Hospital Sues to Stop Order to Extinguish Sanctuary Candle

The Catholic health system in Oklahoma has recently found itself in a precarious situation with the federal government due to a decision to deny re-accreditation to one of its hospitals. The government has demanded that the hospital extinguish a long-lit sanctuary candle for safety purposes, but the health system is threatening to sue the government for violating its First Amendment rights.

Highlights

By Marshall Connolly (Catholic Online)
5/5/2023 (11 months ago)

Published in Health

Keywords: Catholic, Sanctuary, candle, Oklahoma

The issue arose following a hospital inspection in February when a federal surveyor deemed that a living flame in the Saint Francis Hospital South chapel, which is part of the Saint Francis Health System, violated code. The surveyor issued a citation demanding that the candle be extinguished, as it was considered "an open flame burning unattended 24/7."

However, Saint Francis Health Systems and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting religious freedoms, argue that the hospital cannot extinguish the flame as it is a matter of faith. They claim that the living flame in the chapel is "a sign of the living presence of Jesus" and that the order to extinguish it is a violation of the First Amendment. Lori Windham, the vice president and senior director at Becket, wrote a letter to the federal government on April 28th regarding the Saint Francis order. In her letter, she called the demand to extinguish the candle "absurd and unlawful" and threatened legal action if the order isn't rescinded. She highlighted the negative impact of denying Saint Francis re-accreditation, stating that it would result in financial losses to the hospital that would immediately jeopardize its services to the elderly, disabled, and low-income patients who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Barry Steichen, the executive vice president and COO of Saint Francis Health, agrees with Windham's stance and feels that the order is unfair. He stated that they are being asked to choose between serving those in need and worshiping God in the chapel, but these two things go hand in hand. The hospital's work depends on their faith in the living God, and the sanctuary candle represents this to them. Founded in 1960, Saint Francis Health Systems operates five hospitals in eastern Oklahoma and serves more than 400,000 patients annually.

Saint Francis Hospital South is the largest hospital in the state of Oklahoma and the 12th largest in the nation. Since the hospital's opening, it has had a sanctuary candle with a living flame as an act of worship. The flame is far removed from medical equipment and patients, and pictures of the candle in question show a single encased candle mounted on the wall of the chapel. The encased candle rests in a bronze holder, which is affixed to the wall of the chapel and covered by a bronze top. A sprinkler system is visible on the ceiling above the candle, and Windham noted in her letter that the flame is nowhere near the medical equipment and patients.

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