Crossed The Tiber

An Evangelical Converts to Catholicism

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Location: Pennsylvania, United States

I was born into the Catholic faith. At 14, I was "born again" and found Jesus personally but lost His Church. After thirty years as an evangelical protestant, I have come full circle to find that He has been there all the time, in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I wish others to find the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith as I have found.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Catholic Medical Association and Health Reform

The CMA has taken a position on the current health care reform maelstrom. You can read the statement here.

In conclusion, we call upon all Catholics and Catholic organizations to reaffirm their support for the foundational ethical and social teachings of the Church which provide a framework for authentic health care reform, and to unite as one in an uncompromising commitment to defend the sanctity of life and the conscience rights of all providers as essential parts of health-care reform. And we also respectfully urge all Catholics and Catholic organizations to place a greater emphasis on respecting the principle of subsidiarity across the spectrum of issues in health-care financing and delivery during the coming legislative debates. Experience indicates that medical decisions are best made within the personal context of the individual patient-physician relationship rather than within some remote, impersonal, and bureaucratic agency, whether governmental or corporate. We are convinced that if this important principle of Catholic social teaching is not correctly upheld, then short-term measures to defend the right to life and respect for conscience will ultimately fail and the patient-physician relationship will be irreparably compromised.

We noted above that we face not only a crisis in health-care financing and delivery, but a crisis in the current legislative process. We must ensure that well-intentioned efforts to bring about “change” are not exploited to create a federally controlled system that promises health care for all, but creates an oppressive bureaucracy hostile to human life and to the integrity of the patient-physician relationship. It would be better to forgo long-needed changes in health-care financing and delivery in the short-term if these would lead to a long-term, systemic policy regime that is inimical to respect for life, religious freedom, and the goods served by the principle of subsidiarity. Rather than accept such an outcome, we should take the time required to implement reform measures that are sound in both principled and practical terms.

2 Comments:

Blogger Joyful Catholic said...

Fr.Rick @ Marysanawim.wordpress.com also has a great post: Excellent Catholic Perspective on Health Care. It's a homily by Fr. John De Celles, of St Mary's in Alexandria VA. I learned more about the difference between "solidarity" and "subsidiarity." For me, what it all comes down to is "begging God for the eyes to see, the ears to hear the Truth and the will to have my will conform so much, that it is transformed into His Will, so to FOLLOW HIM all the way to death on the Cross...with our without my health. For to "idolize" health, is to have health take God's place in my heart, thereby losing possibly my salvation, which is MORE important than even my physical health. That's the lesson for America. Turn to God, repent of idols and live for Him, die for Him, dying to 'self'daily and finding TRUE LIFE and eternal health in His Sacred Heart.

September 26, 2009 7:50 AM  
Blogger Russ Rentler, M.D. said...

that's an important point Susie!
We as Americans do "make an idol" of our health, and give it way more attention than our spiritual health.
Perhaps that is why the 3rd world tends to have a deeper faith, because they can only trust God , they have nothing else.
thanks for the link

September 27, 2009 6:58 AM  

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