What's Going On At Walter Reed?
I've been following the news releases on the Walter Reed National Medical Center terminating its contract with Holy Name College, a community of Franciscan priests and brothers that had provided pastoral care to service members and veterans there for nearly two decades. Frankly, most of the accounts seem to leave important information out. The most complete is the news release from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA . I also found the Archdiocese's statement of its mission very helpful. It says in part: The Archdiocese serves as the sole endorser (certifier) of Roman Catholic chaplains to the United States government. A Roman Catholic priest cannot serve within the United States Military as a priest without the express permission of the Archdiocese. . . . The Archdiocese is the sole endorser of chaplains for the Veterans Administration hospitals. In 2008, 242 priests were endorsed for service in the Veterans Administration. . . . Unlike a conve...