The Audacity of Clergy

An elderly relative of mine has been in the hospital and after missing church two Sundays in a row, the minister stopped by my home and inquired about the relative.  I explained that he is in the hospital, in isolation, due to his on-going compromised immune system that is currently battling three illnesses at once, including influenza and pneumonia. I explained that visitors were not allowed, that the patient could not reach the phone if called, and even I had not been in the room to visit.  A card would be much appreciated if the minister wished to express any get well wishes.  The minister said she would be at the hospital the next day and she would drop off a card at the nurses station.  Again, I reinterated that the doctors, patient, and family all did not want any visitors in the room, exposing the patient to additional germs that he cannot fight.

And so the "messenger of God", with higher authority than doctors, hospital, patient, and family, ignores all requests and barges right into the patient's room, personally hands him a card, and asks if it's ok to put him on the church prayer list. Apparently God is not understanding or courteous of others. Or perhaps the messenger simply wished to hasten the end of the patient's life so she could get paid for a funeral. The economy is bad, you know.

A number of years ago, a friend was in the hospital for the birth of a child.  She was surprised by the unannounced, uninvited visit by a priest, who walked right into her room with a NO VISITORS sign on the door while she was topless, hooked up to a breast pump.  Fortunately, my friend wasn't as kind as my elderly relative was to his minister, and she yelled some obscenities to that priest that I'm sure could be heard beyond the heavens.

Even when punched, these preachers don't seem to get the message that they are the ones who are to blame.