More Inexplicable Behavior from Bp. Cupich of Spokane

Last updated on: December 30, 2014 at 7:15 pm by Mark Shea

More Inexplicable Behavior from Bp. Cupich of Spokane 2014-12-30T19:15:46-07:00 Mark Shea

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Some time back Bp. Cupich decided, for completely incoherent reasons, to stiff arm 40 Days for Life, as well as to try to crush any involvement by clergy and seminarians in this fine, widely approved by American bishops, peaceful witness to human life. He partly backed down, due to embarrassing publicity (as near as I can tell). But his icy treatment of the prolife movement in Spokane continues. Witness this recent letter to me from John Weingarten, who heads Spokane’s 40 Days for Life:

Hi Mark,

I’m working on another anti-Catholic/anti-life problem at our largest “Catholic” hospital in Spokane, Sacred Heart Medical Center. After hearing numerous reports that women patients who give birth at Sacred Heart are routinely offered tubal ligations and/or have artificial birth control recommended to them, I communicated my concern to Bishop Cupich about a year ago. The response was less than useful.

Three weeks ago, I sent him another letter with a request for a response within a couple of weeks. In it, I told him I planned to make this issue public if he chose not to take this issue seriously.

So far, one woman who worked at Sacred Heart and was offered a tubal ligation when she was a patient there, has agreed to go public with the story. I’m looking for others who are willing to speak up, but there seems to be enough anecdotal evidence that it’s time to move forward with this story.

I sent the following letter via certified mail to Bishop Cupich on November 8th and confirmed with his secretary Mary Cole that he did receive it.

Here’s the letter I sent. Please feel free to use it and also don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions prior to posting, if you choose to post this.

Thanks so much for all you do, and for your help with this.

—————

November 8, 2011

Dear Bishop Cupich,

In a previous letter, I wrote to you about numerous reports I and others had received from women who had been patients at Sacred Heart Hospital. After delivering a baby, these women were asked what sort contraception they would be using; or they were offered tubal ligations. In your response a couple of months later, you stated that you had contacted Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, then CEO of Providence, and that he had assured you everything was being done in accordance with Catholic ERDs.

I sent you a reply on January 24, 2011, expressing my appreciation for the attention you paid to the issue, but at the same time requesting additional guidance about what we should do in the future when such reports come to our attention.

On the one hand, reports of hospital practice in conflict with Catholic ERDs may reflect a misunderstanding of the ERDs or inaccurate perception of what is actually occurring at the hospital. On the other hand, they may reflect an inadequate understanding by Hospital personnel of what the ERDs require, or of the commitment that a health care provider makes when providing care at a Catholic hospital. Since my previous letters, I’ve heard even more reports from women who have been patients at Sacred Heart and corroborated what we told you in the first letter. I just heard from a woman who observed such practices while she was employed at Sacred Heart, and then experienced them when, as a patient, she was offered a tubal ligation as though it were standard procedure—which it apparently is. She has given me permission to give you her name and contact information so that you can verify these facts to your satisfaction. She is also willing to have her name and story publicized if it will help move Sacred Heart Hospital toward fostering a culture of life.

The lack of response to my previous letter left me wondering whether you were both inclined and able to exercise the type of oversight that the Hospital apparently requires. While I lack the authority that you, as Bishop, have over institutions that identify themselves as Catholic, I have some ability as well as responsibility to call attention to practices that are in grave conflict with Catholic moral teaching. Because you would be significantly more effective in accomplishing this goal, I would very much prefer that you address the situation directly. However, in the absence of a response from you, I intend to accept the offer of this brave woman to make her story public—along with many others who have had similar experiences. I would profoundly regret the damage that would ensue from publicizing the disconnect between the ideals of a Catholic hospital and the practice at Sacred Heart, but I would regret even more the silence at the continuation of the evils that these reports suggest.

Women (and men) who are admitted to Sacred Heart Hospital for medical treatment ought to have the confidence that the treatment they receive will be consistent with Catholic moral teaching. Although many patients are not Catholic, and many hospital personnel are not Catholic, the practices within the hospital should consistently reflect Catholic teaching. In many ways it is precisely the non-Catholic patients and non-Catholic hospital personnel who are most likely to be harmed by a failure to ensure that Catholic values in health care are not only preached but practiced.

I apologize in advance if this letter seems abrupt or impertinent. But in the belief that it is my moral duty to take these steps, I hope that you will forgive any defect in the manner of presentation.

I’ll look forward to your response within the next couple of weeks.

In Christ,
John Weingarten

I got this letter a couple of weeks ago and figured, “Maybe the bishop is just busy”. So I waited with the expectation that, surely, a Catholic bishop would respond to a respectful letter from a member of his flock with a legitimate concern about a grave matter. I wrote John a day or two ago and asked if he’d ever heard back from Bp. Cupich.

Nothing.

The good people of the prolife movement in Spokane deserve better than this contemptuous treatment from their shepherd. He’s treating devoted children of the Church (and friends who are ready to serve him) like enemies. Why?

Uncategorized

Previous Post

December 9, 2011

Sexual Perversion is Aggressive, Militant, and Evangelical

Next Post

December 9, 2011 There's Something Weirdly Fitting About the Fact...

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 September 2006 June 2006 July 2005 April 2005 May 2002 April 2002 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz