Archdiocese of Anchorage Responds to the "Troubling Situation" at Providence Hospital

Archbishop Schwietz

Well, I found out about 2 minutes ago, 4:58pm, that the Archdiocese of Anchorage has finally responded to the Providence Hospital partnership and lease of space to Alaska Women's Health Clinic (Click for original report). The Catholic Anchor seems to be the only source of the statement and so I will post for you what they have:

The Sept. 16 statement from Archbishop Schwietz reads as follows:

“Archbishop Schwietz takes this troubling situation very seriously, He has been in dialogue with Providence leaders who do understand the gravity of this matter. The Archbishop continues to work with the leadership at Providence Alaska Medical Center to be certain that requirements for compliance with The Catholic Healthcare Directives are fully implemented and that Providence be a clear witness to Catholic values in all it does.”

The is some good and some not so good news in the Anchor's report of the Archbishop's statement. Let's start with the not-so-good first, and I am going to be just as critical of the bad, as I am praiseworthy of the good because this situation is so important and it has been so long since we first reported on it, 40 days actually - how ironic.

The Bad

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I really don't want to slam this release, but there are some big issues with it, and I will try and be as objectively critical, without being nit-picky, as possible.

There are "technical" issues with this release. It came out at 4:58pm, on a Friday, and on the Anchor blog; the timing and method of releases is a big deal. There are also grammatical issues with it, for instance they call the Ethical and Religious Directives: "The Catholic Healthcare Directives", and other small points. These don't affect the substance of the statement per se but they do point to the fact that the Archdiocese needs to better understand how they communicate with the faithful. Details are important... as they say, "the devil is in the details." We shouldn't linger on these too much.

The statement from the Archbishop himself doesn't say much. It says that he is continuing to work with Providence, but the statement t doesn't say what that means, what the timeline is, or what he views as the most glaring problem. He says it is a "troubling situation" but doesn't point to any real specifics beyond that. I wish that he would have spoken to what he saw as the biggest problem or two, but he didn't and that is his prerogative. Yet, pointing to something might have given us a glimmer of understanding of how he sees the issue. I put this as a problem with the statement, only because he appears to have written the statement as a response to inquiries, and I would think that the best way to respond is to be specific.

The biggest issue though, is this: the Archbishop's statement, and the Anchor's analysis of the situation,  misstate the major problem with the Providence-AWHC relationship. It is hard to determine if the Anchor or the Archbishop is the source of the confusion, but the statement of concern is this:

While AWHPC as part of its lease agreement with Providence Alaska agreed not to provide abortion services (or any ethically prohibited services) on the Providence premises the presence of this clinic is for many, including Archbishop Schwietz, a cause of grave concern.

This makes it sound as if no ethically prohibited services are provided on the premises of Providence. THIS IS UNTRUE. While no abortions take place on Providence's grounds, there are prohibited services that do. Abortion referrals, contraceptive services, and sterilization procedures do occur on the premises and are prohibited by the ERDs (see, Why the Providence Situation Isn't Just About Abortions).  We feel confident in saying this for a few reasons: 1) AWHC advertises those services on their website. 2) There are confirmed reports from Pro-Life leaders that hospital administrators have admitted that they occur. 3) We have private first hand accounts that they occur.

We have always said this isn't just about abortion or the presence of AWHC on the premises, that this was about Catholic identity and the full spectrum of Catholic teaching. This statement is troubling and we hope for further clarification from the Anchor or the Archbishop on this point. This really is the crux of our issue with the whole situation. Yes we are dismayed that Dr. Whitefield is there, but that is secondary to the fact that actual procedures that are contrary to Catholic teaching are occurring on the premises. 

The Good

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First off, I must applaud the Archbishop for calling the situation "troubling" and to admit that Providence sees the "gravity" of the overall situation. The first step to correct a problem, is to admit there is a problem and they have done that. While I have taken issue with how they have framed the issue, the fact that the Archbishop is taking a lead role in this situation is fantastic. We need our Bishops to be willing to lead and teach the faithful what it means to be Catholic.

Next, the Archbishop's personal statement says that he is working to ensure that Providence implements the ERDs fully, and for Providence to be a "clear witness to Catholic values." While I think virtues would be a better word here, the fact that he wants FULL implementation of the ERDs AND wants Providence to be a witness of Catholic identity is AWESOME! This sentence seems to capture the problem, even though it sounds more aspirational than actual. The problem I stated above, regarding the fact that the article insinuates that no services are provided currently that are contrary to the ERDs, is troubling, but ultimately this statement shows that the Archbishop has the right goal in mind. The key will to match the facts to the goal.

Finally, there seems to be an ongoing conversation occurring. I have heard from many people that the upper echelon of the hospital's administration, the Archbishop, and even Pro-Life leaders are continuing to find a way for Providence to fully realize and reflect Catholic teaching. These types situations are not solved over-night, I recognize that. At the end of the day Providence must not allow AWHC perform any ethically prohibited services, if they are to be a Catholic hospital. This isn't my opinion, this is the statement of the Church via the USCCB and the ERDs. It sounds as if this conversation is heading in that direction. 

My Thoughts

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The take from this is that the overall landscape looks good, but is marred a bit by a poorly crafted statement. I am concerned with the one statement which insinuates that there currently aren't any prohibited services occurring, it is troubling. It is the essence and crux of this situation. This statement must be clarified. Certainly, if the rest of what the Archbishop states is happening, in terms of direction and dialogue, then it will be cleared up in the end, but it is a confusing landscape at this point.

We must continue to be diligent. We must continue to pray. In fact, I urge you all to commit to daily prayer until this situation is resolved. We must storm the gates of heaven asking for God to speak to the hearts of all those involved. Strength in courage are sometimes in short supply in these situations, and we can all use the help. We must also write the Archbishop and thank him for dedication to this issue, and to ensure him that we are praying for him and for the defense of the Church. Just as we write to voice our concerns, he is a human and needs our encouragement as well.

I will continue to monitor this situation, and will report anything new that I find. Hopefully there will be clarification coming down the pipes, and hopefully we will be privy to some of the developments and discussions that occurr concerning the unethical practices currently occurring at AWHC. Let us pray that this is the beginning of reform at Providence, which at the end of the day will leave a Catholic hospital that is a witness to Catholic values in all it does.


NB: Edited slightly for grammar and clarity.

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