Employees removed a crucifix in a room at the Catholic clinic Saint-Vincent de Paul in Bourgoin-Jallieu after the Muslim father of a patient demanded they do so before treating his daughter.
Marie-Therese Besson, manager of the clinic, says that people who choose to be treated at the clinic know that they are a Catholic establishment. It says so clearly at the entrance and the nurses wear a Catholic habit. She adds that there is a small crucifix in every room. In this incident the nurse did what was necessary to calm down the situation.
The Saint Vincent de Paul Bourgoin-Jallieu clinic is part of l’Alliance des maternités catholiques. Sister Marie-Mathieu, head of the board of directors for l’Alliance des maternités catholiques, says the issue will be brought up in the next meeting of the ethics committee. She say that they occasionally face such situations in their institutions, the last time being several months ago when a father broke a crucifix in a clinic in Aix-en-Provence and threw it in the trash. That incident was not tolerated.
The administration says that they regularly treat Muslim women and respect their wish to be veiled. Sister Marie-Mathieu says that such incidents go against the basic tenant of mutual respect.
Source: Le Dauphine Libre (French), see more at the Covenant Zone (English)
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Posted By Esther to Islam in Europe
