Obamacare Effects: Three Catholic Hospitals Closing in Scranton & the Power of a Social Justice Nun

There has been much controversy surrounding the closing and sale of three Catholic hospitals in Scranton, Pa. The controversy includes: Kevin Cook - Mercy Health Partners CEO, three different statements, two Catholic Representatives, the Affordable Care Act - A.K.A. - Obamacare, and Obama’s nun.


- In Review

Sr. Carol Keehan, Obama’s nun, is the nun who dissented from Bishops and threw her weight to support Obamacare. She is the nun who used her clout as head of the CHA, falsely claimed that abortion wasn’t covered in Obamacare, and provided “legitimacy” for Bart Stupak and the rest of the so called pro-life Democrats to support and vote for Obamacare even though there were and still are no safeguards protecting against abortion coverage and federal funding in Obamacare.  The Congressional Research Report Confirms this. She wanted us, as Catholics to trust our government over our Bishops’ prudential judgment on a matter related to morals. That sounds so nonsensical. Misplaced trust?

For anyone to think that our government is going to do the right thing in matters of faith and morals, look out for you and me, is complete and utter naivete when our government has sanctioned the murders of countless innocents since Roe v. Wade was enacted in 1973.

When Sr. Carol Keehan became a religious sister she took a vow of obedience and in fact has more of an obligation than ordinary laity to heed the Bishops’ prudential judgment with relation to abortion and Obamacare. Since the Church Teaching is that abortion is an intrinsic evil is Catholic Dogma has Sr. Keehan broken her vow of obedience by dissenting from the Bishops in order to support Obamacare?

The common good must not be pursued at the expense of the morally reprehensible murders of innocent human lives.

In his first statement Kevin Cook stated, "Health care reform is absolutely playing a role. Was it the precipitating factor in this decision? No, but was it a factor in our planning over the next five years? Absolutely."

Notice that Cook stated “absolutely” twice.

48 hours later Cook said, sale discussions were happening "long before the passage of the Affordable Care Act. The decision was due to many factors."

Perhaps, there was something occurring behind the scenes?

That same day Sr. Carol Keehan made this statement, "Reports that health reform is the primary motive behind the sale are completely false, misleading and politically motivated. Deliberations to sell the facilities began well before the Affordable Care Act became law and did not hinge on enactment of the legislation."

Okay… Like she isn’t politically motivated to ensure her support for Obamacare isn’t for naught.

Then about a couple days later Cook announced: “Mercy Health Partners recently announced our intention to explore the sale of our facilities in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The rationale for our initiative has been mischaracterized by certain politicized media outlets and severely distorted by some special interest groups.”

Coincidental? Or Coordinated?

Perhaps, there was something occurring behind the scenes?

Would a social justice political activist nun misuse her power as CEO of the CHA to silence the truth in both instances, with Obamacare and with Obamacare playing a pivotal role in the closings of three Catholic hospitals? Did this Left wing activist nun “lower the boom” on Kevin Cook and force him to change his tune in those last two statements? Well, it kinda looks that way.

Oh - how could one forget? Since she bucked both the Bishops and the Catholic faith and instead staunchly supported Obama and his health care bill she was rewarded with one of the 21 pens that Obama used to signed the health care law. What a trade -- fidelity to Church teaching and to her vows sacrificed for fame, power, recognition, and on top of all that, a pen.

From The American Spectator - “One doctor in Scranton -- who was deeply disturbed by the announcement -- is certain he knows the answer. That answer? Mr. Cook was absolutely right the very first time he spoke to WNEP on camera. Hospitals, said this doctor -- frequently run a debt. "What's different? Why now?" he said in terms of the rationale for selling the Mercy hospitals. The reason is exactly as CEO Cook originally said it was. ObamaCare cuts in Medicare reimbursement have changed the rules so drastically for hospitals "you [Mercy Health Partners] are in an untenable situation," said this physician. Most hospitals have accumulating debt because of capital investments, says the doctor. But they can't deal with that debt if in fact their ability to earn money is cut off or drastically reduced over time.

Alarmingly, the doctor, with a lifetime of practice in hand, says that "hospitals close in clusters where there is decreased income in terms of relatively low Medicare reimbursement…because they are the most vulnerable." He adds that what is happening in Scranton, Nanticoke, and Tunkhannock with the Mercy hospitals "is just the beginning. It will happen everywhere because reimbursements will be reduced" under ObamaCare. Particularly, he adds, in areas where you have a high elderly population.”

‘The explosion, all recent with its implications of White House pressure and lost Catholic hospitals, is about to bring in media ads from CatholicVote.org. Says Communications Director Joshua Mercer: "Paul Kanjorski and Chris Carney are Catholic and they both voted for ObamaCare." Citing the sale of the three Mercy hospitals, Mercer says that the pro-ObamaCare votes of the two "has had a real impact on the community." Mercer added a sentiment voiced as well by the Scranton doctor: "There are a lot of Kevin Cooks across the country…the CEO's of small Catholic hospitals are all facing the same realities of more [ObamaCare] mandates and regulations.”’


Seems like there is something fishy going on. I live in Pennsylvania, but unfortunately I don’t live in either of their districts, otherwise I would vote for the opposition.

Here is the political ad that CatholicVote.org has put out.




Cross Posted at Tu ne cede malis

Obamacare: Betrayal by Unprincipled Catholic Nuns & USCCB Paves Way For Abortion Funding

It has come to light that Obama's executive order banning fundng of abortions isn't worth a darn.  Thanks to CHA, other "Catholic" nuns and the USCCB many more unborn babies will be murdered.  Under Obamacare, Obama will give $160 million to Pennsyvania to set up new "high-risk" insurance pools that will fund abortions.  Many of our Catholic hierarchy in the United States have lost their way.  This has got to stop!  I sure hope Pope Benedict continues clearing the filth that is rampant among certain Bishops and nuns in the U.S.

Related Post:  From Chicago Ray-- Obama OK's First Tax-Funded Abortions Under Health Care Law.

Liberal CHA & Liberal Nuns Lead Catholic Flock Astray

The Senate Bill does not contain the anti-abortion language that the House Bill contains in it. The House Bill makes it crystal clear-100% guaranteed that no federal funds or taxpayer monies would be used for abortions- and the Senate version does not and leaves wiggle room for Democrats to sneak in federal funding of abortion. R. Keehan, CHA, and nuns. The flock must be more attentive, and faithful in its adhering to the Church’s Magisterium and its teachings instead of being blind followers of “Catholic” organizations and “Catholic” nuns that may or may not have there best interests at heart and seem to be leading their flock astray. There continues to be a Holy War of words within the Catholic Community as to whether the language in the Senate Health Care Bill allows for the federal funding of abortions or not.


“The White House has touted the support of a group of liberal Catholic nuns in an effort to win over conservative House Democrats who believe the final health care bill they will vote on contains restrictions on abortion funding that they and Catholic bishops say don't go far enough.

“On Saturday, the chief executive of the Catholic Health Association, which represents more than 600 hospitals that do not provide abortions as a matter of conscience, wrote on the group's Web site that although the legislation isn't perfect, it represents a "major first step" toward covering all Americans and would make "great improvements" for millions of people.”

But on Monday, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops took issue with the hospital association's belief that defects to the bill will be fixed after passage.

"Assurances that the moral objections to the legislation can be met only after the bill is passed seemed little like asking us, in Midwestern parlance, to buy a pig in a poke," Cardinal Francis George, president of the conference said on the group's Web site. This Bill deliberately excludes the language of the Hyde Amendment which excludes federal funding of abortions. He explains that by supporting this bill the Cost is Too High; The Loss is Too Great.

The Rev. Frank Pavone, national director for Priests of Life, blasted the liberal nuns, saying their statement in support of the bill "does not represent 59,000 nuns; it represents approximately 59 nuns who signed it."

"It is absurd to advocate social justice while risking the expansion of a holocaust," he said. "The right to life is at the heart of social justice. We can't pursue one by sacrificing the other."

In this article, Professor Jost claims that this bill is Pro-Life. The CCBC have spoken out against the Senate Health care Bill on two counts. The Bishops take issue with the Senate’s Bill primarily due to its serious flaws on abortion and conscience rights. Here is the Bishops response to Timothy Jost’s article.




Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Bishop William Murphy, and Bishop John Wester have spoken up and stated the reasons here as to why this health care bill does indeed extend abortion coverage.

“The three-- who chair the bishops’ committees on pro-life activities, justice and human development, and migration respectively-- note that “the Senate bill extends abortion coverage, allows federal funds to pay for elective abortions and denies adequate conscience protection to individuals and institutions.”

“The House bill provides that no one has to pay for other people's abortions, while the Senate bill does not,” they continue. “While the Senate provides for one plan without abortion coverage in each exchange, those who select another plan in an exchange to better meet the special needs of their family will be required to pay a separate monthly fee into a fund exclusively for abortions. This new federal requirement … is a far more direct imposition on the consciences of those who do not wish to pay for the destruction of unborn human life than anything currently in federal law.”

“Those who would expand federal participation in abortion, require people to pay for other people's abortions, and refuse to incorporate essential conscience protections (both within and beyond the abortion context) are threatening genuine reform,” they add. “With conscience protection as with abortion funding, the [bishops’] goal is to preserve the status quo.”

The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR) in adherence with its fidelity of the Magisterium have come out against the health care bill and stated: “Protection of life and freedom of conscience are central to morally responsible judgment,” the CMSWR statement concluded. “We join the bishops in seeking ethically sound legislation.”


The Bishops are also complaining about the rights of illegal immigrants.


In my opinion, the rights of illegal immigrants is irrelevant with relation to health care reform because IMO the Catholic Church and its Bishops have no right to demand that the United States gives up its sovereignty rights with regards to its National Security and its States’ rights in demanding that immigrants come here the proper way- legally- and be able to enforce the laws of the land.


The CHA, Sr. Keehan, and those little old nuns that think they know best, don’t. They are for the “greater good” and are leading their sheeple, their flock, astray since they are promoting a warped version of social justice at the expense of unborn lives. ALL Catholic persons and agencies and have a moral duty to stand up and denounce any form of moral relativism that promotes the “greater good” which involves wording that violates the teachings of the Magisterium. If one more innocent unborn human life results in death because these “Catholics” support this bill then the blood of that child will be on their hands. This is about standing up for the most vulnerable in our society that aren’t able to speak for themselves. The poor are able to speak up and while it is worthy to stand up for the poor and do good deeds, it must not be done while allowing the Federal funding for abortion-wording of the bill-to stay in place. As Catholics and Christians, we may not stand by and do nothing, or accept this unacceptable abortion language in the Bill that promotes intrinsic evil, authorizes the holocaust of innocents and allows abortion funding. We must call out these so-called Catholic agencies and Orders that our leading our Catholic or Christian flock astray.

DON'T BE SHEEPLE!!!