Erie bishop: Saint Vincent no longer a Catholic hospital

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From the Erie ¶ Times News:

Erie Catholic Bishop Lawrence Persico said that Saint Vincent Health System can no longer be considered a Catholic hospital after its merger with Highmark Inc.

The official release from Bishop Persico:

Now that the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania have given up sponsorship of Saint Vincent Health System, I want to thank them for the long and distinguished ministry of service they have offered to northwestern Pennsylvania since 1875. Their work has been heroic—providing healthcare for the poor, the sick and the dying—and we will always be grateful for their Christ-like care.

With this change in ownership, there is no longer any guarantee that all aspects of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare Services, published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, will be followed as they have been in the past.

The directives state that Catholic institutions and hospitals may not promote or condone contraceptive practices or direct sterilization of men or women. We do not have a guarantee that these procedures will not be condoned or performed.

Therefore, the Sisters of St. Joseph and their leaders understand and know that I can no longer call Saint Vincent Health System a Catholic institution. As the bishop of the diocese, I have a responsibility as pastor, teacher and priest to inform the faithful of this decision.
God bless this shepherd for actually tending to and attempting to protect his flock!

 
I saw this story in [LIfesite News](http://forums.catholic-questions.org/The Sisters of St. Joseph will continue their ministry within the complex, as well.) but the story said the sisters of St. Joseph will continue their ministry. In any case, what if anything does this mean in practical terms for the hospital? Does it lose any kind of charitable benefits? Or is it simply a caution for potential patients who are Catholic that any medical treatment or advice they might receive may not conform to Catholic ethics? In other words, is this declaration a punishment for the hospital or a warning for Catholics?
 
We’re going to be seeing a lot of secularization of formerly Catholic hospitals in the next few years. We’re actually seeing a lot of it now, but it’s not being acknowledged for the most part. In ten years, one will be able to count the truly Catholic hospitals in the U.S. on one’s fingers and at least some of one’s toes.
 
The secularization of hospitals is a direct consequence of the corporate takeover of medical practice and services in the past quarter century. The corproatization of the economy inevitably means the anti-Christianization of the economy.
 
I hope they change the name and don’t call it St. Vincent’s.
 
Jaysuitical said:
The secularization of hospitals is a direct consequence of the corporate takeover of medical practice and services in the past quarter century. The corproatization of the economy inevitably means the anti-Christianization of the economy.
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Actually, this was a process that began in the 60s and is a direct result of fewer vocations for the orders that (formerly) managed the hospitals.

It’s the same phenomenon that happened with Catholic schools (google the Land of Lakes agreement if you require context)
 
I am sitting in a St Vincent’s Hospital; fairly new, having moved within the city. (Northeast)
The original statue of St Vincent my youth is in the new chapel.
This is where where I often attend mass.
But I don’t know what further affiliation there may be.
This has me wondering…
 
I think it was less than honest for the leaders of Saint Vincent not to relinquish their Catholic designation voluntarily. They knew darn well that the conditions described by the Bishop are true, yet they just sat there, waiting to see if the Bishop would ‘de-Catholic’ them.
Good for that bishop in Erie! He is a true Shepherd!
 
seagal said:
I saw this story in [LIfesite News](http://forums.catholic-questions.org/The Sisters of St. Joseph will continue their ministry within the complex, as well.) but the story said the sisters of St. Joseph will continue their ministry. In any case, what if anything does this mean in practical terms for the hospital? Does it lose any kind of charitable benefits? Or is it simply a caution for potential patients who are Catholic that any medical treatment or advice they might receive may not conform to Catholic ethics? In other words, is this declaration a punishment for the hospital or a warning for Catholics?
Click to expand...
I wouldn’t give them a penny or attend any fund raiser or benefit they put on. I’ll save my pennies to contribute to ministries that have the guts to be truly Catholic. 👍
 
It seems like the fair thing to do. Companies, hospitals, groups, and other organizations merge and spool off all the time. That’s a business decision but when such events happen a reexamination of their mission is always in order.
 
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