Woke persecution: Catholic nuns running a palliative care facility in New York face shutdown or jail for refusing to use the 'preferred pronouns' promoted by the LGBTQ+ community

Democratic wokism threatens the 125 yearsthat the Sisters of St. Rose of Lima of Hawthorne have beencaring for poor, terminally ill patients in New York. Their work and service seem to carry less weight in Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision-making than the fact that these Catholic nuns have refused to use patients’ preferred pronouns of patients, as well as to provide them with rooms that do not match their biological sex, offenses that could cost them heavy fines, jail time, and even the closure of their facility.

So far, the State of New York has sent at least three letters to the congregation demanding that the nuns implement the measures outlined in the state’s LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers’ Rights Actof 2023 at Rosary Hill Home, the small 42-bed facility they operate. Specifically, the nuns must:

• “Use the pronouns preferred by patients at all times.

• Allow access to restrooms based on gender identity.

• Stop assigning rooms based on biological sex.

• Provide staff with training on “cultural competence.”

Fines of up to $10,000, one year in prison, and even license revocation

Far from complying, the nuns—who face fines of up to $10,000, one year in prison, and even the revocation of their license—filed a lawsuit in court, arguing that complying with these regulations would constitute a violation of the Catholic faith.

According to Catholic doctrine, the biological reality of sex is part of God’s plan in the creation of every person. The sisters also emphasized respect for the dignity of every human being, and stated that they cannot endorse what they consider a contradictory ideology.

Support from the DOJ, which accuses New York of violating the 14th Amendment"

After filing the lawsuit, the Department of Justice (DOJ) expressed its support for the nuns and announced its intention to join the case. This was stated in a press release by Deputy Attorney General Harmeet K. Dillon, who noted that the state’s enforcement of the law “violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.”

“States must understand that they cannot require Americans to renounce their religious beliefs in the name of ‘woke’ gender ideology.”

Support on Social Media

In addition, social media has been flooded with posts in defense of the sisters and their work, highlighting that they have an impeccable record, with no administrative sanctions, and that no patient or family member has filed a complaint or report regarding the treatment they received.

Among those offering support is New York Representative Mike Lawler, who, in statements reported by the Post Millenial, noted: “I believe that, in the end, the sisters are going to win the case, probably in federal court... In this country, they do have religious freedom..."