Springfield bishop objects to hospital's same-sex benefits

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau has expressed deep concern at the decision of a Catholic-based hospital group to extend benefits to same-sex spouses of employees.

The Mercy Health System, which has about 9,000 employees in Springfield, said last week that it plans to offer benefits to legally married same-sex spouses beginning this spring. The benefits will not be extended to domestic partners.

The hospital said it made the decision because of recent changes in government regulations for same-sex couples, The Springfield News-Leader reported.

"Mercy has followed the Church's position on this issue in the past," Mercy Springfield spokeswoman Sonya Kullmann said in a statement last week, "However, in line with recent changes in government regulations, we will extend benefits to all legally married spouses effective this spring."

Bishop James V. Johnston said Catholics should reject the view that "marriage is whatever the government says it is."

"God's plan for marriage is not a matter of 'the Church's position,' as Mercy characterized it, but rather, one of God's own Word," Johnston said in a statement.

"No believing Christian worthy of the name should violate God's law because of 'regulations.' Our ancestors refused to abandon the faith even when subjected to the cruelty and torture of the Roman Empire, but in our age unspecified 'regulations,' government funds, and fear of public ridicule is sufficient in order to secure the compliance of some," he said.

The not-for-profit Mercy Health System has more than 40,000 employees at hospitals in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma and outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

Springfield-based CoxHealth, which is not affiliated with the Catholic Church, also recently said it would extend the same benefits to legally married same-sex spouses.

In Missouri, same-sex couples can only marry in the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County and Jackson County, which includes Kansas City.

Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com