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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Is a Shriner Hospital off-limits to Catholics?	Kathleen	Saturday, July 17, 2010
Question: My 9 year old daughter has an issue with her ankle that has reached "critical mass" but has yet to be diagnosed or effectively treated. She has been using crutches for over a month. The problem began on May 31st of this year. She has severe pain and swelling. An MRI and x-ray have not showed any problems. Her pediatrition has sent her to physical thereapy and a podiatrist, with no resulting progress. To complicate matters, she has leg length descrepancy and some mild scoliosis becasue of it. The pediatrition wants her to go to Shriners Hospital where they have a good orthopedic center for children. Her concern is that our insurance will not pay for additional testing, and she has not had favorable results from our local orthopedic doctors. Because money is an issue, Shriners would be a good choice because they will not charge us. My question is this: As a Catholic family, can we go to a Shriners Hospital knowing what we know about Masons? Thank you in advance for your help and God Bless your ministry.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Kathleen: There is no moral dilemma in accepting medical care from the Shriners Hospital. We can accept help from anyone. The Bible tells us that all goodness comes from God (Mark 10:18) and not from us (Romans 3:12). Any good that we do, even from a person who hates God, comes from God. Benevolence, charity, good deeds are all created by God. 1 Timothy 4:4-5 tells us, "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving; for then it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer." We can accept God's goodness no matter who it comes from, and in fact, by our doing so, we consecrate that goodness by the word of God and prayer for the greater glory of God, as God is glorified whenever goodness is performed. By this we honor God, not the person or organization. Thus, even though the Masons and the Shriners are evil organizations, the good they do does not come from them and their errant views, but comes from God. Thus, we can accept that goodness since it is coming from God. Accepting their generosity does not support the Shriners or Masonic organizations. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Is a Shriner Hospital off-limits to Catholics?

Kathleen

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Question:

My 9 year old daughter has an issue with her ankle that has reached "critical mass" but has yet to be diagnosed or effectively treated. She has been using crutches for over a month. The problem began on May 31st of this year. She has severe pain and swelling. An MRI and x-ray have not showed any problems. Her pediatrition has sent her to physical thereapy and a podiatrist, with no resulting progress. To complicate matters, she has leg length descrepancy and some mild scoliosis becasue of it.

The pediatrition wants her to go to Shriners Hospital where they have a good orthopedic center for children. Her concern is that our insurance will not pay for additional testing, and she has not had favorable results from our local orthopedic doctors. Because money is an issue, Shriners would be a good choice because they will not charge us.

My question is this: As a Catholic family, can we go to a Shriners Hospital knowing what we know about Masons?

Thank you in advance for your help and God Bless your ministry.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Kathleen:

There is no moral dilemma in accepting medical care from the Shriners Hospital. We can accept help from anyone. The Bible tells us that all goodness comes from God (Mark 10:18) and not from us (Romans 3:12).

Any good that we do, even from a person who hates God, comes from God. Benevolence, charity, good deeds are all created by God. 1 Timothy 4:4-5 tells us, "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving; for then it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."

We can accept God's goodness no matter who it comes from, and in fact, by our doing so, we consecrate that goodness by the word of God and prayer for the greater glory of God, as God is glorified whenever goodness is performed. By this we honor God, not the person or organization.

Thus, even though the Masons and the Shriners are evil organizations, the good they do does not come from them and their errant views, but comes from God. Thus, we can accept that goodness since it is coming from God.

Accepting their generosity does not support the Shriners or Masonic organizations.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum