Why is Holy Redeemer still allowed to call itself, "Catholic"?

Most Rev. John J. McIntyre, Auxiliary Bishop
Steven Bozza, Respect Life Office
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
222 North 17th Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Your Excellency and Mr. Bozza,

For concerns about life issues in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Archbishop Chaput has advised me to contact the Respect Life Office or Bishop McIntyre.  Hence, I would appreciate a response to this email.

Today's Bucks County Courier Times has a repeat of the ad from Abington Reproductive Medicine (ARM), which I mentioned in my May 5th email.  As per that email and my March 17th email, ARM's Drs. Larry Barmat, Jennifer Nichols, and Steven Somkuti are also associated with Holy Redeemer (See Holy Redeemer's individual listings for Barmat, Nichols, and Somkuti).  As per their boasts on the ARM web site, these are specialists in such absolutely prohibited practices as IVF, so-called egg donation, and so-called gestational surrogacy.  What do we possibly imagine that Barmat, Nichols, and Somkuti are discussing with their patients at Holy Redeemer?


With Barmat, Nichols, and Somkuti freely advertising their scandalous practices, I believe that Holy Redeemer would absolutely be within its rights to remove their hospital privileges.  Even a CHAUSA publication has acknowledged that

• "If the individual is so notorious in the community that his or her activities give rise to scandal...then perhaps the healtcare provider can argue that its constitutional right to the free exercise of religion supersedes the statutory protection provided to the physician" (Health Progress, March/April 1998).

Since the associations of Barmat, Nichols, and Somkuti with Holy Redeemer are not new, it would appear that Holy Redeemer is not inclined to remove their hospital privileges.  Directive # 71 of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services remind us that

• "The diocesan bishop has final responsibility for assessing and addressing issues of scandal, considering not only the circumstances in his local diocese but also the regional and national implications of his decision." 

If Holy Redeemer will not remove hospital privileges from Barmat, Nichols, and Somkuti, please remove the right for Holy Redeemer to identify itself as "Catholic."

Sincerely,