Can a Catholic work in hospitals that perform abortions?

[LdyMaria]

Many hospitals perform certain procedures that the Church is against. So long as one does not directly participate, can a Catholic work in these hospitals?

 

[Matrix_Refugee]

I think its perfectly all right: most hospitals that perform abortions do so only in cases of ectopic pregnancy (ie. cases where the baby has implanted outside the mother’s uterus). As far as I know, abortions for any other reason are done by places like Planned Parenthood, etc.

 

[EverestFox]

I’m not sure whether or not you CAN but I think the question you should ask yourself is would you WANT to? Would you feel alright giving your resources (your time) to a place that holds an unborn child as unimportant and expendable?

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Many hospitals perform certain procedures that the Church is against. So long as one does not directly participate, can a Catholic work in these hospitals?

Can one not directly participate? The provisions for conscience seem to be vanishing rapidly.

 

[LdyMaria]

Well, if a procedure is being performed on floor 4, and I’m taking care of a heart patient on floor 2, how exactly am I sinning??

 

[Whitacre_Girl]

I don’t see a problem with working in such a hospital. As long as you aren’t directly aiding the procedure, or fixing any equipment that is used to perform the abortion, you aren’t doing anything wrong. Plus, having a pro-life catholic in that kind of setting can place you in a powerful position to witness to the sanctity of life to your co-workers if/when the opportunity arises.

 

[kage_ar]

Well, if a procedure is being performed on floor 4, and I’m taking care of a heart patient on floor 2, how exactly am I sinning??

Nurses are in high demand, find a hospital that does not murder babies and go to work there. If all the skilled workers refused to work at these abortion mills, then, they would have to close down.

 

[Seatuck]

If a hospital is doing immoral things on the 4th floor it is probably happening on the 2nd floor too. And the 1st etc.Better to work at a hospital where there is a commitment to life. If that is impossible then yes it is acceptable to work at a hospital which allows your cooperation with such evils to be remote. Does this hospital have a conscience clause for employees?

 

[Lorrie]

I think its perfectly all right: most hospitals that perform abortions do so only in cases of ectopic pregnancy (ie. cases where the baby has implanted outside the mother’s uterus).

I actually don’t know of any hospitals that doesn’t do the above said, even our Catholic hospital here does this (the above said).

Well, if a procedure is being performed on floor 4, and I’m taking care of a heart patient on floor 2, how exactly am I sinning??

I honestly don’t think you are.

 

[quiet52]

I actually don’t know of any hospitals that doesn’t do the above said, even our Catholic hospital here does this (the above said).

Are you saying that the Catholic hospital near you performs abortions?

 

[jaaraf]

Im a Catholic who happens to be a doctor. Abortion is thankfully illegal in my country, but contraception and sterilizations are widely practiced. In the case of bilateral tubal ligations, which is against the principle of bodily integrity and a sterilization procedure, I have openly refused to scrub for the procedure as a student. One time during my senior clerkship (4th year medical student) for one patient, where they planned to first do a caesarian section then do the bilateral tubal ligation, I assisted the OB-GYNE resident in doing the caesarian operation first then I stood to one side as she asked the nurse to assist her in the bilateral tubal ligation. Afterwards, I helped her close up the patient. It was hard to stand up to a superior, but it was a witness to what doing the right thing. Later, in the rotation, they thought it too much hassle to let me assist in such double procedures.

 

[alveolate]

yup, as mentioned, it is not so much about whether the you are actually directly sinning, but whether that hospital on a whole is morally sound as a public-serving institution.

then of course, there is the off-chance that you end up having to assist in such a procedure due to lack of staff or other extenuating circumstances. what if you found out too late that you are assisting in abortion? what would you do? alternatively, you could derided by fellow colleagues who have no problems with such procedures - they could goad you daily. will you be able to resist? these are the more salient considerations, imho.

lastly, is there no Catholic hospital which will hire you? these would definitely be a safer haven for you to serve much more fully and fruifully within your beliefs with no oppression. of course, the reverse is also a possibility for reflection: if you are so stoic and firm in your belief that you sense some plausible mission in bringing your faith out to the secular world, then perhaps the secular hospital is your destination. this is similar to how some of my Catholic teaching trainees discern about whether to teach in a Catholic school or just a government school - it sometimes boils down to how well you can resist the temptations/distractions/persecutions of the secular world. could you continue giving while challenged? or will the challenge be too much? in the latter case, choosing the less forbidding environment (i.e. a Catholic hospital/school/workplace) may be the prudent choice - until one is ready.

the big word is Discernment!

 

[Lorrie]

Are you saying that the Catholic hospital near you performs abortions?

Please read below:

most hospitals that perform abortions do so only in cases of ectopic pregnancy (ie. cases where the baby has implanted outside the mother’s uterus).

This happened to a friend of mine and was treated at our Catholic hospital (we have several here, but her doctor works primarily at the Catholic one). Yes, the hospital is Catholic, but it’s still a hospital.

Like I said, I’m not aware of any hospital that doesn’t do the above said (underlined and bolded).

 

[Fran65]

In the UK, medical and nursing staff have the legal right to refuse to take part in abortion.

BTW, Alveolate has given very good advice.

 

[kage_ar]

Real question - why would you want to work there?

 

[palmharbor]

Let’s then ask, Can you be part of a military that tortures prisoners and one that
bombs women and children over and over again by mistake?
The US Military is guilty of this.
If we are a people of personal responsibility let it start with those who have the
guns, bombs, fighter jets and bombers…and a CIA better funded than the SS
or the Gastopo was in the 1930’s.
Can you imagine if Israel had multiple hit squads in the US in order to kill
Nazi’s who came here after the war? That is what the CIA is doing in the middle east
and Europe.

 

[JanetF]

Yes, you can work in the same facility because as someone else mentioned usually the only “abortions” done in regular hospitals are emergency procedures performed in an attempt to save the life of the child and the mother (ectopic). That is not sinful abortion because death of the child was not the intention, but rather a sad affect of trying to save both mother and fetus. The fetus will most definitely die if it remains in the fallopian tube. The mother risks death also as ectopic pregnancies are dangerous to her health as well.

 

[JanetF]

Let’s then ask, Can you be part of a military that tortures prisoners and one that
bombs women and children over and over again by mistake?
The US Military is guilty of this.
If we are a people of personal responsibility let it start with those who have the
guns, bombs, fighter jets and bombers…and a CIA better funded than the SS
or the Gastopo was in the 1930’s.
Can you imagine if Israel had multiple hit squads in the US in order to kill
Nazi’s who came here after the war? That is what the CIA is doing in the middle east
and Europe.

IMHO, you are going down a slippery slope of guilt by association. There are many honorable people in our military who are actually doing good. There are soldiers in Afghanistan who are helping to educate and feed the children of that country. The same with Iraq. Unfortunately all you hear about are the torture stories, which granted are horrific.

If you believe your military analogy, then do you believe that all catholics are guilty of child abuse since some priests have been guilty of child abuse and since we are all members of the same church, we must all be guilty? Didn’t think so…

 

[nodito]

Real question - why would you want to work there?

There are a lot of reasons she may legitimately want to. Perhaps the pay is better and she wants to send her kids to Catholic schools. Maybe her elderly father lives nearby and she wants to be able to visit more frequently. Maybe there aren’t any Catholic hospitals in the vincinity (or Catholic hospitals that are hiring) and she just needs work.

I think there are degrees of cooperation in evil and I would not consider working at a hospital that also performs abortion (as long as you are not in any way participating in, facilitating, or recommending abortion) to be sinful. I, myself, would much prefer to work at a Catholic hospital but I don’t think we can categorically condemn those who do not have that option while fulfilling their other obligations.

 

[pyro_alchemist]

I’m not sure whether or not you CAN but I think the question you should ask yourself is would you WANT to? Would you feel alright giving your resources (your time) to a place that holds an unborn child as unimportant and expendable?

Well it looks unfortunately like we will soon be doing that with our tax dollars.