The John-Henry Westen Show - Ontario Catholic hospital invokes Pope Francis to deny Catholic nurse religious exemption for COVID jab

00:00:00.000 Hello and welcome to this episode of the John Henry Weston Show.

00:00:03.300 You know, over the past two years, our first responders have been incredible.

00:00:07.460 They have gone right into the heart of what many consider grave danger

00:00:11.300 in sacrificing themselves to serve people who had come down with COVID

00:00:16.220 to go out to them to pick them up from hospital.

00:00:18.640 The nurses have especially been there to treat them while everyone was so, so scared.

00:00:25.320 These were the great frontline workers who were hailed,

00:00:29.160 who were celebrated, and all of a sudden the tide has turned

00:00:33.540 so that they are being cancelled, they are being fired,

00:00:36.140 they are being suspended without pay,

00:00:37.940 all because they refuse to take the COVID jab.

00:00:42.100 This jab, which is so harmful, which many have religious qualms with taking,

00:00:47.860 and yet hospitals, even Catholic hospitals, are refusing religious exemptions,

00:00:54.060 refusing health exemptions, refusing it all.

00:00:56.800 It is unbelievable.

00:00:58.020 We're going to talk with one of those heroes right now, so stay tuned.

00:01:02.300 This is the John Henry Weston Show.

00:01:22.800 Agnes Zabiga, welcome to the program.

00:01:25.120 Welcome, John Henry.

00:01:26.060 Let's begin, as we always do, with the sign of the cross.

00:01:29.400 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

00:01:33.540 Amen.

00:01:35.840 Agnes, thank you for being with us.

00:01:37.800 Thank you especially for what you're doing,

00:01:40.620 for both having worked the pandemic, as it's called,

00:01:46.000 and also standing up for freedom, standing up for your rights,

00:01:50.320 especially your rights as a Catholic, as someone who objects to the COVID abortion-tainted COVID jab.

00:01:58.760 Yes.

00:01:59.360 Well, thank you.

00:02:00.080 You've had support from your community.

00:02:03.960 Nearly a couple months ago now, there was already a demonstration.

00:02:07.660 There is a small town in the area where your hospital is,

00:02:13.080 Berries Bay, Ontario.

00:02:14.200 Probably about 1,500 people in the town, 150 people showed up for the demonstration.

00:02:21.920 It was absolutely unbelievable.

00:02:24.160 Here's some photos from that.

00:02:25.540 We have one of the organizers of it, a Gudrun Wagner,

00:02:29.120 explained that there were many of the nurses being fired, not fired, suspended without pay,

00:02:37.620 which is actually worse for them, because then they're unable to get even EI.

00:02:42.500 So if you can tell us a bit about your story, how this started for you, and where you're at now.

00:02:47.520 It came as a surprise to me, because I didn't think there was anything that was going to be organized.

00:02:51.840 And I came across Gudrun in the church parking lot, and she heard my story, and she said,

00:03:00.340 well, we have to do something, and we need to support all the nurses and all the healthcare workers.

00:03:06.480 And she just went to work.

00:03:08.840 She went to work.

00:03:09.600 She started to make signs.

00:03:11.260 She started to organize this.

00:03:13.640 And in no time, there was a date, and the protest was being organized.

00:03:18.880 So I did spread the news to my colleagues, and I was the only one who came.

00:03:24.940 And it felt a bit strange, but I thought that, no, this is the right thing to do,

00:03:32.800 and I'm not afraid to have my name out there,

00:03:36.680 because I knew there were going to be interviews from the local newspapers.

00:03:41.440 And obviously, my household would know this, but I was not afraid.

00:03:44.900 I knew what I was doing, and I felt strong about this.

00:03:49.520 So thank you, Gudrun.

00:03:51.520 Like, you did great, and you organized this, so this was a blessing.

00:03:56.700 And it was a relief, because to see people supporting us, it meant a lot.

00:04:03.580 It meant a lot that there are people in the community who are standing for our freedom,

00:04:10.520 freedom of choice, and they were providing that support, that community support.

00:04:18.540 It was a beautiful day.

00:04:19.520 The sun was shining, and it was a relief to me.

00:04:23.820 I felt good about doing this.

00:04:26.860 And obviously, my name was put in the paper,

00:04:28.720 so the hospital ended up having that paper everywhere,

00:04:32.900 and everybody read a lot of comments that I provided.

00:04:37.300 And it was interesting, because my last day was 31st of October, which was Halloween,

00:04:43.540 and that paper article actually was released that weekend.

00:04:47.660 So people were coming to me and saying,

00:04:49.600 well, I read the story in the paper, and I support you.

00:04:54.140 This is not a good thing what hospital is doing.

00:04:57.740 So nurses were actually very supportive,

00:05:01.320 and nobody gave me any negative comments in the hospital, which was good.

00:05:05.700 So I left on good terms.

00:05:07.760 And nurses who did take the vaccine, who obviously made their choice,

00:05:13.840 were actually expressing their thoughts about this,

00:05:17.560 that this was not a good thing, what hospital was doing,

00:05:20.120 that nobody thought it would come to it.

00:05:22.860 And I also spoke with some doctors, and they were surprised,

00:05:26.260 and they were really shocked that hospital would make that move.

00:05:30.500 If you don't mind backing up with us,

00:05:32.340 where did this start from you?

00:05:34.640 How, you know, what exactly happened step by step?

00:05:37.940 And, you know, when you came to it, what did you do?

00:05:41.560 If you could take us through, that would be awesome.

00:05:43.620 We heard about the vaccines early in the year.

00:05:46.380 So I think it must have been February,

00:05:49.420 because being a small community,

00:05:52.560 the vaccines were available to our patients.

00:05:57.040 We have a lot of seniors here,

00:05:58.820 but they were also provided to all the staff.

00:06:02.780 So they made them available very quickly to us.

00:06:05.460 So I knew from the beginning that I was not going to take this vaccine,

00:06:08.520 and the vaccine was not mandatory.

00:06:11.360 So I remember when we had a person from the hospital going around

00:06:15.440 to meet with everybody and put them on the list for the vaccination clinic,

00:06:19.780 and I said no.

00:06:21.140 And I remember she was saying,

00:06:22.400 yeah, that's okay, it's your choice.

00:06:23.860 And that was great.

00:06:27.060 But just backing up a little bit,

00:06:28.740 when I moved to this area and I got this job in the summer last year,

00:06:34.340 so 2020,

00:06:35.740 I remember at that point I just felt deep down

00:06:39.840 that I may not be able to get this job

00:06:42.220 if they mandate vaccination already in the contract, right?

00:06:46.840 So I already had that thought that what's going to happen?

00:06:49.500 And I remember there was a request for some other vaccinations

00:06:54.340 for the employment purposes.

00:06:57.480 So that was fine.

00:06:59.600 And I did not have all of them.

00:07:02.580 I don't take the flu shots.

00:07:03.760 So they did not really comment about that.

00:07:06.040 But I remember that was the first thought that came to my mind

00:07:08.280 that I may not be able to get this vaccine, right?

00:07:11.380 I mean, may not be able to get that job if I don't,

00:07:14.680 if they put something in the contract, which wasn't.

00:07:16.680 So that was great.

00:07:18.120 And then what happened later on,

00:07:20.020 they started to promote the vaccine.

00:07:24.040 So there were information put in our weekly communique,

00:07:29.400 which is information sent out to all of us.

00:07:34.740 So they were promoting the vaccine

00:07:36.440 and providing resources for us to have,

00:07:39.500 like how good is this vaccine?

00:07:41.160 And if you have any questions, this is where you go.

00:07:43.160 So this was a very gentle approach

00:07:46.280 until there was a more forceful approach

00:07:49.880 when the policy came out with the Directive 6

00:07:52.680 and the hospital was then standing strong

00:07:55.800 that this is going to be mandated.

00:07:58.420 So it's going to be, it was a Directive 6,

00:08:02.380 but then it created a mandatory vaccination for our hospital.

00:08:07.760 And then we started to be given dates, right?

00:08:09.860 So then the first, most important date was October 31st.

00:08:14.920 So by October 31st, if we were not vaccinated

00:08:18.360 without this first shot,

00:08:20.160 and then we would not be able to continue.

00:08:24.840 And initially, we were people who were not vaccinated

00:08:30.440 were required to take testing,

00:08:34.420 but their names were not revealed to the management.

00:08:37.500 So we were just going through Occupational Health and Safety Office

00:08:42.020 and we were being tested weekly.

00:08:45.300 And every week we were being given more information

00:08:49.680 what's going to happen next.

00:08:51.400 They gave you an opportunity to submit a religious exemption,

00:08:55.900 did they not?

00:08:56.640 Well, when the policy came out,

00:08:58.700 one of the, so the first requirement was that you needed to have,

00:09:02.220 you needed to be fully vaccinated.

00:09:03.900 Then the second possibility was medical exemption.

00:09:08.980 And the third was exemption based on the Ontario Human Rights Code.

00:09:14.160 Right.

00:09:14.360 And it was very vague how it was written.

00:09:16.680 So I wasn't quite sure.

00:09:18.200 So when I finally revealed my situation and spoke with my manager,

00:09:23.540 she was very, very good.

00:09:24.960 And she provided me with some information.

00:09:27.840 So at that point,

00:09:29.180 I really didn't think this was going to be a problem.

00:09:31.340 I thought, well, the hospital is doing the right thing.

00:09:34.260 They have this policy.

00:09:35.800 Most people are vaccinated.

00:09:38.320 So they're not going to have a problem.

00:09:40.440 And if people have medical exemptions,

00:09:43.360 if they have need for that,

00:09:44.660 and if they have need for religious exemption,

00:09:47.080 that's going to be fine.

00:09:48.780 So I wrote them a very short letter initially,

00:09:52.900 really did not think,

00:09:53.900 I did not think much that it was going to be important for me to reveal all

00:09:59.100 the,

00:10:00.000 all my thoughts and to receive this exemption.

00:10:04.520 So I,

00:10:05.420 it was a very short letter.

00:10:06.320 I sent a letter and I got a reply from my manager that this went to COO of

00:10:12.240 the hospital as he's going to be acting as a human resource person.

00:10:16.620 And I'm going to hear from him.

00:10:18.700 So I was called in to a meeting and in the meeting,

00:10:21.920 they were giving me a projection of this.

00:10:24.800 They said that,

00:10:25.520 no,

00:10:25.780 I need to be vaccinated.

00:10:27.160 This is,

00:10:28.100 this is not enough.

00:10:28.920 And I was asking for exemption,

00:10:32.280 religious exemption based on my Catholic religion.

00:10:35.460 Right.

00:10:35.740 So at a Catholic hospital,

00:10:37.620 at a Catholic hospital.

00:10:38.760 And they had arguments.

00:10:40.340 They had obviously arguments against it.

00:10:44.880 So,

00:10:45.540 and the biggest argument was that Pope Francis was in a way promoting it.

00:10:51.280 Right.

00:10:51.540 And saying that it was safe for us to take it.

00:10:53.480 So this was the biggest argument.

00:10:55.160 And the first letter I sent,

00:10:56.680 I did submit a comment from our,

00:10:59.180 our Bishop,

00:11:00.140 our local Bush Bishop.

00:11:02.320 And it is really protection of conscience.

00:11:04.760 It's our individual decision.

00:11:06.440 And again,

00:11:09.320 that was not respected.

00:11:11.460 So to take it further,

00:11:12.920 I,

00:11:13.300 I put an appeal and that was a four page letter at that point,

00:11:17.140 instead of a half a page letter.

00:11:18.800 And I explained things in details and,

00:11:22.800 and it was well-written.

00:11:24.580 I had some help with that letter.

00:11:26.500 So I thought with that letter,

00:11:28.740 it's going to be fine.

00:11:29.620 I submitted a certificate from Bishop Schneider.

00:11:32.860 And I thought,

00:11:35.680 well,

00:11:35.900 they wanted some evidence.

00:11:38.220 So now I'm providing some evidence.

00:11:40.760 So they should respect it.

00:11:42.740 And again,

00:11:43.600 that was denied very quickly.

00:11:45.500 So there's a couple of items here that we need to unpack.

00:11:48.840 One,

00:11:49.880 who is the COO who's making these decisions?

00:11:53.560 So that's Mr.

00:11:54.740 Greg McLeod.

00:11:55.920 Is he the one who's bringing up or who's bringing up the Pope Francis angle on,

00:12:00.480 on all of this?

00:12:01.160 That's that's yes.

00:12:02.980 That's him.

00:12:03.800 It's a small hospital.

00:12:04.820 So people are wearing several hats,

00:12:07.580 right?

00:12:07.900 And those positions.

00:12:09.080 So he one making decisions.

00:12:10.580 And obviously he's,

00:12:11.520 he's actions from the CEO.

00:12:14.680 It's absolutely unbelievable that people think to arbitrate.

00:12:18.560 What is your Catholic faith?

00:12:21.220 We know that there is great consternation in the Catholic church about this.

00:12:25.600 The Pope might be promoting it,

00:12:27.180 but the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith has come out with a document,

00:12:31.620 yes,

00:12:31.920 saying that it is morally licit.

00:12:34.560 They believe that's being contended with by many,

00:12:37.720 many,

00:12:38.000 especially Bishop Schneider,

00:12:39.240 but also in the same letter from the Vatican,

00:12:42.000 which is the official letter from the Vatican,

00:12:43.620 they say that it should not be mandated.

00:12:46.960 So here is,

00:12:48.100 here is someone who is fighting with you over your Catholicism,

00:12:51.780 denying,

00:12:52.480 you know,

00:12:53.540 your,

00:12:54.000 your faith and saying that this is what the Pope has said when they have

00:12:58.080 absolutely no clue that the Vatican itself has said that they are not to be

00:13:01.880 mandated.

00:13:03.200 Nonetheless,

00:13:03.780 Greg McLeod should be hearing from people because he has chosen to take it

00:13:08.180 upon himself to arbitrate your faith.

00:13:10.880 Also wanted to get into this letter from Bishop Schneider.

00:13:14.220 Bishop Schneider has probably most of,

00:13:16.500 you know,

00:13:17.180 is been very vocal in terms of opposing this vaccine for its abortion tainted

00:13:22.840 nature.

00:13:23.440 We know that the vaccine has employed the use of aborted fetal cell lines that

00:13:30.200 basically took from aborted babies,

00:13:33.180 a cell line.

00:13:34.120 We also know that that has to be extracted from organs.

00:13:36.680 The children who are aborted have to be over around three months of age,

00:13:40.400 at least in order to have organs already three months gestation.

00:13:45.480 And then those have to be extracted in a way that doesn't allow for miscarriage

00:13:48.880 or anything like that.

00:13:49.980 So it's a horrific thing that's gone on.

00:13:52.980 It's deplorable from anyone's perspective.

00:13:55.340 And then the argument comes whether it should be accepted or not.

00:13:58.840 You appealed to Bishop Schneider because you're part of his association of the faithful.

00:14:05.080 And therefore he writes in as your bishop or your own bishop,

00:14:09.680 as you explained,

00:14:10.780 is also supportive of freedom of conscience on the issue.

00:14:14.800 And yet here's a Catholic hospital denying you that.

00:14:17.820 It's really unbelievable.

00:14:20.860 Where are you right now in terms of your job with the hospital,

00:14:26.420 in terms of your ability to collect unemployment insurance or anything like that?

00:14:31.260 It's unpaid administrative leave,

00:14:33.540 which has been extended till the end of the year.

00:14:36.020 So 31st of December.

00:14:37.280 I don't know where things are going to be past December 31st.

00:14:43.560 I have been contacted by my union reps.

00:14:46.200 So I know the grievances have been done through the union,

00:14:51.980 through ONN.

00:14:53.260 And they did a group grievance for all the seven nurses

00:14:58.160 who are in the same situation as I am.

00:15:00.740 Actually not seven,

00:15:01.740 because some of them are RP and some are RN.

00:15:04.360 So I think there's like majority is RNs.

00:15:07.960 So that would be ONN,

00:15:08.900 Ontario Nurses Association.

00:15:10.960 And they have also done a personal individual grievance for me

00:15:16.100 because of that religious exemption being denied.

00:15:20.240 So I know that's done.

00:15:22.640 ONN was supporting me.

00:15:24.340 In terms of unemployment,

00:15:25.580 I haven't applied for.

00:15:27.280 I don't know if I'm even,

00:15:29.320 if I would even qualify,

00:15:31.120 maybe,

00:15:31.480 but I have been actually doing some private assignments.

00:15:36.400 So I am working.

00:15:39.220 I'm doing some volunteer work and I'm working.

00:15:41.240 So I haven't looked into unemployment.

00:15:43.360 Yeah.

00:15:43.480 You're working privately,

00:15:44.560 totally outside the hospital.

00:15:45.820 It's interesting because so many of the people in your situation

00:15:49.800 are faced with a similar thing.

00:15:51.080 They're unable to apply for unemployment insurance

00:15:54.160 because officially you're still employed.

00:15:55.620 still employed,

00:15:57.680 but employed and given a suspension without pay.

00:16:03.900 So it is unbelievable.

00:16:05.720 It's some,

00:16:06.280 in some ways,

00:16:06.900 in that way,

00:16:07.340 at least it's worse than being fired.

00:16:09.460 And yet this is going on everywhere.

00:16:11.540 For months now,

00:16:12.700 you've been denied pay.

00:16:14.460 Thanks be to God,

00:16:15.400 you have some private work that you can do.

00:16:18.640 But this is a,

00:16:20.080 this is a real trial for so many people in your same situation.

00:16:24.940 What are your thoughts in terms of what you did?

00:16:28.640 Would you do it again?

00:16:30.240 You know,

00:16:30.860 if you knew the consequences and what's your message to nurses and other

00:16:35.580 healthcare professionals who are facing the same thing?

00:16:38.040 Absolutely.

00:16:38.620 I would do it again.

00:16:40.020 There's no other way.

00:16:41.680 You have to,

00:16:42.980 one has to be true to themselves,

00:16:44.840 right?

00:16:45.080 So I,

00:16:45.720 I knew from the very beginning that I was not going to,

00:16:49.000 to take these,

00:16:50.260 these vaccines.

00:16:51.700 Well,

00:16:51.760 not vaccines,

00:16:52.480 not those injections.

00:16:53.960 And I've been watching it very closely and I have,

00:16:57.620 I have made an informed decision when it comes to medical treatment,

00:17:01.940 because it is a medical treatment,

00:17:03.440 but obviously the priority,

00:17:06.540 like the most of all,

00:17:07.980 it was the religious exemption,

00:17:10.920 the religious argument that was the strongest for me.

00:17:14.400 We'll see what happens.

00:17:16.100 I mean,

00:17:16.320 I'm,

00:17:16.680 I'm sad that in a hospital setting,

00:17:20.260 in a medical setting,

00:17:21.180 we are not providing people with this,

00:17:23.860 this choice.

00:17:25.300 We have been always preaching it,

00:17:26.860 right?

00:17:27.020 Like freedom of choice,

00:17:28.740 patient's decision.

00:17:29.780 We've been advocating for that.

00:17:31.360 We've been respecting economy.

00:17:33.040 And here we are completely denying this to healthcare workers who are healthy.

00:17:40.960 Like we are healthy people provide,

00:17:43.260 like we've been working through this pandemic,

00:17:45.160 right?

00:17:45.660 And I don't even know any,

00:17:47.840 any coworkers here or in the previous town I've worked in that have been

00:17:53.340 actually sick with COVID and they have any complications with COVID.

00:17:56.480 So we've been definitely strong.

00:17:58.220 We've been holding strong and unable to keep going,

00:18:01.720 right?

00:18:02.280 So no,

00:18:02.620 I would definitely do it again,

00:18:04.260 John Henry.

00:18:05.100 And I,

00:18:06.380 I think people need to,

00:18:07.760 like,

00:18:08.000 I feel for those who have been pressured and who've been actually going to get

00:18:12.260 these jobs and crime while getting them because they felt they had no

00:18:16.540 choice,

00:18:17.240 right?

00:18:17.600 They,

00:18:17.920 they wanted to keep their job and they had no choice.

00:18:20.860 So they had to take something that was against their will.

00:18:24.480 And we have that legally in Canada.

00:18:26.340 It's informed consent.

00:18:27.260 You can't be cajoled into something.

00:18:28.760 So it's actually illegal for healthcare workers to administer such things.

00:18:33.040 If they're being,

00:18:34.100 you know,

00:18:34.560 the so-called consent has come under duress,

00:18:36.780 which is no consent at all.

00:18:38.740 It's an unbelievable situation.

00:18:40.460 Agnes,

00:18:40.740 I want to,

00:18:41.120 I want to thank you for standing strong.

00:18:43.060 I think your story is going to resonate with many people and,

00:18:46.000 and God willing,

00:18:46.720 change some hearts and minds.

00:18:47.760 I'm going to encourage people to,

00:18:49.980 reach out to your administrators.

00:18:53.700 This Greg McLeod,

00:18:54.680 the CEO of St.

00:18:56.260 Francis Hospital in Berries Bay,

00:18:57.580 Ontario needs to hear your voice,

00:19:00.460 needs to hear those.

00:19:01.920 You're going to find a contact information for him in the comment section

00:19:06.300 below this video and at my blog post on this at lifesitenews.com.

00:19:10.240 Encourage you all to do that.

00:19:11.440 Agnes,

00:19:11.800 thank you again so much and God bless you.

00:19:13.940 Thank you.

00:19:14.740 God bless you too.

00:19:15.880 And God bless you all.

00:19:16.820 We'll see you next time on the John Henry Weston show.

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The John-Henry Westen Show - December 15, 2021

Ontario Catholic hospital invokes Pope Francis to deny Catholic nurse religious exemption for COVID jab

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