WaPo article warns 'growing influence' of Catholic hospitals will impose 'religious doctrine’ on patients

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A health report in The Washington Post claimed that Catholic hospitals are gaining more influence in the medical industry and will soon be forcing a majority of Americans to be treated according to the "religious doctrine" of the Catholic Church.

Considering the Church is opposed to abortion and contraception, the piece argued that fewer people would have access to those medical options.

The article opened with the statement, "The Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion is revealing the growing influence of Catholic health systems and their restrictions on reproductive services including birth control and abortion — even in the diminishing number of states where the procedure remains legal."

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Supporters of abortion rights chant slogans outside a Planned Parenthood clinic during a protest in West Hollywood, Calif. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to end constitutional protections for abortion has cleared the way for states to impose bans and restrictions on abortion — and will set off a series of legal battles.  (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The piece provided the numbers, stating, "Catholic systems now control about 1 in 7 U.S. hospital beds, requiring religious doctrine to guide treatment, often to the surprise of patients." It added, "Their ascendancy has broad implications for the evolving national battle over reproductive rights beyond abortion, as bans against it take hold in more than a dozen Republican-led states."

The issue for the reporters was that non-Catholics seeking treatments at these hospitals will be somewhat beholden to Catholic moral teaching. The article noted, "The Catholic health-care facilities follow directives from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that prohibit treatment it deems ‘immoral’: sterilization including vasectomies, postpartum tubal ligations and contraception, as well as abortion."

The story quoted executive vice president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center John F. Brehany who described these directives as "a distillation of the moral teachings of the Catholic Church as they apply to modern health care." It noted his claim that "any facility that identifies as Catholic must abide by them."

The report explained how this Catholic medical system expansion is happening. "The role of Catholic doctrine in U.S. health care has expanded during a years-long push to acquire smaller institutions — a reflection of consolidation in the hospital industry, as financially challenged community hospitals and independent physicians join bigger systems."

It mentioned how "Acquisition by a Catholic health system has, at times, kept a town’s only hospital from closing."

"Four of the nation’s 10 largest health systems are now Catholic, according to a 2020 report by the liberal health advocacy organization Community Catalyst," the piece reported, also noting, "The 10 largest Catholic health systems control 394 short-term, acute-care hospitals, a 50 percent increase over the past two decades."

Though it claimed many folks are unhappy with this happening near them because of its "potential impact on reproductive services."

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A Washington Post article warned that a "growing influence" of Catholic hospitals in the U.S. would further erode abortion rights.  (iStock)

Because of Catholic teaching, the piece stated, "Catholic facilities may not ‘promote or condone’ contraception, according to the directives — a stance that is not widely shared by the public."

The report noted these directives are unpopular, stating, "Just 4 percent of U.S. adults think contraception is immoral, according to a 2016 Pew Research Center poll. Among Catholics who attend weekly Mass, only 13 percent say contraception is morally wrong, and 45 percent find it acceptable."

University of Chicago family medicine chair Debra Stulberg told the Post, "Even people who had a very wanted pregnancy are at the mercy of policies not driven by their personal values or by the best interests of their health."

Though as Institute for Human Ecology at the Catholic University of America fellow Andrea Picciotti-Bayer told Fox News Digital, no matter how unpopular Catholic hospitals directives are, they won’t change. 

She said, "As for contraception, the Church's line hasn't changed. Some Catholics don't agree with the Church's stance on contraception, but that doesn't mean the hospitals are free to ignore it."

Picciotti-Bayer made a similar point regarding abortion, saying, "Catholics have rejected abortion for 2000 years." She also claimed that if abortion providers can call the shots about their medical provision, so can the Church. "Big Abortion has no problem setting up shop in this country. In our free country, there is no reason why Catholic hospitals should be forced to do things they regard as deeply sinful and traumatizing."

In general, she added, "The clue is in the name. These are Catholic hospitals which follow Catholic teaching on sexuality and the sanctity of human life. You cannot force their staff to do things they think are grossly unethical."

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The Washington Post building in Washington D.C.  (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo)