The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services determined Thursday that it was higher to permit a Catholic hospital in Oklahoma to gentle a sacred candle than face a non secular liberty lawsuit.
CMS officers granted a waiver to the Saint Francis Health System and its hospital in south Tulsa, which has had the candle lit for greater than 60 years with out incident.
The waiver will enable the system, which serves 400,000 sufferers yearly, to proceed receiving Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Without the waiver, CMS would have been certain by a web site inspection that discovered the flame a security violation and would have denied the healthcare reimbursements.
“CMS is providing St. Francis South Hospital a waiver for the living flame of the sanctuary candle in the chapel of this hospital,” Public Health Service Capt. Scott J. Cooper, director of the CMS’s division of continuous and acute care suppliers.
Mr. Cooper stated the hospital should put up an indication outdoors the chapel indicating the candle’s presence and warning sufferers, guests and employees to maintain oxygen tools away from the flame and set up a barrier, the place attainable, to maintain individuals from the flame.
Michael Lissau, normal counsel for the well being system, advised CMS that the hospital will comply.
“We take fire safety very seriously, and we also take our faith very seriously,” Mr. Lissau wrote to CMS. “We are grateful for your consideration of our fire safety precautions that were already taken, of the new precautions we agree to take, and of our commitment to honor the living presence of Jesus with the living flame.”
The candle, housed within the chapel of Saint Francis Hospital South in Tulsa, was permitted by native hearth officers and had by no means earlier than been a difficulty.
“For Catholics, the living flame is a sign of the living presence of Jesus,” the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represented the Saint Francis group, stated in an announcement.
Becket legal professional Lori Windham, who warned CMS of a possible lawsuit, stated Catholic church guidelines require “a special lamp, fueled by oil or wax, should shine prominently to indicate the presence of Christ and honor it.” She stated using “so-called electric vigil lights” is prohibited underneath pointers issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Dr. Cliff Robertson, CEO of Saint Francis Health System, stated in an announcement, “The living flame of our chapel candle indicates to all who enter our hospitals that we will serve them with religious devotion as Christ commands us.”
The flame was behind glass and affixed to a wall a number of toes off the bottom. Several sprinkler heads are above the candle, based on the hospital.
“The game was simply not worth the candle for HHS,” Ms. Windham stated in asserting the federal climbdown. “It realized it would be playing with fire in court if it stood by its absurd demand, so it chose wisely. We are glad Saint Francis can continue to serve those most in need while keeping the faith.”
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