The Sisters of the Little Company of Mary-run Calvary Hospital will no longer be under Catholic control, according to a plan made public last week by the Australian Capital Territory. The non-religious organization Canberra Health Services will soon take over the management of the facility. The hospital's unwillingness to provide abortions and its resistance to euthanasia laws, which represent an open rejection of specific liberal ideas, are believed to be the unstated motivations underlying this decision.
The choice has provoked a lot of opposition from the Catholic and conservative communities. Both Peter Dutton, the Federal Leader of the Liberal Party, and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott condemned it as an "ideological attack on religion" and an "assault on the Church," respectively. Leaders of the Catholic Church have vowed to oppose the idea.
Catholic Hospital in Australia Faces Ownership Change Amid Ideological Concerns
According to the article in Catholic Herald, the Church should consider how to respond to perceived persecution from liberal ideology in light of this most recent action. Reaffirming and praising the values of our time, such as variety and tolerance, as well as accepting ideological defeat and withdrawing into religious groups, are some reactions.
Although it has helped the Church resist persecution and win certain concessions, this strategy of promoting variety and tolerance is under fire. The argument put up by critics is that it not only lays the way for present-day and upcoming persecution but also represents a denial of the Church's duty to serve as a witness for Jesus Christ.
These concerns are highlighted in recent debates around important cultural issues, where Church leaders have often used arguments of autonomy rather than focusing on core moral teachings. Opposition to the matters like same-sex marriage, abortion, and euthanasia has been framed primarily in terms of restrictions on freedoms of speech, expression, religion, and conscience.
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Concerns Rise Over Rapid Legislation Affecting Ownership of Calvary Hospital
According to another source, The Archdiocese of Hobart, concerns have been expressed about the Australian Capital Territory government's decision to introduce legislation to seize control of Calvary Hospital quickly. The May 11 bill attempts to suspend customary procedures to enable quick passage.
According to reports, Canberra and Goulburn Archbishop Christopher Prowse has voiced extreme astonishment and worry over the abrupt action, which occurred without any formal discussion with the Archdiocese or justification for the choice. He is claimed to have expressed concerns and queries about the ACT Government's alleged lack of transparency. According to reports, he has called it a troubling precedent and a sad day when governments can decide at will to take over any business without giving any explanation.
Martin Bowles, the national chief executive of Calvary, expressed his worries in The Canberra Times, saying that the government's choice would have "material implications" for the hospital's 1,800 employees, its patients, and the general public.
Mr. Bowles claims that the ACT Government has decided to terminate their 44-year relationship as a long-term healthcare partner, compel the acquisition of the hospital's land, and remove Calvary as Calvary Public Hospital Bruce's operator. Bowles referred to this government's unilateral decision-making as a source of worry.
Bowles is also reported to have been extremely critical of the takeover's projected schedule, which he deems "unrealistic." He reportedly noted that the July 3, 2023 transition date is less than two months after Calvary first received notice and just over a month after the earliest date that the bill may pass. Additionally, he cautioned that this rushed course of action might breed uncertainty, which might prompt personnel to quit and adversely affect Calvary's capacity to deliver safe patient care.
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