NCBC and the NCPD Continue Working to Protect the Disabled

ACTION ITEM: California pushing Physician-Assisted Suicide through in state Senate TODAY. California residents, please contact CA Governor to stop this: http://goo.gl/5Ln0Cg

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.

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.

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 Speaking TONIGHT

John A. Di Camillo, Staff Ethicist at The National Catholic Bioethics Center, will be giving a presentation tonight at St. John of the Cross Parish in Roslyn, PA from 7 to 9 P.M.

NCBC Staff Ethicist, John A. Di Camillo

John will be speaking on end-of-life care and decision making. The seminar answers the question: Are my actions or is my inaction causing death? John will highlight some of the issues that arise when caring for the elderly, the disabled, or the dying. John will discuss many of those issues that are confusing to the average person and misrepresented by popular culture. The program will address Catholic moral teaching in relation to the question of disproportionate means of treatment, the use of assisted nutrition and hydration, and the trouble with euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and advance directives. 

The speech will be followed by a period open for questions and answers.

John Di Camillo's presentation tonight is in conjunction with his excellent work representing the NCBC as a sitting member the Respect Life Leadership Council of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. John's presentation comes as one of a five-part series on Life Affirming Choices and is sponsored and coordinated by the Philadelphia Archdiocesan Office For Life and Family.

The Church location is:

St. John of the Cross Parish

2741 Woodland Rd

Roslyn, PA 19001

For more information, see page 4 of the St. John bulletin announcement HERE

Thank you for your hard work, John!

WATCH: Father Tad Pacholczyk Talks Human Cloning, Insurance Coverage, and Angelina Jolie on Live T.V.

Last night, May 30th, 2013, Ethicist and Director of Education at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, Father Tad Pacholczyk had the opportunity to film a segment with Raymond Arroyo for his show The World Over in Washington, D.C..

Father Tad

The live broadcast occurred at 8 P.M. Eastern time and, in under 20 minutes, Father Tad tackled the therapeutic embryonic cloning debate, patenting human genetic material, the moral concerns of insurance coverage for contraceptives and even news relating to Angelina Jolie's mastectomy!

Watch this fantastic news interview on youtube, HERE beginning at minute 41:15.

If you have cable television with access to EWTN, you can watch secondary broadcasts on:

 - Sunday at 7 P.M. Eastern

- Monday at 10 P.M. Eastern

And be sure to read father Tad's written response to the recent advances in therapeutic embryonic cloning for stem cells HERE and HERE.

Happy Friday!