What was Team Biden doing to celebrate Easter? Keeping an order of Catholic priests away from patients at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, apparently.
“General Milley had Walter Reed Military Hospital send a cease and desist order to the Catholic Church providing pastoral care to service members during holy week. A secular defense contractor is being paid to counsel troops instead,” said a conservative commentary account on Twitter.
General Milley had Walter Reed Military Hospital send a cease and desist order to the Catholic Church providing pastoral care to service members during holy week. A secular defense contractor is being paid to counsel troops instead. https://t.co/vqFXA11ZRH pic.twitter.com/3V17H3BjA8
— @amuse (@amuse) April 8, 2023
Fox News Digital made much the same claim in its report, reporting that Walter Reed issued a “cease and desist” order against Holy Name College Friary, a Franciscan community of priests and brothers that has served at the center for nearly 20 years, on the eve of Holy Week. Walter Reed replaced the priests with a secular defense firm instead, which they allege means the government is denying Catholic service members and veterans their right to practice their religion.
Particularly, the Archdiocese claimed that Catholic priests were ordered by Walter Reed to halt religious services at the hospital ahead of the Church’s commemorations of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio said, in a statement on the matter, “It is incomprehensible that essential pastoral care is taken away from the sick and the aged when it was so readily available.”
“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. I earnestly hope that this disdain for the sick will be remedied at once and their First Amendment rights will be respected.”
Fox News Digital added that the Archdiocese argues that only ordained Catholic priests can carry out certain practices, saying:
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.
Walter Reed, for its part, claimed that it is a “welcoming and healing environment that honors and supports a full range of religious, spiritual, and cultural needs.”
Continuing, the statement said, “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. 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.”
The statement also said, “Currently a review of the pastoral care contract is under review to ensure it adequately supports the religious needs of our patients and beneficiaries. 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.”
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