Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Politics

Walter Reed says Catholic pastoral care contract under review amid archdiocese criticism

by April 13, 2023
April 13, 2023
Walter Reed says Catholic pastoral care contract under review amid archdiocese criticism

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center says it is reviewing a Catholic pastoral care contract given to a secular defense contracting firm after the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services accused the center of denying Catholic service members the right to practice their religion.

‘At this time, the pastoral care contract is under review to ensure it adequately supports the religious needs of our patients and beneficiaries,’ Walter Reed said in a statement Tuesday.

The Catholic archdiocese objected last week after it said a cease-and-desist order had been issued against Holy Name College Friary, a Franciscan community of priests and brothers that had served at the center nearly two decades.

That came after a contract for Catholic pastoral care had ended at the end of March. And the archdiocese said the contract had been switched for a contract with a secular defense contracting firm that the archbishop says would not be able to provide adequate care.

‘It is incomprehensible that essential pastoral care is taken away from the sick and the aged when it was so readily available,’ Archbishop Timothy Broglio said in a statement.

‘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,’ he added. ‘I earnestly hope that this disdain for the sick will be remedied at once and their First Amendment rights will be respected.’

Two dozen Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this week decrying what they saw as an ‘attack on the Christian faith.’

Walter Reed, however, has stressed it is able to provide Catholic pastoral care without a contract and said that Holy Week and Easter services conducted by a Catholic priest were provided and that three priests in the region are able to provide services, as well as access to Red Cross volunteers and active-duty chaplain’s assistants. 

The center also said that it has an active-duty ordained Catholic priest on staff and that the awarded contract is to provide coverage in case staff cannot. It also said that, as part of the National Capital Region Health Market, it can bring on priests assigned to other defense organizations in the region.

‘With the assigned staff and regional support, WRNMMC has sufficient resources to provide for the religious needs of our Catholic beneficiaries,’ the statement said.

The Defense Health Agency also stressed that there was ‘no cancellation of Catholic services at Walter Reed, especially during Holy Week.’ 

Both the agency and the center also emphasized that the contract was not terminated, but that it expired on March 31 and that the contract had been up for renewal and rebidding. That contract is now being reviewed, the center said.

However, it confirmed that it had issued the cease-and-desist order April 4 after Holy Name College continued to provide services beyond the expiration of the contract. Catholic liturgies for Holy Week were offered at the center by the priest on staff.

Separately, senior defense officials told Fox News that Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley was not involved or consulted in any way in the decision as had been suggested in social media posts, and the issues were handled in Army channels.

‘Thanks in large part to the excellent news coverage on Fox News Channel, Fox Digital and other media exposure, as well as attention in Congress, the administration is now working hard behind the scenes to resolve the matter,’ the Archdiocese’s director of public affairs told Fox News.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman, Jennifer Johnson and Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announces nearly $3 million in mental health aid for those impacted by traumatic events
next post
Maine bill expanding abortion access gets enough co-sponsors to ensure passage

You may also like

DEVELOPING: Sharon Osbourne Rushed to Hospital After Suffering...

December 17, 2022

US-Ukraine rift breaks out at United Nations on...

February 24, 2025

Watchdog hits John Kerry with science ethics complaint...

June 20, 2023

Fetterman at PA Rally: “Send me to Washington...

October 16, 2022

House Dems will use rare procedural maneuver to...

June 16, 2023

The Anti-Russian Propaganda Campaign Kicks Into High Gear

September 23, 2022

Oomf!… Feeble Joe Biden Trips Up Stairs Again...

November 16, 2022

Blinken should resign if he worked to discredit...

July 13, 2023

Vance says his mission at GOP convention speech...

July 17, 2024

Secretary of State Blinken arrives in Israel in...

October 12, 2023

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • SCOOP: Blue state Republican could oppose Trump tax bill over Medicaid changes

      June 28, 2025
    • Marco Rubio holds first meeting with families of hostages held by Hamas

      June 28, 2025
    • Trump’s NATO Turnaround: From threatening to pull US out to ‘daddy’ of the alliance

      June 28, 2025
    • Week Ahead: As NIFTY Breaks Out, Change Of Leadership Likely To Keep The Index Moving

      June 28, 2025
    • Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ faces Republican family feud as Senate reveals its final text

      June 28, 2025
    • Senate shuts down Kaine’s attempt to check Trump’s war powers

      June 28, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,329)
    • Investing (2,081)
    • Politics (15,846)
    • Stocks (3,177)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved