Discrimination in Palermo hospital

"It is not lawful for a hospital to deny the visit of a pastor and to put unjustifiable obstacles in front of the right expressly recognized in a law of the State, especially in dealing with a delicate matter such as that of religious freedom", stated a letter of the Moderator of the Tavola Valdese, Pastor Maria Bonafede, to the General Director of the Hospital Cervello of Palermo, Dr. Francesco Falgares, after the Traumatology Department of that same hospital denied access to Pastor Elisabetta Ribet who went there to give spiritual assistance to a member of her community.
"This is true discrimination – declared Pastor Ribet. - They did not let me into the hospital room because it was past visiting hours. I showed them my document certifying my role as pastor even to the head of the department, but none of my explainations availed and the doctor threw me out. This was an outright violation of the principle of religious pluralism in this country".

The right of a patient to receive spiritual assistance by his or her pastor is sanctioned by law, in the Formal Agreement (Intese) between the Tavola Valdese and the Italian State, and precisely Art. 6 of the Law 449/1984 that says: "spiritual assistance for those recovered... in hospitals, in health care centers or rest homes, is assured through ministers enrolled in the list held by the Tavola Valdese. The access of such ministers to these institutions is for such purposes free and without limit to hours...". This was noted in her letter to Dr. Falgares by Pastor Bonafede, with the hope that all those working in the hospital, including department heads, be informed of such dispositions of the law.

From press service NEV - Notizie evangeliche, 30 November 2008