I was mistaken. When I came across internet references to the "Medical Moral Commission of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia" (1, 2, 3, 4), I incorrectly assumed the commission to be current and you to be its chair. To whom may Catholics in the Archdiocese address medical moral concerns?
Archbishop Chaput has spoken of a national leadership "hostile - to religious engagement in public affairs" (Heart on Fire). Yet even among our politicians who identify themselves as Catholic and pro life, USCCB-supported efforts such as the Health Care Conscience Rights Act (HR940/S1204), the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (HR7/S946), the Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act (H.R. 3279/S1848), the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR1797/S1670/S 886), and the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (HR732/S32/S369) seem to have gained little traction! Along with leaders we have sent to D.C., there seems minimal awareness among our Philadelphia-area neighbors of the perils to the sanctity of human life, religious freedom, and conscience posed by the HHS mandates.
On medical moral concerns, I believe that scandalous seeds of confusion have been sown by Catholic hospitals in the archdiocese - so much so that it is misleading for them to be called "Catholic":
- 1) there is a paucity of NFP-only physicians among OBGYNs with privileges (i.e., Only one OBGYN can be identified who is on One More Soul's list of NFP only OBGYNs);
- 2) there are IVF specialists with privileges (e.g., ALL of Holy Redeemer's "Reproductive Endocrinologists and Obstetricians" are IVF specialists (Drs Arthur Castelbaum, Martin Freedman, Benjamin Gocial, and Jacqueline Gutmann of Reproductive Medicine Associates of Philadelphia) and NONE of Holy Redeemer's obstetricians are to be found on a list of NFP-only physicians!);
- 3) there are privileges for associates of a practice involved with "fetal reduction"
(As
per posters at FertileThoughts.com, Dr. Frank Craparo is a
practitioner
of "reduction" - a euphemism for abortion. ALL of St Mary's specialists in "Maternal Fetal
Medicine" - are associates of Craparo at
"Abington Perinatal Associates.");
- 4) publicly available information on end of life care poorly presents Catholic teaching (Right in the home archdiocese of the late Terri Schindler-Schiavo, neither Holy Redeemer's Advance Directive form, nor Mercy Health System's Vendor Compliance Program, nor Saint Mary's Advanced Directives and Living Wills, strike me as clearly specifying:
- Catholic teaching with regard to nutrition and hydration, and
- that health care services cannot honor non-specific directives to forego nutrition and hydration).
- Queen of the Universe carries an ad for Oxford Valley Pharmacy. When I phoned Oxford Valley last May, I learned that they even carry the notorious "Plan B" for $39.99.
- St. Charles Borromeo carries an ad for Riccio Family Pharmacy, as does St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
- St. Thomas Aquinas carries an ad for Mat's Pharmacy and Medical Supply.
Support for authentically pro life pharmacists requires vigilance, to ensure that parishes are not inadvertently promoting providers of morally excluded particles and devices.
Your Excellency, I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you, to address medical moral concerns.
Sincerely,
