What makes a Catholic Hospital "Catholic"

[Barbara_Ann_Bau]

In my area there are two Medical Centers one of them is “Catholic” the other is a non-denominational non-profit hospital. The two systems are locked in a power struggle to control all medical care in the state and beyond. When I voiced my desire to switch my friend said “Don’t bother St _____ is no longer Catholic. I have only heard of one Catholic hospital that was dropped from the Catholic Health Care system that was in Phoenix AZ and that was because they performed abortions. Is there any criteria for a hospital to be “Catholic”?”

 

[runningdude]

It means the hospital has a formal relationship with the local diocese. The hospital is also often owned by a religious order, but this is not strictly necessary.

 

[runningdude]

In my area there are two Medical Centers one of them is “Catholic” the other is a non-denominational non-profit hospital. The two systems are locked in a power struggle to control all medical care in the state and beyond. When I voiced my desire to switch my friend said “Don’t bother St _____ is no longer Catholic. I have only heard of one Catholic hospital that was dropped from the Catholic Health Care system that was in Phoenix AZ and that was because they performed abortions. Is there any criteria for a hospital to be “Catholic”?”

It means the hospital has a formal relationship with the local diocese/bishop’s conference. The hospital is also often owned by a religious order, but this is not strictly necessary.

 

[Elizium23]

In my area there are two Medical Centers one of them is “Catholic” the other is a non-denominational non-profit hospital. The two systems are locked in a power struggle to control all medical care in the state and beyond. When I voiced my desire to switch my friend said “Don’t bother St _____ is no longer Catholic. I have only heard of one Catholic hospital that was dropped from the Catholic Health Care system that was in Phoenix AZ and that was because they performed abortions. Is there any criteria for a hospital to be “Catholic”?”

St. Joseph in Phoenix was not dropped from the Catholic Health Care system, the hospital’s Catholic status was summarily revoked in 2010 by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted. It has not been restored. This hospital was a member of Catholic Healthcare West, which in 2012 moved outside the Catholic Church and changed its name to Dignity Health. These were two different events. I do not know if there was a causal relationship between these events, but they were two years apart.

In essence, all Catholic organizations retain the Catholic name at the pleasure of their ordinary, who can revoke their status. A Catholic hospital enjoys the privileges of Mass celebrated in their chapel as well as the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament therein. These privileges were revoked from St. Joseph along with the right to call themselves Catholic.