The NCBC Joins the Official Pennsylvania Coalition to Stop Doctor-Prescribed Suicide

We, The National Catholic Bioethics Center, have joined the Pennsylvania Coalition to Stop Doctor-Prescribed Suicide. The Coalition, which is an alliance of disability rights, healthcare, civil rights, faith-based, and patient advocacy organizations, is dedicated to preventing legalization of Doctor-Prescribed Suicide in the state of Pennsylvania. This legislative year alone, 16 states and the District of Columbia have introduced proposals to legalize Doctor-Prescribed Suicide. Fortunately, these initiatives have failed in six states so far this legislative year. The misinformation, however, continues to flow into the media about why persons “need” this option. The data support that the reasons for requesting Doctor-Prescribed Suicide have more to do with fear of loss of autonomy, enjoyment in activities of living, and dignity (which a person should never be made to feel, no matter how dependent on others) than the false representations presented by advocates of Doctor-Prescribed Suicide. In fact...


Read the rest of the NCBC story, HERE.

WATCH: Father Tad Pacholczyk Live TV Interview -- March for Life Special

NCBC Ethicist and Director of Education, Father Tad Pacholczyk, made a special appearance on the annual March for Life Episode of EWTN's The World Over with Raymond Arroyo. Father Tad spoke at length with Raymond about abortion and also covered other topics in bioethics including the importance of well-ordered human sexuality, surrogacy, and even the Pope's 'rabbit' comments!

Be sure to watch the video of the live interview, HERE

The NCBC Supports: The Little Sisters of the Poor and Others Challenging Violations of their Conscience Rights

The National Catholic Bioethics Center has again been a signatory to several amicus briefs of late in support of sound and life giving health care policies: 

 The NCBC supports the state of Iowa and the Ruling of its Board of Medicine to protect women from abortions via telemedicine. Planned Parenthood has challenge these safety requirements and the case is before the Iowa Supreme Court. Dr. Marie Hilliard, is Director of Bioethics and Public Policy for The National Catholic Bioethics Center, where she files briefs such as the brief for Iowa (NCBC named on page 4) and she helps the Center fulfill its critical role in defending the human person and supporting the common good. 
(For more details on this issue, see: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2014/09/16/planned-parenthood-of-the-heartland-iowa-supreme-court-telemedicine-abortion/15726317/.)


The NCBC has also firmly supported the Little Sisters of the Poor in their Fight for Religious Freedom, which is being Violated by the HHS Contraceptive Mandate. On Monday December 8th, 2014, the Little Sisters of the Poor will have their day in court before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Contraceptive Mandate, is requiring virtually all employers, regardless of their opposition on grounds of conscience, to provide to their employees through their benefit plans coverage of contraceptive drugs and devices, including abortifacients, as well as surgical sterilizations. The Little Sisters present perhaps the best and clearest example of a religious organization that is faced with an existential threat by the HHS Contraceptive Mandate 

(see: http://blog.archny.org/steppingout/?p=3076 ).

A victory by the Little Sisters will send a clear message to the U.S. Supreme Court, and will increase the chances that other religious non-profits will be protected from the ruinous fines that would be imposed under the Mandate. A defeat could subject the Little Sisters to as much as $50 million in fines for following their conscience -- that would force them out of their significant ministry to the elderly and infirm, and also send an ominous message about the future of religious freedom in America. Please continue to hold the Little Sisters and their attorneys in your prayers.

The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) continues to support organizations and their rights to religious freedom which are continuously violated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Contraceptive Mandate. The NCBC joins other organizations committed to the protection of Religious Freedom in signing onto the following amicus briefs, in support of those employers who are legally challenging the violations of their conscience rights: 

• Dordt College and Cornerstone University (UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT, DORDT COLLEGE and CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY, v. SYLVIA M. BURWELL)
  
• The Archdiocese of St. Louis (UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT, ARCHDIOCESE OF ST. LOUIS and CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF ST. LOUIS. v. SYLVIA M. BURWELL)
  
• East Texas Baptist University and Westminster Theological Seminary (UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY; HOUSTON BAPTIST UNIVERSITY, WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, v. SYLVIA MATTHEWS BURWELL).

These briefs represent a total of seventeen amicus briefs filed by the NCBC in support of religious freedom being violated by the HHS Contraceptive Mandate.

Dr. Haas Reports from Rome -- Day 3 of the Colloquium

The President of The National Catholic Bioethics Center, Dr. John Haas, is in Rome this week to attend an international colloquium on the Complementarity of Man and Woman organized by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and co-sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Family, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.

Dr. Haas will also be attending the annual assembly of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care for Healthcare Workers, for which he serves as a Consultor. 

Dr. Haas is providing daily reports of the proceedings of both those meetings for the benefit of those who are visitors to our website and social media sites. We will provide regular updates to you here on the Blog this week!

Click here to read about day 1 of the Humanum Colloquium.

Click here to read about Day 2 of the Humanum Colloquium

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The third day of the conference was a radical shift from the two previous days.  There were no papers in the morning.  Instead there was the Wednesday audience with Pope Francis for participants in the colloquium – and a few hundred other people.  It was a beautiful, clear day with a bright blue sky.  The participants in the conference were taken as a group and placed in chairs near the Pope.  Francis lived up to his image of being outgoing and freewheeling with the crowd, taking one baby after another in his arms and kissing them.  I asked a Swiss Guard if his job were more demanding now with this Pope, and he responded diplomatically, “It is certainly more interesting!”

A Swiss Guard checking credentials

Spotted at the Colloquium: The Honorable Mary Ann Glendon,
Professor of Law and former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See

Also spotted: Dr. John Garvey, President of Catholic University

Dr. Haas got to meet the new Archbishop of Sydney,
His Excellency Anthony Fisher, OP, at the Colloquium.

Father Scott Borgman (driving) was kind enough to take Dr. Haas to one of his appointments!

At 12:15, as others were heading to lunch, I reported to the Swiss Guards at St. Anne’s Gate of the Vatican to keep an appointment with my mentor, Pope Emeritus Benedict!  The Swiss Guards checked  my passport and then had a driver take me up to the convent in the Vatican Gardens which had been renovated to accommodate the Pope Emeritus.  We were first taken to a sitting room and offered a seat.  Shortly a religious sister came in and visited with me, asking me how I knew the Holy Father.  She said that Pope Emeritus would see me for 10 or 15 minutes.  

After a short time I was taken in an elevator to his apartments.  As I came in, he entered through a door across the room, walking slowly but steadily.  It was a great joy to see him again.  He sat on a couch in the room and I sat in a chair beside it.  He was very alert.  He asked about the work of the NCBC and even remembered projects with which we had collaborated.  He remembered having twice addressed the Bishops’ Workshops which are organized every other year by the NCBC and underwritten by the Knights of Columbus.  I showed him the material we had prepared for the next Workshop planned for February 2015, and he seemed most interested.  He has a remarkable memory.

He asked me about the HUMANUM conference I was attending and so was quite aware of what was going on.  He said it would have been inconceivable thirty years ago that there would be the need to defend marriage against the assaults of something such as same-sex marriage.  He said the current situation was a result of the collapse of Christian culture.   He spoke of the beauty of Catholic folk customs, so dear to him in Bavaria, which helped to nurture sound family life.  Indeed, he said it was important to nurture such customs in our day lest they die out.  We visited for about 40 minutes after which he gave me a commemorative medal and a holy card.  The convent sits on a hill above the dome of St. Peter’s.  The walk down the hill provided stunning views of the basilica – and the opportunity to reflect on the significant contributions Benedict XVI made to Catholic thought and practice.    

Dr. Haas and His Holiness Benedict, Pope Emeritus

The View of Saint Peter's Basilica from the residence of the Pope Emeritus

After lunch with some friends I headed back for the conclusion of the Humanum conference.

Passing Saint Peter's on the way to lunch

 Archbishop Luis Ladaria, SJ, Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, chaired the afternoon session.  The Archbishop made it clear that marriage of a man and a woman is a natural institution for which there is no substitute.  In the Church this natural institution becomes a supernatural, sacramental reality.  Archbishop Charles Chaput spoke with his customary clarity on the nature of marriage and the plans of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families.  As a conclusion to the colloquium, the Pentecostal minister Dr. Rivers and his wife Mrs. Jacqueline Cooke-Rivers delivered a rousing “Affirmation of Marriage”, taking turns in making declarations on the beauty of marriage and the unique and essential contribution it makes to society.    There was tremendous enthusiasm on the part of participants as the program concluded with renewed commitment to work in defense of marriage.

***

Check the NCBC Blog this week, and keep your eyes on our Facebook or Twitter accounts for notices of new posts. You won't want to miss these glimpses into the daily life of the Church in service to the world!

COMING NEXT WEEK: NCBC President Reporting From Rome

The President of The National Catholic Bioethics Center, Dr. John Haas, will be travelling to Rome next week to attend an international colloquium on the Complementarity of Man and Woman organized by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and co-sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Family, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.

NCBC President, Dr. John Haas

Later in the week, Dr. Haas will be attending the annual assembly of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care for Healthcare Workers, for which he serves as a Consultor. The Council is headed by Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski who will direct the presentations on The Person with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Animating Hope. Dr. Haas intends to provide daily reports of the proceedings of both those meetings for the benefit of those who are visitors to our website. The reports will allow our readers to be eye-witnesses to the efforts of the Church in the defense and strengthening of marriage and in service to the sick and suffering through her healthcare ministries throughout the world. We will provide regular updates to you here on the Blog next week!


So please, check the NCBC Blog next week, and keep your eyes on our Facebook or Twitter accounts for notices of new posts. You won't want to miss these glimpses into the daily life of the Church in service to the world.

BREAKING -- NCBC Gives Official Comment on Physician Assisted Suicide in Light of The Brittany Maynard Case

Physician-Assisted Suicide and the Death of Brittany Maynard

Brittany Maynard, who was told by doctors that she had only six months to live after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, ended her life last week on November 1, a date she had selected ahead of time. The 29-year-old took a fatal dose of barbiturates, prescribed by her doctor, at her home in Portland, Oregon, surrounded by her husband and other members of her family.


Today, The National Catholic Bioethics Center officially expressed its: "[S]adness and regret over the untimely close of the life of such a vigorous young woman. Her decision to end her life by self-inflicted means reminds us of the tragic reality of suicide and the injustice of laws encouraging physician-assisted suicide..."



Please read the full NCBC commentary, HERE.

The National Catholic Bioethics Center Comments on New HHS Proposed Rules

Yesterday The National Catholic Bioethics Center submitted official commentary to the government regarding the: "Proposed Rules on coverage of certain preventive services under the Affordable Care Act ('ACA'), known as the 'Contraceptive Mandate.'"


The statement, a full analysis of the new rules, is concomitant with the Center's initial impression of the rules and reiterates that they are, in fact, more "restrictive of religious freedom than provided for by the decision of the Supreme Court."


To read the full story and the official comment, click HERE

"In This Issue" -- NCBC Director of Publications reflects on the most recent edition of the National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly

As we witness the end of the Summer and look ahead to new beginnings and the resumption of activities that often mark the start of Fall, we at the National Catholic Bioethics Center have just the thing to foster critical thinking, to get your brain up-and-running, and to help bridge the transition between the seasons: The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly. This award-winning publication, one of the NCBC's hallmarks, demonstrates the NCBC's dedication to scholarly excellence in our commentaries on medical ethics. The most recent Summer edition of the Quarterly is detailed below in the commentary of the NCBC Director of Publications, Dr. Edward Furton. Dr. Furton takes time to reflect on each edition of the Quarterly and describes the contents of the current issue for our readers. We are pleased to present Dr. Furton's post, In This Issue, to you here.

If you like what you've read and want more, start receiving your very own Quarterly! Subscribe to the NCBQ: Visit the Quarterly's page, HERE, and click the Subscribe button.

Enjoy!

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When we discuss bioethics, we face the danger of separating sound moral doctrine from the mercy and love of God. Talking about deeply personal subjects, such as contraception, physician-assisted suicide, and same-sex marriage, can provoke very strong and sometimes negative reactions. Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, OP, in “Preaching Catholic Bioethics with Joy and Mercy,” addresses the importance of compassion when speaking about bioethics from the pulpit. Taking desire, joy, and mercy as the keynotes for his presentation, Austriaco lays out various personal stories and examples that effectively convey the core of the Gospel message.

The topics of in vitro fertilization and embryo adoption continue to generate reflection. Elizabeth Rex, in “IVF, Embryo Transfer, and Embryo Adoption,” situates these issues within the broader context of the Church’s concern for embryonic human life, especially as set forth in Donum vitae, the instruction on bioethics from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Rex responds to two recent publica-tions in this journal, one written in defense of “therapeutic IVF” and the other in opposition to embryo adoption. She argues against therapeutic IVF on the grounds that IVF cannot be justified for any reason. She next contends that embryo transfer is a life-saving measure endorsed by a careful reading of the Church’s teaching on care for human beings at the beginning of life.

The NCBQ has published many papers, pro and con, on the possible postfertilization effects of levonorgestrel, the active ingredient in Plan B, the morning-after pill. José Ulises Mena, in “A Prefertilization Mechanism of Action of Plan B,” argues that the drug may have a postovulatory effect that is not abortifacient. The author agrees that clinical studies show that inhibiting ovulation cannot account for the full extent of pregnancy reduction following use of this drug, but it is possible that levonorgestrel acts prior to fertilization by slowing transport of the ovum. This mechanism of action, if true, would avoid moral difficulty. Mena reviews the literature and previous discussions in these pages in light of this possibility.

“The Decline of Natural Law Reasoning,” by Joseph Tham, LC, MD, looks at how the Catholic moral tradition has been increasingly isolated from the wider secular understanding of ethics. The Church’s opposition to contraception, grounded in natural law reasoning and set forth especially in Humanae vitae, was a turning point in this decline, though complaints against the manualist and casuist tradition arose earlier. The idea of an unchanging human nature, with appeals to a universal ethic that applies to all, no longer speaks to contemporary culture. There is a pressing need for new ways of engaging modern understandings of evolutionary science, human anthropology, and the general philosophy of nature in witness to the universal truths of ethics.

Alasdair MacIntyre’s critiques of liberal political philosophy have made him one of the more formidable philosophical thinkers of our time. In “Liberalism, Health Care, and Disorder,” Robert Kinney relies on MacIntyre’s analysis as he explores the sweeping powers accumulated by the federal government under the new health care law. He shows that the expansive definitions of such terms as “health” and “disease” are in part attributable to philosophical conceptions disconnected from objective nature and joined instead to the satisfaction of human desire. These terms, cut loose from any natural foundation, have become powerful instruments in redefining the health care enterprise. Kinney shows that if the practice of medicine is to remain moral, the terms that define health care must remain connected to the natural order.

In “Causal Constraints on Intention,” Steven Jensen takes recent comments by Christopher Tollefsen in defense of the new natural law theory as an opportunity to examine application of the theory to cases of vital conflict. Tollefsen and others advocate a “first-person account” of moral action. What matters in this account are the proposals that we present to our minds as we venture into the world to make moral decisions. The problem with such an account, Jensen suggests, is that it enables the agent to easily redescribe his intentions in ways that avoid reference to the causal connections that exist in the world. These are often deemphasized or even completely neglected in the first-person account of morality. In fact, causality places certain con¬straints on what we can reasonably propose to ourselves as our true intentions. After reviewing the case of self-defense, as well as the action theory of G. E. M. Anscombe, Jensen concludes that the causal connections in the world necessarily intrude on our actions, even when we attempt to reformulate our intentions in ways that ignore or deemphasize them.

Becket Gremmels, Peter Cataldo, Elliott Louis Bedford, and Cornelia Graves, MD, in “The Metaphysical Status of the Placenta,” argue that the placenta, properly considered, does not belong either to the fetus or the mother, but is a quasi-substance that exists in a symbiosis with mother and child. Most Catholic bioethicists hold that the placenta belongs to the child, because it comprises mainly cells derived from the fetus. The authors note that the existing literature does not argue for this position but merely assumes it to be true. They discuss the anatomy and physiology of the pla¬centa and conclude that it has a unique metaphysical standing. They draw no moral conclusions from this assertion, but if their thesis is true, it could have wide-ranging implications. The authors recognize the controversial nature of their paper and, in fidelity to the Church, lay it before the magisterium for consideration and judgment.

Edward J. Furton, MA, PhD

Editor-in-Chief, NCBQ

BREAKING -- The NCBC Releases Official Statement on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

After considering the matter at length, the National Catholic Bioethics Center is happy to announce their official stance regarding the now viral Ice Bucket Challenge used to promote awareness about ALS. The Center had not yet taken a public official position on this: "Challenge [which] started trending in late July 2014 [and] has successfully raised awareness about the disease on a dramatic scale, accomplishing its main purpose with great creativity and fun." We hope you will find our commentary helpful in clarifying many elements of and relating to this popular event.

Please take a few moments and read the NCBC's full commentary on the Ice Bucket Challenge, HERE

Happy Friday!

Dr. John Haas Delivers Successful Presentations on Eugenics in Modern Society

President of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, Dr. John Haas, completed three powerful presentations this month at key events in Texas and Los Angeles. His primary addresses concerned The Face of New Eugenics in Austin and the Threats and Challenges of Eugenics, in Los Angeles. In his talks, Dr. Haas grappled with the seemingly unmitigated­­­­--and ever increasing-- use of medical technology in manipulating humans from the unborn to the aged. 

Read the rest of the story on the NCBC home page, HERE.

Speakers resting after the main event in Los Angeles.
From Left: Jennifer Lahl; Father Nicanor Austriaco, OP, S.T.L., Ph.D.; Father Tad Pacholczyk, and Dr. John Haas

More pictures from the incredible event in Los Angeles will be forthcoming here on the blog, so be sure to check back soon!

Thank you for all your incredible work Dr. Haas!

BREAKING -- The NCBC Response to SCOTUS Decision in Support of Religious Freedom

The National Catholic Bioethics Center hails the decision today of the United States Supreme Court in support of the religious freedom of the owners of Conestoga Wood Specialties Corporation and Hobby Lobby Stores Incorporated!The National Catholic Bioethics Center was a party to an amicus brief signed in support of the religious freedom of the two family-owned for-profit businesses, neither of whose families were Catholic. The rights of these two companies, protected under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, were violated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ contraceptive mandate. We give thanks for this decision and offer our congratulations to the brave owners of these companies who have worked hard to carry on and weather the storm of these legal proceedings.

The Center's release states:

"These family-owned businesses took the courageous stand of challenging the assault on their religious freedom, under the guise of preventative health care, by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services’ contraceptive mandate. The mandate requires virtually all employers to provide contraceptive, abortifacient, and surgical sterilization insurance coverage, at no cost to the employees, regardless of the deeply held religious objections of employers. Both Conestoga Wood and Hobby Lobby argued that their deeply held religious beliefs concerning the sanctity of human life were violated by HHS forcing them to pay for abortifacient drugs and devices for their employees..."

Please be sure to read the FULL NCBC statement HERE

BREAKING -- The National Catholic Bioethics Center Supports The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Its Lawsuit Against the HHS Mandate

The National Catholic Bioethics Center officially supports the courageous stance of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as they work against this: "Unjust regulation, which seeks to impose a “choice” between the untenable alternatives of supporting the intrinsic evils of contraception, sterilization, and abortion or ceasing to provide basic health care coverage to its employees..."

Be sure to read the full NCBC statement, HERE.

To read the Archdiocesan statement, click HERE.

For a more detailed story on the release itself, visit CatholicPhilly, HERE.

May God bless and guide the Archdiocese throughout this process.

  

Happy Friday!

The National Catholic Bioethics Center Supports: The CMA's Medical Student Boot Camp

This Summer, Catholic medical students from across the country can take advantage of a unique opportunity at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. The Catholic Medical Association, in primary partnership with St. Charles Borromeo Graduate School of Theology, will be holding a four-day intensive formation experience. The Annual Medical Student Boot Camp will consist of prayer, study, practical training, and mentoring with leading Catholic Physicians, Priests, and Moral Theologians from the area.

The CMA looks to provide students with the support and the tools to: "Live and thrive as faithful Catholic Physicians," to "develop skills to organize Catholic support groups within medical schools," and to "evangelize the Catholics and non-Catholics encountered throughout medical training."

The NCBC supports the organization of such a program and invites you to spread the word to any Catholic medical students you may know who would benefit from the CMA event.

The Boot Camp will take place from June 17-22 and requires application beforehand. Successful applicants will have 90% of their travel expenses covered by the program sponsors!

If you, or anyone you know would like to participate in this excellent experience, please visit the program website and registration page, HERE.

Thank you for your continued support of The National Catholic Bioethics Center and of Catholic medical ethics in our nation. Please continue to pray for us and for all of our endeavors.

NEW -- Documents Available From The National Catholic Bioethics Center

The National Catholic Bioethics Center continues to provide instructive and thought-provoking medical-ethical content to its members and subscribers through its books, journal, and other publications. Also, as a service to all, the Publications Department now provides free access to significant documents through its OpenAccess initiative.

Please, take a look at the new offerings from the NCBC and read all the details, HERE.

The Global Reach of the NCBC: Dr. Haas Reflects

Over the course of one month’s time NCBC President, Dr. John Haas, had two trips to Rome for tasks associated with his Vatican appointments. Between February and March, Dr. Haas attended the annual meeting and assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life and a special plenary session of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers.

Amid the whirlwind of activity that has surrounded the The National Catholic Bioethics Center recently, Dr. Haas has had some time to collect his thoughts and recollections of his travels. 

What follows is Dr. Haas’ report of those two trips to Rome:

The Pontifical Academy for Life

The Pontifical Academy for Life had its annual assembly and members’ meeting February 20th and 21st at the Augustinian College by St. Peter’s Square. Customarily the meetings take place in the Synod Hall of Paul VI but this year a consistory was taking place at the same time and the Cardinals of the Church supplanted us! The day before the opening of the Assembly I attended the meeting of the Directive Council which discussed possible themes for future assemblies, reviewed possible candidates, and discussed other business of the Academy.


Because of the Consistory and the creation of new Cardinals, the Holy Father was unable to receive the members of the Academy in a private audience as has been customary. However, the members of the Academy were invited to be seated with him at the time of his public Wednesday audience in St. Peter’s Square.

 

                                                             Public audience with Pope Francis

The theme this year was “Aging and Disability”, an increasing problem in Europe and North America with the attendant threats to human dignity and increased calls for physician-assisted-suicide or even euthanasia. As a member of the Directive Council of the Academy (thanks to Pope Benedict), I presided over one of the initial sessions of the assembly. Board Member and neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Buchanan gave an excellent presentation entitled: “Disabilities through Cognitive Impairment and Dementia”.


It was quite a festive occasion this year since we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Academy. The meetings began with mass celebrated at the tomb of St. John Paul II who established the Academy. The principal celebrant was Cardinal Willem Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht, president of the Dutch Bishops’ Conference, and a member of the Academy.  

   

                                                  Mass in front of the Holy Remains of John Paul II

The Workshop concluded with a banquet for Academy members amidst classical statuary and friezes in the Vatican Museum. 

 

I also serve on the board of the International Federation of Bioethics Centers and Institutes of Personalist Inspiration (i.e., the thought of John Paul II!) and had a meeting for it as well. This past year we had our program in Havana, Cuba with a theme of health care and social justice.

The Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers

Approximately every five years the Consultors and Members of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers are summoned to Rome. The Plenary Session was opened with a mass for the participants by the Cardinal Secretary of State who had communicated the consent of Pope Francis that the Plenary Session take place. It was the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Council by St. John Paul II. (The Pope had initially formed the Pontifical Academy for Life through the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers. Among Vatican offices, a Council has a higher standing than an Academy.)


At the first meeting of Members and Consultors, there were reports on the activities of the Council since it founding, particularly concerning the observances of the World Day of the Sick on February 11, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. After our first session participants were taken to the Clementine Hall in the Apostolic Palace for a private audience with the Holy Father. He thanked us for our work and praised the work of all Catholic health care workers around the world in their service to the sick and the suffering. (When I met him I told him that I brought greetings from The National Catholic Bioethics Center and from my family, all nine children and spouses and twenty-seven grandchildren at which he gave me a “thumbs-up” which the photographer caught!)

                           The members of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers sit with Francis.

  Archbishop Zimowski Addresses Pope Francis and the Council

                                                                 Dr. Haas with Pope Francis

 

                                                                     The Papal 'Thumbs Up'!

On the second day of the Plenary Session, March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, mass was offered by the President of the Council, Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, in the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia just off the Via Conciliazione.

 

                                                             Mass with Archbishop Zimowski

Following mass and a light breakfast, our work continued. In 1995 the Council had issued its Charter for Health Care Workers under Cardinal Angelini. It has been common knowledge that it was being revised, and there were reports on the revisions taking place.


While in Rome, I took advantage of the occasion to meet with the President, Chancellor and Coordinating Secretary of the Pontifical Academy for Life even though our own assembly had taken place a mere month before. One of the problems with the visits to Rome during conferences and assemblies is that the schedules are so full it is difficult to address other projects with which one is involved. I then had a meeting the day after the Plenary Session with the President, Secretary and Sub-Secretary of the Council. One of the subjects discussed was the International Association of Health Care Institutions. Its President is Dr. Anthony Tersigni who serves on our board and is the President/CEO of Ascension Health.


There was also a meeting at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which has recently sent to the Bishops of the United States guidelines for collaborative ventures with non-Catholic health care institutions. It was also a joy and privilege to be able to have lunch with Cardinal Elio Sgreccia, former President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, founder of the Bioethics Institute at the Gimelli Hospital, and author of Personalist Bioethics which the Center has translated and published. While in Rome, I also take advantage of the opportunity to invite a group of moral theologians out to dinner so I can keep up with developments in the work and thinking taking place in academic circles there.

 

                                                            Meeting with Cardinal Sgreccia

It was a very full and productive week. However, as I later reflected on it, I saw much of supernatural significance. I would like to share some reflections with the hope I am not being overly pietistic.


We all know that we are facing the gravest governmental threat to the practice of our religion perhaps in the history of our Republic. The HHS Mandate would have all employers cover contraception, sterilization, and abortifacient drugs and devices in the health insurance provided their employees, despite the strong religious and moral objections of many employers. It is a scientific fact that a new human life comes into existence at the moment of conception and that intra-uterine devices and certain “morning after pills” can prevent a new, tiny human being from implanting in the womb. This is a particularly sobering thought when one considers that our redemption began at the moment the Blessed Virgin conceived the Christ Child in her womb at the annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel.


This fact was very much on my mind as Archbishop Zymowski celebrated mass on the Feast of the Annunciation in Santo Spirito in Sassia. I was especially aware that it was on that very day that the Supreme Court was hearing oral arguments on the legal challenges to the HHS Mandate brought by those with strong moral objections. Everything is in God’s Providence, I thought, even the day on which the Justices would hear the case! I prayed intensely for those who would be arguing the moral case and for the Justices that they might judge rightly. Also, I thought the Archbishop’s homily was a moving and a providential reflection on what was actually happening in our own country. I attach it for your edification, HERE.


It just so happened that I was also in Rome on the occasion of the visit of President Obama with the Holy Father on Thursday of that week, March 27. In fact, I stood on the Via Conciliazione as the President’s motorcade went speeding and screaming by. I think I counted 17 vehicles, not to mention the squadrons of motorcycles. I thought of this display of wealth and power on the way to visit a man who has called us to embrace the poor and who himself lived a life of poverty. Nonetheless, I prayed for the President as he sped by and for the Pope who waited to receive him.


While the meeting was taking place I obviously could not help but reflect on the encounter between President Obama and Pope Benedict in July 2009. At that time Pope Benedict had presented the President with a copy of the Vatican Instruction Dignitas Personae, which defended the life of every human being from the moment of conception. It also condemned interventions that would prevent an embryo from implanting in the uterus, the very issue argued before the Supreme Court earlier in the week.


Two world leaders met face to face that day, one a courageous champion of a Culture of Life and the other representing forces who have shaped a Culture of Death. Pope Francis had repeatedly condemned abortion that “kills children that will never see the light of day”. I thought of St. Paul’s words to the Ephesians: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” For our part, none of us play the role of world leaders! But we do nonetheless have our essential roles in the Church and in the world. As our contribution to the struggle, we are called to individual holiness and to fidelity to the tasks with which God has entrusted us in our little part of the world, wherever it may be.


Once again, the Eternal City was the locus of great worldly and spiritual struggles. And we, through our involvement with The National Catholic Bioethics Center and in our own way, were party to it that week.

5 PM TODAY -- Connecticut Assisted Suicide Bill was Defeated Once Again

Thanks to the assistance and coordination of NCBC Ethicist and Director of Public Policy, Dr. Marie Hilliard, the testimony of Law Professor and friend of the NCBC, Steve Mikochik, and the tireless effort of the Connecticut Catholic Conference and the Family Institute of Connecticut, the once-again proposed Connecticut Assisted Suicide Bill was defeated this year. The Connecticut Public Health Committee did not be meet today and, therefore, the existing deadline for voting on the Assisted Suicide Bill was missed. The bill was dropped at exactly 5 P.M. today.

In a manner mirroring those NCBC efforts that helped defeat the bill last year, Dr. Hilliard worked with Steve Mikochick in her role as a board member of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. Dr. Hilliard coordinated and assisted with the testimony that Mr. Mikochik presented in opposition to the bill.

Thank you for all of your hard work, Dr. Hilliard! Congratulations!

Dr. Marie Hilliard

Good news for a happy Friday.

NCBC Ethicist Publishes New Article: Pope Francis Affirms Natural Marriage

Pope Francis is a most beloved Pontiff and his every word and deed garners unparalleled attention and interest. When our Holy Father speaks, however, he often does so with the candid and extemporaneous flair that has been his hallmark. As a result, the passionate and often nuanced words of Pope Francis are being referenced and interpreted constantly in the media, with varying degrees of success and clarity.

NCBC Staff Ethicist, John A. Di Camillo, has cut through some confusion, however, in his new article titled: Pope Francis Affirms Natural Marriage, Not Same-Sex Unions. In the piece, John applies his Italian fluency (he translated the NCBC publication Personalist Bioethics from its original Italian) and his knowledge of the nuances in ethics and language to tackle recent interpretations and sensationalized misapprehensions of Francis' stance on marriage and same-sex unions following the Pope's interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on March 5th.

You can read the entire piece on the NCBC website, HERE.

NCBC Staff Ethicist, John A. Di Camillo, Be.L.

Thank you John!

NCBC Ethicist's Major Article Just Released: "Birth Control is Not Health Care"

Dr. Marie Hilliard, Ethicist and Director of Bioethics and Public Policy at the NCBC, has just had an article on contraception and the HHS Mandate published in Crisis Magazine online today.

Dr. Marie Hilliard

The article, entitled Birth Control is not Health Care, takes a thorough and incisive look at the HHS Mandate and at the prominent place of birth control as a pillar of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Dr. Hilliard looks at the enforcement of the contraceptive mandate which has, erroneously, been presented as a crucial element of preserving good health, and examines this in light of the current lawsuit being heard on behalf of the Little Sisters of the Poor. The initiative of the Sisters shows that the decision to oppose the HHS mandate: "Has much more to do with religious liberty," and the defense of that liberty, than any flawed arguments stating that opposition to the Mandate is merely a misguided opposition to good health and health care.


Please read Dr. Hilliard's excellent article, HERE.

Thank you, Dr. Hilliard!

TONIGHT -- NCBC Ethicists on the Airwaves

It has been confirmed that NCBC ethicists Dr. Marie Hilliard, Director of Public Policy, and Father Tadeuz Pacholczyk, Director of Education, will each be appearing LIVE in separate radio interviews this evening.

Dr. Hilliard will be speaking on contraception in the HHS mandate and its place in the the Affordable Care Act. Dr. Hilliard will be on the program What the World Needs Now with Kathleen McCarthy. The interview will be broadcast by the In His Sign Network at 5 P.M., Eastern, tonight.

After hearing Dr. Hilliard, you can tune in to Relevant Radio's program A Closer Look with Sheila Liaugminas to listen to Father Tad.

Father will be interviewed in a segment of the show entitled: Under the Microscope: A Closer Look at Medical Bioethics which will air tonight at 6:30 P.M., Eastern. Father will discuss a number of issues in bioethics, from the Church's teaching on brain death, to IVF.

To listen to Dr. Hilliard's interview, visit the In His Sign Network's website and load the appropriate media player, HERE

To hear Father Tad, head to the Relevant Radio online media player, HERE

Enjoy!

UPDATE -- Radio Debate on Brain Death Now Available Online

If you missed last night's spirited debate between NCBC President, Dr. John Haas, and Paul Byrne, M.D., never fear! Their discussion on the topic of brain death is now available on the website of the Kresta in the Afternoon show on Ave Maria Radio's website. To stream the archived version of the program, please click HERE, scroll to the media player labelled "January 8, 2014 Hour 2," click play and (after a brief ad from Ave Maria), scroll to minute 22:25.


Happy listening!