GOP wants answers over Walter Reed’s Catholic priests order

Republican lawmakers penned a scathing letter Pentagon officials after Walter Reed National Military Medical Center sent a “cease and desist” letter to Catholic priests to stop providing care during Holy Week when their contract expired.

In a letter obtained by Fox News, 24 Republicans are demanding answers from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and slamming the White House administration’s alleged “attack on Christian faith.”

Last week, Walter Reed terminated a contract for pastoral care for its patients and issued a “cease and desist” order to a community of Catholic priests just days before Holy Week, The Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services said.

The hospital had ended a contract with Holy Name College Friary — a Franciscan community of priests and brothers that has served at the center for nearly two decades.

“Forcing priests to stop providing care during Holy Week is not only morally wrong, but also a violation of the First Amendment,” Republicans wrote in their letter on Wednesday, according to Fox News.

The Republicans praised the Catholic priests who have “stood alongside our service members through the darkest days of our history.” 

“They joined American service members on the battlefield and provided care to all in need,” they wrote.

The lawmakers also asked why Austin chose to “terminate the contract” with the Franciscans. According to the letter,the archdiocese informed them that a contract for pastoral care has instead been “awarded to a for-profit, secular company that does not provide pastoral care.” 

“This attack on the Christian faith by the Biden administration during Holy Week is unconscionable,” they wrote. They demanded a response from Austin by next Friday.

The letter to Austin was sent by Reps. Mary E. Miller, Jim Banks, Paul Gosar, Byron Donalds, Tom Tiffany, Scott Perry, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Andy Biggs, Warren Davidson, Matt Rosendale, Lauren Boebert, Ralph Norman, Bob Good, Keith Self, Debbie Lesko, Andrew Clyde, Josh Brecheen, Brian Babin, Ben Cline, Andy Harris, Diana Harshbarger, Michael Cloud, Eli Crane, Anna Paulina Luna, and Alex X. Mooney.

Walter Reed told the Associated Press it notified the Franciscans in March that their contract would not be renewed, and that another bidder for the new contract had been selected — secular defense contractor Mack Global LLC.

The Franciscans’ contract expired on March 31 — just as Holy Week was beginning — and the cease and desist letter was received on April 4 after the priests continued providing services after the contract ended.

Timothy Broglio, who is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and archbishop for the Military Services said in a statement that he doesn’t think the new contractor can provide the same services the priests had, calling it a First Amendment issue.

“I fear that giving a contract to the lowest bidder overlooked the fact that the bidder cannot provide the necessary service,” Broglio said. “I earnestly hope that this disdain for the sick will be remedied at once and their First Amendment rights will be respected.”

Walter Reed told AP in a statement that it “honors and supports a full range of religious, spiritual, and cultural needs.”

The statement said the new contract offered to Mack Global “is under review to ensure it adequately supports the religious needs of our patients and beneficiaries.”

A senior defense official told Fox News that the contract was not handled by The Pentagon, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and did not involve the Joint Chiefs of Staff — but was instead made by the Defense Health Agency. 

The Defense Health Agency told Fox News that there “was no cancellation of Catholic services at Walter Reed, especially during Holy Week.” 

The Pentagon told the outlet an active-duty Army priest was at the hospital providing Catholic care after the cease and desist letter was received.

“Palm Sunday mass was conducted by the Catholic priest assigned to the hospital and there were services on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.  On Easter Sunday confessions were offered as well as mass celebrated by a Catholic priest,” the Defense Health Agency spokesperson told the outlet. 

Eleven other Republicans in Congress, led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent their own letter to Austin.

“Depriving service members and veterans, who are receiving care, of the ability to enter into the Paschal Mystery with priests is utterly unconscionable,” the letter said. “DHA doctors are advocating for minors to receive experimental gender transition procedures, but no one seems to be advocating for the right of our service members and veterans to receive the most important sacraments during this most sacred time of year.” 

The Franciscans said on Wednesday that, while they are disappointed, they are grateful to have had the “privilege” to provide services at Walter Reed.

“While this is certainly disappointing after 20 years of service – after building trust and so many wonderful relationships and friendships – the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province respect the process,” the statement said. “It has been an incredible privilege – and, really, a very powerful ministerial experience – for the Franciscan Friars to be invited into the lives of these true American heroes who have sacrificed so much for our country.”

With Post wires