Brief Update: Regime Backs Off Playing With Fire

Yesterday I wrote about the case of St. Mary’s hospital in Tulsa—the regime was trying to force them to remove a sanctuary candle from its chapel. It was a patently Catholic-hate ploy. They tried to mask it by claiming it was a fire hazard, leaving the candle unattended. The lawyer for the hospital pointed out that pilot lights are, yes, usually left unattended. The regime has quickly backed down from its no-brainer unconstitutional attempt to get away with religious hate, and the lawyer had a bit of fun:

Biden admin backs down in battle over Catholic hospital's chapel candle

'The government knew it was playing with fire,' lawyer involved in the case says

The Biden administration is rescinding its threat to strip a Catholic hospital system in Oklahoma of federal accreditation if it didn't remove a sacred candle in a hospital chapel.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) informed Saint Francis Health System on Friday that it was backing down from its prior threats and that it was free to keep the sanctuary candle lit, according to The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a law firm representing the hospital system.

"The government has seen the light and has abandoned its attempt to force an Oklahoma hospital to blow out a small candle or stop serving elderly, disabled and low-income patients," said Lori Windham, a vice president and senior counsel at Becket. "[HHS] has told Saint Francis that it can keep its living flame — a sacred candle housed in the hospital chapels."

"The government knew it was playing with fire — today it announced its decision to allow the living flame so Saint Francis can continue to serve God and its community, as it always has," Windham added. [sanctuary candle to right in photo]

…