Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the hospital of preference for sitting US presidents since its opening in 1940, is under fire for hiring a secular firm to provide pastoral care to patients.
Priests from the Holy Name College Friary in Silver Spring, Maryland have been providing spiritual care to patients at the center for almost two decades.
Until now. Management at Walter Reed chose not to renew the Franciscan priests’ contract, instead hiring a secular firm to handle the provision of related services, according to the Associated Press.
Walter Reed informed the friary in March that an alternative bidder had been selected for the new contract – a secular defense contractor Mack Global LLC.
On April 4th, in the middle of Holy Week, the center issued a cease-and-desist order to the priests who continued to provide pastoral service after the contract formally expired on March 31st.
Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and archbishop for the Military Services, expressed dismay at the news.
“The refusal to provide adequate pastoral care while awarding a contract for Catholic ministry to a for-profit company that has no way of providing Catholic priests to the medical center is a glaring violation of service members’ and veterans’ Right to the Free Exercise of Religion,” he said in a statement issued by his office.
The Franciscans provided a separate statement when asked to comment.
“While this is certainly disappointing after 20 years of service – after building trust and so many wonderful relationships and friendships – the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province respect the process,” they said.
“It has been an incredible privilege – and, really, a very powerful ministerial experience – for the Franciscan Friars to be invited into the lives of these true American heroes who have sacrificed so much for our country.”
Walter Reed issued its own justification, saying it “honors and supports a full range of religious, spiritual, and cultural needs.”
The center said the new contract is “under review to ensure it adequately supports the religious needs of our patients and beneficiaries.”
It declined to provide any further details on why it parted from the friary.
Several Republicans in Congress expressed outrage at the decision. Eleven signed and sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for more information on the secular firm’s contract.
It’s General Milly’s decision in keeping with his Islamic faith when he became a closet convert to Islam while stationed in Afghanistan. Just getting rid of the Crusader Christians
Yep, I had forgotten about that tub of goo converting to the “religion of peace”! What a turn coat to leave Christ for a goat boinker!
It is simple provide a chaplain for all denominations. Every Faith/Religion Needs to be supported.
Wow, Bill. You may be a long lost relative. There are not many who spell it like us. Where are you from?
No one should be surprised that Biden’s healthcare for veterans does not include last rights. He was, after all, part of the administration (Obama/Biden) who allowed 307,000 veterans to die without care. Likewise, he is part of the administration, who covered it up. Democrats do not care about veterans. They care about illegals and criminals. If you served your country, lost your limb or wake up, screaming in the middle of the night… Joe Biden is not interested in your pain or your mortal soul. Veterans are nothing but a political pawn for Democrats and their RINO pals. HOW MUCH DISRESPECT, DEATH AND DYING ARE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILLING TO FUND? The Sons of Liberty are turning over in their graves.
If they stay secular, we should count that as a victory. Personally, I think they will be going Satanic before long.
One step at a time and they will get there.