Church-State Group Opposes Ky. Catholic Hospital Merger
A church-state watchdog group sent a letter to the governor of Kentucky demanding that he block a hospital merger involving a Catholic organization.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State opposes the merger of Catholic Healthcare Initiatives and Louisville's University Medical Center, believing it will threaten access to certain medical procedures that are contrary to Catholic teaching.
“The merger will violate the separation of church and state by creating a public institution that refuses to perform certain medical procedures on religious grounds,” said Alex Luchenitser, associate legal director for Americans United.
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“When a government actor refuses to engage in conduct because that conduct is disfavored by particular religious beliefs, the Constitution is violated.”
Luchenitser was the main signatory for the letter directed toward Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear. The letter demanded that the governor block the merger.
Matt Bowman, legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said that if the Catholic Healthcare Initiatives decided to do this, it would be constitutional.
“Generally, when a private entity purchases a public entity the public entity is no longer public,” said Bowman.
“At that point the private entity is free to pursue its religious mission, and the only church-state interference is the risk that the state will tell the religious entity it must violate its beliefs.”
Bowman also said that federal and state governments have always recognized the right of religious groups to run their institutions in accordance with their views.
“The only harm that comes from religious institutions serving their communities including the poor is when political special interests try to impose their pro-abortion and sexual revolution agenda in order to force groups of believers to stop joining together in common cause," said Bowman.
Jeff Field, director of communications for the Catholic League, also believes that if any church-state concern does exist it would in regards to efforts to harm Catholic Initiatives.
“As Catholics we are concerned that the government may use this as a way to get the camel's nose under the tent and impose strictures that conflict with the teachings of the Catholic Church,” said Field.
“We also have concerns of how these medical procedures would harm people, namely unborn children.”
Field also said that Catholic Initiatives should be able to have the merger and run the hospitals they have in accordance with Catholic teaching.
“Louisville is a big city, so I'm sure residents would be able to find these medical procedures elsewhere,” said Field.
University Medical Center, the hospital Catholic Healthcare Initiatives would merge with should the governor not block the effort, is a public institution affiliated with the University of Louisville.
