National Cathedral Dean: Root of VA Scandal is Our Own Lack of Engagement

This Memorial Day weekend is a time for reflection and on Sunday, the Very Rev. Gary Hall, dean of Washington National Cathedral, will deliver a sermon honoring the members of the military who died for the country.

He also plans, according to the Cathedral, to address the Veterans Affairs scandal. The wrongdoing centers on America's veterans who are dying while waiting for care, allegations of secret waiting lists for treatment and charges of a coverup, according to news reports.

In a news release issued Friday, the Cathedral released a preview of the Very Rev. Hall's remarks:

"We do not confuse Memorial Day with Veterans’ Day, but sometimes the best way for us to honor the dead is to care for the living," Hall is expected to say. 

“If we really value the sacrifice of those who died in service of our country, we will do all we can to make sure that their fellow soldiers and sailors are adequately cared for and empowered to live full and fulfilling lives,” he will say, according to the news release.

“It is hard for me to pile on to the VA or its leadership because the primary problem is really my own lack of engagement. And while that may be excusable for me as a citizen, it is not excusable for me as a Christian,” Hall is expected to say on Sunday.

Reflecting on the teachings of Jesus, he will challenge the congregation, saying: “[Our fallen soldiers] gave everything. We owe them no less.” He will preach at the 9 and 11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist services, Sunday, May 25 at the Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave., NW. in DC.

Do you agree with the Very Rev. Hall — is the primary problem of veterans being treated poorly due to the public's lack of engagement?