Bishop R. Walker Nickless on Health Care Reform
'Make your voice heard to our representatives in Congress. Tell them what they need to hear from us: no health care reform is better than the wrong sort of health care reform.'
Bishop R. Walker Nickless, Bishop of Sioux City.
PrintSIOUX CITY, Iowa (Catholic Online) – We have closely followed the determined leadership of our U.S. Bishops in their defense of life as the continued efforts at Health Care Reform in the United States unfold. Given the extraordinary importance of this issue, the stakes involved and the clarity and wisdom of Bishop R. Walter Nickless’ remarks as one example of the application of Catholic Social teaching in analyzing this process amidst the confusing claims, we have chosen to present them in their entirety for our readers. Catholic Social teaching offers "...principles for reflection, criteria for judgement, and norms and guidelines for action". (CCC 2423) The Bishop gives us one example of the process we should all engage in as we consider the Process going forward. These comments can be found at that the Web Site for the Diocese of Sioux City, www.scdiocese.org.
Bishop R. Walker Nickless is one more good fruit borne from the Archdiocese of Denver in the United States of America. That Archdiocese has been a shining light for the US Catholic Church under the dynamic leadership of Archbishop Charles Chaput. Bishop Nickless was named the 7th Bishop in the 106-year history of the Diocese of Sioux City on November 10, 2005. His selection as Bishop was one of the first appointments made by Pope Benedict XVI, following the death of Pope John Paul II.
*****
"Health Care Reform
Most Reverend R. Walker Nickless
Bishop of Sioux City
“The current national debate about health care reform should concern all of us. There is much at stake in this political struggle, and also much confusion and inaccurate information being thrown around. My brother bishops have described some clear “goal-posts” to mark out what is acceptable reform, and what must be rejected. First and most important, the Church will not accept any legislation that mandates coverage, public or private, for abortion, euthanasia, or embryonic stem-cell research. We refuse to be made complicit in these evils, which frankly contradict what “health care” should mean. We refuse to allow our own parish, school, and diocesan health insurance plans to be forced to include these evils. As a corollary of this, we insist equally on adequate protection of individual rights of conscience for patients and health care providers not to be made complicit in these evils. A so-called reform that imposes these evils on us would be far worse than keeping the health care system we now have.
“Second, the Catholic Church does not teach that “health care” as such, without distinction, is a natural right. The “natural right” of health care is the divine bounty of food, water, and air without which all of us quickly die. This bounty comes from God directly. None of us own it, and none of us can morally withhold it from others. The remainder of health care is a political, not a natural, right, because it comes from our human efforts, creativity, and compassion. As a political right, health care should be apportioned according to need, not ability to pay or to benefit from the care. We reject the rationing of care. Those who are sickest should get the most care, regardless of age, status, or wealth. But how to do this is not self-evident. The decisions that we must collectively make about how to administer health care therefore fall under “prudential judgment.”
“Third, in that category of prudential judgment, the Catholic Church does not teach that government should directly provide health care. Unlike a prudential concern like national defense, for which government monopolization is objectively good – it both limits violence overall and prevents the obvious abuses to which private armies are susceptible – health care should not be subject to federal monopolization. Preserving patient choice (through a flourishing private sector) is the only way to prevent a health care monopoly from denying care arbitrarily, as we learned from HMOs in the recent past. While a government monopoly would not be motivated by profit, it would be motivated by such bureaucratic standards as quotas and defined “best procedures,” which are equally beyond the influence of most citizens. The proper role of the government is to regulate the private sector, in order to foster healthy competition and to curtail abuses. Therefore any legislation that undermines the viability of the private sector is suspect. Private, religious hospitals and nursing homes, in particular, should be protected, because these are the ones most vigorously offering actual health care to the poorest of the poor.
“The best way in practice to approach this balance of public and private roles is to spread the risks and costs of health care over the largest number of people. This is the principle underlying Medicaid and Medicare taxes, for example. But this ...
Bishop R. Walker Nickless is one more good fruit borne from the Archdiocese of Denver in the United States of America. That Archdiocese has been a shining light for the US Catholic Church under the dynamic leadership of Archbishop Charles Chaput. Bishop Nickless was named the 7th Bishop in the 106-year history of the Diocese of Sioux City on November 10, 2005. His selection as Bishop was one of the first appointments made by Pope Benedict XVI, following the death of Pope John Paul II.
*****
"Health Care Reform
Most Reverend R. Walker Nickless
Bishop of Sioux City
“The current national debate about health care reform should concern all of us. There is much at stake in this political struggle, and also much confusion and inaccurate information being thrown around. My brother bishops have described some clear “goal-posts” to mark out what is acceptable reform, and what must be rejected. First and most important, the Church will not accept any legislation that mandates coverage, public or private, for abortion, euthanasia, or embryonic stem-cell research. We refuse to be made complicit in these evils, which frankly contradict what “health care” should mean. We refuse to allow our own parish, school, and diocesan health insurance plans to be forced to include these evils. As a corollary of this, we insist equally on adequate protection of individual rights of conscience for patients and health care providers not to be made complicit in these evils. A so-called reform that imposes these evils on us would be far worse than keeping the health care system we now have.
“Second, the Catholic Church does not teach that “health care” as such, without distinction, is a natural right. The “natural right” of health care is the divine bounty of food, water, and air without which all of us quickly die. This bounty comes from God directly. None of us own it, and none of us can morally withhold it from others. The remainder of health care is a political, not a natural, right, because it comes from our human efforts, creativity, and compassion. As a political right, health care should be apportioned according to need, not ability to pay or to benefit from the care. We reject the rationing of care. Those who are sickest should get the most care, regardless of age, status, or wealth. But how to do this is not self-evident. The decisions that we must collectively make about how to administer health care therefore fall under “prudential judgment.”
“Third, in that category of prudential judgment, the Catholic Church does not teach that government should directly provide health care. Unlike a prudential concern like national defense, for which government monopolization is objectively good – it both limits violence overall and prevents the obvious abuses to which private armies are susceptible – health care should not be subject to federal monopolization. Preserving patient choice (through a flourishing private sector) is the only way to prevent a health care monopoly from denying care arbitrarily, as we learned from HMOs in the recent past. While a government monopoly would not be motivated by profit, it would be motivated by such bureaucratic standards as quotas and defined “best procedures,” which are equally beyond the influence of most citizens. The proper role of the government is to regulate the private sector, in order to foster healthy competition and to curtail abuses. Therefore any legislation that undermines the viability of the private sector is suspect. Private, religious hospitals and nursing homes, in particular, should be protected, because these are the ones most vigorously offering actual health care to the poorest of the poor.
“The best way in practice to approach this balance of public and private roles is to spread the risks and costs of health care over the largest number of people. This is the principle underlying Medicaid and Medicare taxes, for example. But this ...
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From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2288 Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. We must take reasonable care of them, taking into account the needs of others and the common good.
Concern for the health of its citizens requires that society help in the attainment of living-conditions that allow them to grow and reach maturity: food and clothing, housing, health care, basic education, employment, and social assistance.
I would argue that the Church does in fact teach that society help in health care. And the context of this passage in the light of Catholic Social teaching from papal encyclicals, I would argue, refers to more than food, water and air. From the beginning I do not find the esteemed bishop's argument convincing as to his development of his standards.
I agree with his assessment of HR 3200 as, in the end, setting up a political and governmental process by which abortion services become more ingrained and funded with public monies despite polls which continue to reveal the citizenship is majority against abortions.
I agree with the guidance from the USCCB web site that any health care reform which fails to protect life should warrant a response from Catholics everywhere protesting such a bill.
So, one might ask, what problem am I suggesting is in the bishop's argument. It is this. What if congress provided a bill that fulfilled the Catholic Church's desires on the dignity and sanctity of life. Would the bishop's standards reflect Catholic social teaching regarding acceptable universal healthcare. I would argue they would not. The arguments then seem to reduce to questions of public financing and government participation in market services versus regulation of services alone.
Given a hard reading of the letter - and I do this more as argument than interpretation - one could read that as long as one has food and water, diets, exercises, etc. then there is no church teaching as impetus for society (constructed in situ in the US as a complex of private and public concerns) to provide any other health care. Granted that borders on a unfair read of the article, nonetheless, I would argue that the whole of Catholic social teaching suggests a more charitable response than that suggested by the letter's standards.
We are professing Catholics have a responsibility as part of society to help the poor among us "in the attainment of living conditions that allow them to grow and reach maturity." (CCC 2288) Healthcare is part of that help.
In the pressing national debate, we as Catholic should follow our bishop's lead against bills such as HR 3200, but that does not imply that our Catholic teaching permits us to spurn universal health care which meets our moral standards because we may not prefer the current president, do not like government participation in market economies, or other political dimensions that are part of our social-political-economic lenses. Matthew 25:31-46 remains a compelling gospel-based reason by we as Catholics are called to respond, not only as individuals, but as a community hoping to shape the broader culture to honor the dignity of the gift of life.
Thankyou Bishop R. Walker. You are absolutely positively correct and I agree with you and I support you. I thank you for being fearless and strong through it all, through God's truth.
I have written over 15 letters to the white house with all of my questions regarding abortion, end of life, and euthanasia and told them I do not support these contents and asked for response and to please tell me if I am wrong. I never received a response and I don't think I will. All I accomplished was to make extensive efforts to try and understand the plan from their response. I do not suppor this plan. " First and most important, the Church will not accept any legislation that mandates coverage, public or private, for abortion, euthanasia, or embryonic stem-cell research. We refuse to be made complicit in these evils, which frankly contradict what “health care” should mean. We refuse to allow our own parish, school, and diocesan health insurance plans to be forced to include these evils. As a corollary of this, we insist equally on adequate protection of individual rights of conscience for patients and health care providers not to be made complicit in these evils. A so-called reform that imposes these evils on us would be far worse than keeping the health care system we now have."
To his Excellency Bishop Nickless:
I am shocked by the tone of your letter about health care.
It is not at all pastoral and it is NOT PRUDENT, as we should expect from a Bishop.
Why to insist in stating a LIE?
It is not true that President Obama is pro-abortion. He is personally against abortion.
He cannot force the conscience of those who are not.
Father: I am Catholic and I try to live in GRACE, with help of thr Sacraments.
I was raised in Italy by incredible good priests. Cardinal Montini was my Archbishop.
They taught me to be severe with myself, to take on myself my responsibilities, but to be tolerant with the others and not to impose my will on anybody.
I would like ideally to impose on the society, to those who kill the unborn the same rules applied to the murderers. But I cannot. I can only pray, pray and pray.
And I can educate, educate and educate.
I cannot go over your letter point by point [I have no time because at my age of 71 I must make enough money to pay my health insurance with Blue Cross Blue Shield of NY of $1,340.00 a month that was $402.00 in the 2000.] However allow me to ask you this: "Where did you learn the social teaching of the Church?" Not at the school of an other my Archbishop, Cardinal Martini.
You write: “Third, in that category of prudential judgment, the Catholic Church does not teach that government should directly provide health care.” Fantastic, you know what, where is written that the Church teaches that the government has to take care of the education. You know what, your Excellency, why do not you start a campaign to close the American public schools?
Your reasoning is at the same level of Justice Scalia – a so called catholic – who in the Troy Davis case wrote: “This court has never held that the Constitution forbids, the execution of a convicted defendant who has had a full and fair trial but is later able to convince a habeas court that he is ‘actually’ innocent.”
I cannot believe it! My Catholic conscience cannot accept any idiotic [I should say criminal] reasoning that allows to KILL [to execute] an innocent person.
Finally, your Excellency, you are a public figure and therefore your behavior has to be public. In occasion of your next pastoral letter present your Health Care Insurance plan.
You have to show us what you get and what you pay. It is your duty!
The Catholics and the non Catholics need witnesses of the Love of our Lord through the factual behavior of our Bishops.
Look at the extraordinary message that Senator Edward Kennedy sent to us today.
The teaching of his life that was manifested at his funeral was more powerful than all the preaching of my very, very, very good priests of my Forest Hills, NY, parish. for the rest of my life.
Finally go to read the column of Nicholas Kristof, “Health Care Fit For Animals” on the New York Times of August 27 and ask Mr. Wendell Potter to come to Sioux City to explain how the PRIVATE HEALTH CARE INSURANCE works.
Best regards. Paolo Boselli
Abotion is the greatest evil of our times--Far more people have been killed than all the wars we know of. I find it very hard to believe President Obama re. the healthcare reform he is proposing. When it comes to abortion and euthanasia, etc., he asserts one thing and promotes the opposite. Yes, in a stroke of deceitful craftiness, there may be nothing explicitely said about abortion in the healthcare plan being proposed, but the door is wide open for anything the President and his allies want done. What else can we expect from someone who has surrounded himself with a cabinet and other top people in government who are strong advocates for abortion. The "proof is in the pudding" and it leaves a very bad taste in the mouth! We've already had more than enough of it in the executive decisions he has made in the last 8 months!
Bishop Nicless's comments on abortion are well-taken and providential. His comments on health care reform are prudential.
Medicare is govt-run socialized medicine that has existed since 1965. Eighty percent of the elderly are satisfied with it. As for how much Americans are taxed, that is simply a prudential issue. Compared to European nations, we are among the least-taxed people. Further, taxes would only be raised on upper income earners.
The Congressional Budget Office has said a public option will not drive private insurers out of business. But again, whether it does or not is a prudential issue. The United States is the only nation on earth that depends primarily on private insurers for health care. No other nation is like us. Does that mean that Ireland, Italy, Spain and other predominately Cattholic nations are not in line with Church teaching? I don't recall their bishops demanding they scrap their national health care systems and go for private insurers.
Two final points: It has become increasingly burdensome for private employers to provide health care for their workers and in a global economy, they are competing against companies whose workers receive govt-paid health care. If health care reform does not go through, employers are eventually going to either dramatically raise the premiums they charge workers or reduce the health insurance benefits they provide workers by forcing them into Consumer Driven Health Plans which have high deductibles and provide limited coverage when you are seriously ill.
Finally, Bishop William Murphy, Chair of the Domestic Council on Social Justice for the USCCB, has said, "Health care is not a privilege, but a basic human right."
Fianlly, Bishop William Murphy, Chair of the USCCB Domestic Council on Social Justice, has said "Health care is not a privilege, but a basic human right."
I wish we had a bishop like nickless in the state of washington.I think the catholics are missing being led by the church in the states on the west coast.Our bishop ask us catholics to pray for obama's health care, but never ask for any prayers for the end to the evil of killing of babies
Why isn't Cardinal Rigali's excellent writing, "Abortion is not Health Care" also on this site in headlines....it was fabulous... see www.archphila.org...thank you to all Bishops who have spoken out. We are blessed to have you all
Kim in Pa.
This great Bishop has explained the complex issue of health care better than anyone I've ever heard or read before now. I pray that those currently in power will have a change of heart, listen to him and take heed of his clearly stated moral advice.
Perfectly well said by Bishop Nickless. Pray for all those others who cannot see the truth in this matter. I wish more Bishops would have this kind of understanding and stand up and speak and provide this kind of guidance.
Satan never makes these things simple, or easy. Try to reform a dismal over priced health care system with runaway costs, and millions of unprotected people, and he deftly weaves abortion into the needed repairs. Throw out the new reforms to prevent more abortions, and you drop millions through the black hole again.
I read recently a quote from Padre Pio that great confessor and champion of The Lord. He said if we could see the demons present in our world, they number so many that they would blot out the sun. I guess they are simply everywhere waiting for us to invite them in. Padre Pio also referred to his Rosary, on his deathbed, as his 'weapon' . My fellow Catholics, please remember to wield that weapon against these dark forces, and we will all win in the end. Remember to invoke prayers to Saint Michael the Archangel, Saints Peter and Paul, as well as asking the Immacualte Heart of the Queen of Heaven and earth to light our way. We have many allies, and stand with the greatest power in the universe, we need to use it now like never before. And say a prayer of thanks daily for the God who loves us and gave us our guardian angels. Too often I have neglected to remember that constant companion.
May the peace of the Lord be with each of you.