It “denies utterly” tubal ligations and other direct sterilizations are therapeutic procedures that can be considered medically necessary.
“And it states that all contrary opinions are mistaken and may not be used at Catholic hospitals to justify tubal ligations and other direct sterilizations by the evasion of calling them ‘indirect sterilizations.’ The Vatican statement cited in the footnote, in fact, is directed precisely against the sort of claim Trinity Mother Frances is trying to make.”
In a Friday phone interview CNA spoke more about the matter with Father Vaverek.
“Bishop Corrada was very saddened that the hospital chose to release such an equivocal statement without communicating it to the diocese directly,” Father Vaverek said. “The diocese has always released its public statements to the hospital prior to their release.”
Father Vaverek said the bishop was also saddened that the hospital’s statement did not address the issues “in any substantive fashion.”
He also questioned the hospital’s description of its communications with the diocese as “ongoing.” He reported that there had been “some initial contact” between the bishop and the hospital in connection with the initial investigation into the alleged ethics violations, but “there has been limited contact since then.”
“They have not replied to the bishop’s letters asking for a direct reply,” the priest told CNA, before criticizing the hospital’s statement.
“It says less than nothing. At best, it is a very equivocal statement.”
Referring to the statement’s assertion “Trinity Mother Frances does not perform direct sterilizations,” Father Vaverek argued: “Strictly speaking, the only way one can interpret that is that they are no longer doing tubal ligations. But I don’t believe that is the case.” Instead, Father Vaverek believes that the hospital erroneously considers tubal ligations to be a form of indirect sterilization.
“Indirect sterilization has to deal with a present pathology, and that is not the case in tubal ligations,” he continued, referencing several statements made by the Congregation on the Doctrine of the Faith.
“The hospitals have never put forward an argument that they do not do tubal ligations,” he stated.
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Father Vaverek also disputed the hospital statement’s claim that the Provincial Superior of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth has requested a personal meeting with the bishop.
“The provincial has not requested a meeting with the bishop, as far as the bishop knows.”
CNA contacted Trinity Mother Frances for comment but did not receive a response by press time. CNA also tried to contact the hospital’s vice-president of legal counsel without success.