be able to take away such abortion pills from BPAS clinics to take them wherever, and whenever, they chose.
When all possible results of such an egregious aim as that of BPAS are considered, criminal and malicious activity must never be discounted from the picture. With this borne in mind, the most extreme implications of what BPAS are trying to achieve become clear: the path would be laid to a free-floating, utterly unregulated situation in terms of the availability of first-stage abortion pills, and a black market therein. This in turn could lead, in the most extreme cases, to surreptitious administration of such pills to unsuspecting pregnant women- in other words, compelled abortion without a mother's knowledge.
Either through women obtaining pills at BPAS clinics, taking them home and subsequently (Deo gratias) electing not to take them, but not actually disposing of them; or, at the other end of the spectrum, women being 'fronted' by criminal elements to obtain pills from clinics and then immediately handing them over, untaken, to the same elements; a situation of abortion pills 'sloshing around' in society, and/ or being available on the black market to be administered to women with or without their knowledge could certainly arise.
As ever, pregnant women who have some form of mental impairment and extremely young pregnant girls would be particularly vulnerable to this. One can imagine a conversation among misguided guardians: "She's been taken advantage of...she obviously can't look after this baby herself...I've heard that these days there are people who sell pills on the quiet that would get rid of it, as long as the pregnancy isn't too advanced- we could just grind it up and put it in her favourite food, she wouldn't know the difference."
Urgent communications to the Secretary of State for Health, in advance of 28th January, would appear to be in order.
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