First traditional Catholics are considered terrorists by our own government, now this. These communists just don't know when to quit.

https://nypost.com/2023/04/09/...se-and-desist-order/

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, just as Holy Week was about to begin.

Walter Reed replaced the contract with a secular defense contracting firm that the archdiocese says will not be able to provide the adequate care needed.

The archdiocese condemned the move as an encroachment upon the right of free exercise of religion under the First Amendment and said its requests to have the ministry reinstated through Easter have not received a response.

“It is incomprehensible that essential pastoral care is taken away from the sick and the aged when it was so readily available,” Archbishop Timothy Broglio said in a statement.

“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,” he said. “I earnestly hope that this disdain for the sick will be remedied at once and their First Amendment rights will be respected.”

While the Archdiocese acknowledged that the chaplain’s office said Catholic care is being provided during Holy Week, it said that without Catholic priests, service members and veterans are being denied their right to practice their religion. Certain central Catholic practices – such as the celebration of the Mass and the administration of Confession – can only be carried out by an ordained Catholic priest.

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 AMS was created by St. Pope John Paul II to provide the Church’s services to veterans and service members in the US and overseas.

The archdiocese, which does not have geographical boundaries, is responsible for the care of 1.8 million Catholics across the globe.

Walter Reed was most recently in the headlines after Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., checked into the center on Feb 15 for clinical depression.

He was released at the end of March, and his office said that he is now in remission after his treatment.

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First traditional Catholics are considered terrorists by our own government, now this. These communists just don't know when to quit.

The article is slightly confusing to me. There's a Catholic chaplain on staff at Walter Reed, but I'm guessing that there was more "work" at the center than the one military chaplain could cover?

It would be awesome if President Two-scoops (a Roman Catholic) were admitted to Walter Reed Hosp and needed last rites.

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First traditional Catholics are considered terrorists by our own government, now this...

I don't know why the contract for Catholic Pastoral Care was terminated, but I do know this:
Traditional Catholics are under subtle forms of attack and discriminated against by government.

If you truly believe in the religion, you are a threat to government.

In fact, if you believe in America, as founded, you are a threat to government:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles ...

Is this a political thread or a religious thread?

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Originally posted by bendable:
Is this a political thread or a religious thread?

]
Yes.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
Is this a political thread or a religious thread?

In this case, it is both. It's about the treatment of religious people and religion by government.

quote:

Originally posted by DennisM:

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
Is this a political thread or a religious thread?

]
Yes.

Nyet, tovarisch.

It is outrage porn.

Damn! I NEVER thought I would witness the persecution of Christians in my lifetime. I thought that would be something YEARS from taking place. But...here we are.

It seems like some information is missing in that NYP story.

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The article is slightly confusing to me. There's a Catholic chaplain on staff at Walter Reed, but I'm guessing that there was more "work" at the center than the one military chaplain could cover?

I agree the article is confusing. Was the prior contract w/ the Catholic group for ALL pastoral services, or to only minister to Catholic patients? If for all, I can understand a preference for a more generic Christian ministry. Sounds like the article was written in such a vague manner to generate hostility.

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It seems like some information is missing in that NYP story.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yes, the reason for termination would help. The fact that it was Holy Week is an unnecessary and confusing detail.

More from the UK Daily Mail:

In a statement to the Church's followers, Broglio slammed Walter Reed's decision to kick out the Catholic priests as 'incomprehensible.'

'It is incomprehensible that essential pastoral care is taken away from the sick and the aged when it was so readily available,' he said, adding: '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,' he continued, claiming that Walter Reed's decision infringes on the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment.

He noted that only ordained Catholic priests can carry out certain practices — like the celebration of Mass and the administration of Confession.'

'Especially during Holy Week, the lack of adequate Catholic pastoral care causes untold and irreparable harm to Catholics who are hospitalized and therefore a captive population whose religious rights the government has a constitutional duty to provide for and protect,' the archdiocese said.

'I earnestly hope that this disdain for the sick will be remedied at once and their First Amendment rights will be respected,' Broglio added.

He said that an attorney for the archdiocese has reached out to the hospital 'numerous times throughout Holy Week asking for the Franciscans’ Catholic ministry to be reinstated at least through Easter,' but have not received a response.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne...reedom-religion.html

I guess I'm of mixed opinion on this:
If the Franciscans’ Catholic ministry has been doing this for over 20 years I'd like to know why they have been thrown out... but...
Why is there a contract at all?
Shouldn't religious services be provided voluntarily, pro bono, free of charge?

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Originally posted by Jim Shugart:
It would be awesome if President Two-scoops (a Roman Catholic) were admitted to Walter Reed Hosp and needed last rites.

Well they haven’t been able to exorcise him yet soooooo

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Why is there a contract at all?

Why not have one of the Service's Catholic chaplains assigned or available there?

Biden is a phony Catholic. It enrages me to see him make the Sign of the Cross.

Im a fallen away Catholic, so fuck the Biden’s, piss on beau’s grave.

[quote]Why is there a contract at all?
Shouldn't religious services be provided voluntarily, pro bono, free of charge?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Church is a business. Should other parishners pay for these serviceS?

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The Church is a business. Should other parishners pay for these serviceS?

Well, I'd say it's a ministry, not a business.
That quibble aside, my parish does not need government subsidies. It's sustained by local donations.

Whether Catholic, Baptist, Mormon or Rastafarian, the chaplains need food, housing, medical care and transportation, among other things.

Normally a parish or church will cover these costs for the pastor or priest, in the case of Walter Reed then it makes sense that these are paid via a contract.

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Originally posted by reloader-1:
paid

I think I may have found a clue….