Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Catholic Hospitals Will Not Close

Bishop Lynch of St. Petersburg, FL at a meeting of the Catholic Health Association Board of Trustees was quoted today. CHA will join with the church and all other pro-life parties to vigorously oppose any and all attempts by this Congress or administration to broaden abortion access, he said.

“Catholic hospitals will not allow abortions to be performed in their facilities and will not comply with any laws mandating abortion or other procedures that violate the ethical and religious directives, even if our actions constitute civil disobedience,” he added.

“No Catholic institution or employee of an institution can or will be made to violate the dictates of their conscience resulting from federal or state legislative action,” Bishop Lynch said.

Bishop Lynch also said that Catholic hospitals would not close.

He said Catholic hospitals won't comply with laws that violate conscience but we will not close.

Among the reasons he cited were that:

_Catholic hospitals are sometimes the sole provider of health care in a large geographical area, especially in rural areas.

_The hospitals have an obligation to their physicians, nurses and other employees; to their bondholders; and to the poor, unprotected and to our communities which benefit from our presence.

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