Brother René Stockman - CathNews New Zealand https://cathnews.co.nz Catholic News New Zealand Mon, 15 Oct 2018 07:59:08 +0000 en-NZ hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://cathnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-cathnewsfavicon-32x32.jpg Brother René Stockman - CathNews New Zealand https://cathnews.co.nz 32 32 70145804 Superior general sues brothers https://cathnews.co.nz/2018/10/15/brothers-charity-euthanasia-psychiatric/ Mon, 15 Oct 2018 07:05:24 +0000 https://cathnews.co.nz/?p=112900

The superior general of the Brothers of Charity order has sued two of its Belgian members for misuse of one million euros over the Belgian province's decision to allow euthanasia at its psychiatric hospitals there. The accused brothers have denied the order's charge that they misused the province's funds. They say the province had agreed Read more

Superior general sues brothers... Read more]]> The superior general of the Brothers of Charity order has sued two of its Belgian members for misuse of one million euros over the Belgian province's decision to allow euthanasia at its psychiatric hospitals there.

The accused brothers have denied the order's charge that they misused the province's funds.

They say the province had agreed to put the million euros into a private foundation to assure the means to care for their ageing congregation.

Stockman also told the accused brothers they would not be reappointed as heads of the Brothers of Charity's Belgian and European departments.

The order's Rome headquarters and its Belgian province has been struggling since last year when the province's directors said they would allow euthanasia in certain cases because patients asked for it.

Euthanasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002.

Stockman challenged the province to withdraw its decision or see its hospitals lose their Catholic standing.

But its mostly lay-member board of directors insisted its stand was compatible with Catholic teaching.

The Brothers of Charity has 12 psychiatric hospitals and offers a number of other services.

It is held to be an important element in the Belgian health system with influential lay supporters. It could continue operating the hospitals even if they lost their Catholic connection.

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Superior general sues brothers]]> 112900 Brothers of Charity promise not to support euthanasia https://cathnews.co.nz/2017/09/18/brothers-charity-euthanasia/ Mon, 18 Sep 2017 08:07:57 +0000 https://cathnews.co.nz/?p=99570

The Belgian Brothers of Charity are saying they may withdraw their sponsorship of 15 Belgian hospitals after the hospital board voted to ignore a Vatican demand not to perform euthanasia at their facilities. The head of the order, Brother René Stockman, says the Brothers would remain faithful to the Church's teaching, despite serious civil pressure Read more

Brothers of Charity promise not to support euthanasia... Read more]]> The Belgian Brothers of Charity are saying they may withdraw their sponsorship of 15 Belgian hospitals after the hospital board voted to ignore a Vatican demand not to perform euthanasia at their facilities.

The head of the order, Brother René Stockman, says the Brothers would remain faithful to the Church's teaching, despite serious civil pressure not to do so.

The Brothers' mission is to care for the poor, elderly, and those affected by psychiatric diseases. In Belgium, they sponsor 15 hospitals and care for about 5,000 patients.

Earlier this year the brothers' board of trustees decided to allow euthanasia in Belgian hospitals under certain circumstances. There are three Brothers on the board.

The board are complaining about the lack of dialogue and have stressed they will "continue with the request of establishing a dialogue," though they do not want to change their decision.

In the meantime, despite a clear ruling and messages from the Vatican that the practice of euthanasing patients must stop, the board has defied the directive.

Stockman says the Brothers might have to discontinue sponsoring hospitals if things do not change.

"The next step is a meeting with the authorities of the Vatican during the week of September 25. We will then make our decisions in accordance with the vision of the Vatican," Stockman says.

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Brothers of Charity promise not to support euthanasia]]> 99570