When a hospital releases news on a Friday night, it’s a sign they’re hoping this will go under the radar. Can’t let that happen now, can we?

And then, as if to prove they just want to bury this news, officials at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-Iowa said they wouldn’t be speaking to the press about it beyond the one news release.

What did they do that they don’t want anyone noticing?

They just announced that they would no longer allow vasectomies or tubal ligations — both of which are forms of birth control — at Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo because doing so would violate Catholic doctrine.

Like all Catholic health care organizations, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare is called to adhere to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (ERDs). We have been meeting with our providers and colleagues to ensure the medical services we provide are in accordance with these guidelines for Catholic health care services. Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare is no longer scheduling patients for vasectomies or tubal ligations. Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare remains committed to caring for the patients and communities we serve in the spirit of our Catholic values.

They don’t give a damn about patients. A vasectomy is about as safe a procedure as you can have to prevent impregnating someone. And tubal ligations are safest when done right after a C-section; don’t want to have any more children? They get your tubes tied while the doctor already has you opened up.

The Catholic Church is against all this because they believe pregnancy should be the goal of sex between married people. They oppose masturbation, sex between two men or two women, and birth control pills, and condoms, and any other form of contraception. (Their preferred method of having sex without getting pregnant is to use the rhythm method. Vasectomies and tubal ligations would prevent pregnancy, so both are forbidden by the Church.

The irrational beliefs of Catholics have serious real-world implications. Especially when you realize that the Catholic Church is quickly taking over American health care. More than 1 in 6 patients is now treated in a Catholic hospital and such places are often the only game in town in some rural areas.

Keep in mind that preventing people from getting vasectomies and tubal ligations will lead to more unwanted pregnancies which will lead to more abortions. There’s a direct line between those things. But the Church would rather have women get abortions, apparently, then help them not get pregnant in the first place… because that might allow people to have sex for fun. And there’s nothing God hates more than happy fornicating people.

On a separate note, I’m really curious why this decision was announced now. Was the hospital allowing these procedures before Friday? That would have been unusual for a Catholic hospital.

(Image via Shutterstock. Thanks to Justin for the link)

