I know this good priest of God and His Church. This is purely evil. Just happened locally in the last couple hours. Please pray for him and for his parishioner!
There is a law now on the books that this priest can go in. It was passed this summer for situations like this.
Sorrowful scene. Praying for the poor soul who is dying. It makes me wonder why this facility is not aware of the law that HH mentioned. I am sure the family will be very upset.
National Through the federal government I might have to find it when we get home We are at the vet now
US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights You can find it online It was passed this summer when complaints were made from our area
I don't know what to make of the video. The staff informed the Priest the patient was not dying. They asked him to make an appointment to see the patient. They seem to have been following procedures that would enable the Priest to go and see the patient when he made an appointment. At least that is how it came across to me. Maybe the family were panicking. I did think the Priest was aggressive, and then calmed down towards the end. Shouting at the staff would not have helped. After all most people do not believe in God and would not see the sense in why he was demanding to see the patient. I think he needs to contact the admin at that facility, and ask them to put in place a procedure for when someone needs spiritual emergency assistance for any future calls he may receive. So hopefully there will not be a need for this sort of confrontation again. From a Catholic prospective, receiving the Sacraments when very ill or in danger of dying is an emergency, and I am surprised the staff were not trained in this aspect of patient care. It was part of the care plan in my days working in end of life care. Whatever religion a patient was, their notes would show what to expect if and when required. Sad.
I know this priest and he would not go off, suit up and walk into the facility with such determination if he had not been called by family and told that she was dying. He did his duty as a priest should. It is not up to him to call every facility to get their opinion, if a family is speaking for their dear one and pleading for her. You do not know him. What you saw on the video was holy assertiveness. Yes, he has a bit of an Italian fire inside his little frame, but life and death issues are not sterile.
At the above link, the patient was critically injured in a wreck on Memorial Day, and his wife sought priestly visitations for him and won. I know this man. They are members of St. Francis de Sales parish in Benedict, MD, where Sid is a server for the TLM. The priest there offers both forms of the Mass. Sid is still recovering at home but doing better all the time.
This sad and (anger) incident brings me back memories just a several months ago when my uncle Gene was dying in his nursing home facility. It was difficult and a trying situation when my other uncle Joe (dying uncle's brother) and a Catholic priest tried so hard and not giving up to get inside the facility to give Gene his last rites and then Joe had his large ipad to do zoom video for all of his nieces and nephews and relatives to join in listening and watching to the last rites being given and then I helped to lead the Divine Mercy Chaplet prayer. I honestly don't know how Joe and the priest did managed to get inside or what did they say exactly to the person in charge of the facility. (it was either a protestant or prebsteryian kind of facility!). But i do hope the family members and that priest do find a way and not to give up. Will pray! +++
I just sent to a friend to try and get this info to Father as she’s the one who shared it all with mr initially.
I admire this priests righteous indignation and determination to fight for his parishioners. As a nurse, I also empathise with these two ladies as they are bound to enforce their employers regulations. One thing though, a lady said ".....I am a catholic , sir". If that were the case, why didn't she address him as Father?
