The management of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has drawn criticism from a prominent archbishop -- and some members of Congress
FILE - An sign stands near an entrance to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, in Bethesda, Md. The management of the medical center has drawn criticism from a prominent archbishop - and some members of Congress - by choosing not to renew a contract for Franciscan priests to provide pastoral care, and by hiring a hiring a secular defense contractor, Mack Global LLC, to oversee provision of those services going forward.
The medical center said it issued a cease-and-desist order on April 4 — in the midst of Holy Week — when Franciscans continued to provide pastoral services after their contract expired on March 31.and also is archbishop for the Military Services. The statement said the new contract offered to Mack Global “is under review to ensure it adequately supports the religious needs of our patients and beneficiaries.”
Asked for comment, the Franciscans provided a statement Wednesday expressing pride in the services they had provided to Walter Reed. The statement issued by Broglio's office last week was stinging: “The refusal to provide adequate pastoral care while awarding a contract for Catholic ministry to a for-profit company that has no way of providing Catholic priests to the medical center is a glaring violation of service members’ and veterans’ Right to the Free Exercise of Religion.”
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