Yes, I'm still weeks behind. This happened mid August.
The Vortex transcript excerpt (video 6 minute)
For the record, I'm not sure the Diocese of La Crosse has ever issued a public statement on the matter. There is a letter on the ExposeMayo website from Bishop Callahan, but this letter does not appear anywhere on the diocesan website. It is however written like a public statement(it's not addressed to anyone in particular and declares itself a "statement"). Ah that's right, this Tribune article shows a different statement was issued to the Tribune but perhaps the "official" statement sent to the Tribune was not a "public" position statement. Yeah, it's kind of confusing.
LseTrib:
The Abortion at Franciscan Skemp episode is chronicled on this blog here: http://badgercatholic.blogspot.com/search/label/Franciscan%20Skemp%20-%20La%20Crosse%20ethical%20decisions
Since the official and non official statement last May, I'm not aware of any further diocesan action.
The first woman you heard from actually went to a Catholic hospital in LaCrosse, Wisconsin during her pregnancy and was pressured by the doctor (an abortionist on staff, it was later discovered) to kill her child — repeatedly pressured.In addition: Is your doctor actually an abortionist? Full video(1 hour). "Michael Voris uncovers a chilling practice at a Catholic hospital. Guests include Karen Arvidson, Elizabeth Garibaldi and Brian Gibson."
LaCrosse is the diocese where Cardinal Raymond Burke was formerly bishop before going to St. Louis and eventually Rome. The case developed into quite the story in the local media, and the local bishop, William Callahan, did his best to calm the storm — without telling the hospital and the nuns who run it to get rid of the abortionist on staff. In fact, it turns out that there were a total of four abortionists parading around the hospital sent over from the internationally acclaimed and celebrated Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
So, of course, a meeting had to be called by the powers that be. And according to inside reports from within the hospital, Bp. Callahan said to the hospital brass not to worry, that he wasn't Cdl. Burke and he was not going to make them get rid of the abortionists.
For the record, I'm not sure the Diocese of La Crosse has ever issued a public statement on the matter. There is a letter on the ExposeMayo website from Bishop Callahan, but this letter does not appear anywhere on the diocesan website. It is however written like a public statement(it's not addressed to anyone in particular and declares itself a "statement"). Ah that's right, this Tribune article shows a different statement was issued to the Tribune but perhaps the "official" statement sent to the Tribune was not a "public" position statement. Yeah, it's kind of confusing.
LseTrib:
However, the diocese said Monday that the statement wasn’t official because it didn’t come from diocesan headquarters. It then issued an official statement.... So I guess it has been left ambiguous what exactly the current public position of the diocese is on the situation.
The unofficial statement, dated May 31, said Catholic hospitals must follow the U.S. bishops’ Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare Services, which ban abortion services and counseling.
The Abortion at Franciscan Skemp episode is chronicled on this blog here: http://badgercatholic.blogspot.com/search/label/Franciscan%20Skemp%20-%20La%20Crosse%20ethical%20decisions
Since the official and non official statement last May, I'm not aware of any further diocesan action.
4 comments:
Of course it's ambiguous. Bishop Callahan is a clone of Cardinal Dolan. He has no spine. He will leave things as they are at.
I know for a fact that Bishop Callahan has not been spineless in his dealings with the Sisters (not "nuns) and Franciscan - Mayo. Like Archbishop Listecki and Cardinal Burke before him he has tried hard to persuade the Sisters to do the right thing with regards to operations at Franciscan - Mayo. The diocese, and therefore the diocesan bishop, doesn't own the hospital. All he can do (like Archbishop Listecki and Cardinal Burke) is continue to hold their feet to the fire and try to move them in the direction of observing not just the letter but the spirit of the ERD.
I hope that the supposed quote of Bishop Callahan is not going to be the standard for Mr. Voris' "reporting". Bishop Callahan would not have said such a thing as "Don't worry. I'm not Cardinal Burke. I won't force you to get rid of your abortionists." First of all, Bishop Callahan wouldn't speak about the Cardinal that way. Second of all, neither the Cardinal nor the Bishop could force the hospital to do anything as long as they're staying within the letter of the ERD. Even if they aren't staying quite within the letter of the ERD the best the bishop can do is "dialogue" with the hospital and try to lead them to doing the right thing.
I know that many of us would "feel" good about the bishop calling the Sisters and their hospital on the carpet. However, would that in fact get us closer to our goal of a truly Catholic hospital? My experience is that this tends rather to cut off any dialogue and then we get no where. I'm not naive enough to think the this will happen any time soon. However, history shows that prayer and penance on our part for the intention of the hospital's conversion will do far more than trying to shame and berate a bishop who's only authority is moral and the hospital that at this point congratulates itself for figuring out how to get around the spirit of the Church's motherly direction.
Wow, Father Michael, I am really confused--how does a hospital become a "CATHOLIC" Hospital? Or how does a university get the title "CATHOLIC" University? This is what is truly wrong today. Lay people have to be brave and courageous while too many of our bishops cower in the corner. If you are violating the tenets of the Catholic faith, "CATHOLIC" should be removed from your name!
I don't see the word "Catholic" on their signs or in their literature. Hence the reason Bishop Callahan has so little leverage. As for "brave" or "courageous"... What is so brave or courageous about standing on the street with a sign? Not that I don't appreciate and even support what the good folks on West Avenue are doing. It takes a great deal of commitment and I greatly admire that. But brave or courageous? What are they risking except the disdain of people with whom they disagree anyway? My hope, "Anonymous", is that one day the folks (sisters) who still have a controlling share in Franciscan - Mayo will become proud of their Catholic identity and guide their hospital back to living the spirit AND letter of the ERD. Until then - prayer, fasting, and penance on our part...and lots of it. I can assure you that far from "cowering in a corner" Bishop Callahan is actively engaging those involved and is even more actively engaging in the prayer, fasting, and penance necessary to turn this around. Are you?
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