SW News: The US federal government is being criticized for warning a Catholic hospital that it would lose its accreditation if it fails to extinguish the candle that continuously burns in the sanctuary of the chapel near the Blessed Sacrament.

During an inspection at the St Francis South Hospital in Oklahoma conducted by the Joint Commission to ascertain if the mandates of Medicare and Medicaid are met, the Joint Commission found a candle burning in the chapel near the Blessed Sacrament. The surveyor pointed out that it was a fire safety hazard. If the hospital fails to extinguish it, it risks losing its ability to accept patients under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

The surveyor found that the burning candle in the chapel did not meet the standards for candles which have to be “placed in a substantial candle holder and supervised at all times they are lit.” The St Francis Health System in Oklahoma took up the matter with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
In a May 2 letter addressed to the US Department of Health and Human Services and other associated agencies, the Becket Fund said that the St Francis Health System keeps a candle lit in all chapels as per the mandates of the Catholic faith. In the letter, it stated that the flame stands for the presence of Jesus Christ and that the Roman Catholic Code of Canon Law stipulates that a special lamp must shine at all times wherever the Blessed Sacrament is kept.

The law firm said in the letter how the candle has been burning for 15 years in the chapel without any hazards and it regularly passes reviews by the fire marshal of the area. It also included a photograph of the candle set inside two glass globes having a bronze lid on top. The firm also explained that the chapel was equipped with several sprinkler heads on the ceiling.

According to Lori Windham, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, “The government’s demand is absurd and unlawful — it is targeting Saint Francis’ sincere beliefs without any good reason. The government has a simple choice: either stop this attack on Saint Francis’ faith or expect a legal firestorm.”