The bishop of Phoenix stripped a Roman Catholic hospital Tuesday of
its ability to describe itself as "Catholic" after ruling that the
hospital had performed abortions and been involved with other procedures
contrary to church teaching.
At a news conference, Bishop Thomas
J. Olmsted cited in particular a case that prompted a public spat with
the administrators of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in which a
pregnant woman with a history of abnormal blood pressure was admitted
to the hospital in November 2009 and her pregnancy was terminated.
The
hospital defended itself in recent months and again Tuesday by saying
doctors had determined the woman's death to be certain if no abortion
was provided.
Thus, they argued, the procedure was licit because it was
intended to save the mother's life.
Bishop Olmsted brushed aside
that claim Tuesday, noting that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
has issued Ethical and Religious Directives (ERDs) for hospitals
declaring that even in dangerous pregnancies, both the mother and child
are human beings who should not be killed, even for the sake of saving
the other.
"In the decision to abort, the equal dignity of mother
and her baby were not both upheld," Bishop Olmsted said at a news
conference announcing the decision.
"The mother had a disease that
needed to be treated. But instead of treating the disease, St. Joseph's
medical staff and ethics committee decided that the healthy, 11-week-old
baby should be directly killed."
St. Joseph's President Linda
Hunt said the hospital was "saddened" by Bishop Olmsted's order but said
the hospital had done nothing wrong.
"If we are presented with a
situation in which a pregnancy threatens a woman's life, our first
priority is to save both patients. If that is not possible, we will
always save the life we can save, and that is what we did in this case,"
Ms. Hunt said.
"Morally, ethically and legally, we simply cannot stand
by and let someone die whose life we might be able to save."
The
immediate impact on St. Joseph, which was established by the Sisters of
Mercy in 1895, is likely to be minimal since the hospital is owned by a
parent company, Catholic Healthcare West, and does not receive funds
directly from the church.
Bishop Olmsted's statement also specified that
Catholics may continue to provide and receive medical care there.
Bishop
Olmsted ordered that Masses will no longer be celebrated at the
hospital and that the Blessed Sacrament, a consecrated host that the
church teaches is Jesus's body and blood, be removed.
Hospital
administrators said they will comply with the bishop's orders.
Bishop Olmsted already had excommunicated Sister Margaret McBride, R.S.M., the nun who had approved the 2009 abortion.
SIC: WT/USA