In his magnificent Evangelium Vitae, Saint Pope John Paul II reminded us that health care workers are called "to be guardians and servants of human life." Shortly thereafter, the Vatican provided its beautiful Charter for Health Care Workers, making clear that
- this noble calling applies to "doctors, nurses, hospital chaplains, men and women
religious, administrators, voluntary care givers for those who suffer, those
involved in the diagnosis, treatment and recovery of human health....
"To serve life is to serve God in the person: it is to become 'a collaborator with God in restoring health to the sick body'[16] and to give praise and glory to God in the loving welcome to life, especially if it be weak and ill.[17]....
"the therapeutic ministry of health care workers is a sharing in the pastoral[21] and evangelizing[22] work of the Church....
"In fidelity to the moral law, the health care worker actuates his fidelity to the human person whose worth is guaranteed by the law, and to God, Whose wisdom is expressed by the law....
- "The present charter wants to guarantee the ethical fidelity of the health care worker: the choices and behavior enfleshing service to life."
While the Charter's 2017 updating does not yet seem to be available in English, Vatican Radio (2/6/17) has reported that "The new references of the Magisterium, after 1994, that appear in the Charter are:
- John Paul II’s Encyclical letter Evangelium vitae (1995);
John Paul II, Discourse to participants in the International Congress on transplants (29 August 2000), no. 4: AAS 92 (2000), 823-824;
The Encyclical Letters of Benedict XVI, Spe salvi on Christian hope (2007) and Caritas in veritate (2009);
Benedict XVI, Discourse to participants in the International Congress promoted by the Pontifical Academy for Life on the theme of organ donation (2008);
Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, on the proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World (2013);
Pope Francis, Message to the participants in the General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of its institution (2014);
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Responsa ad quaestiones ab Episcopali Conferentia Foederatorum Americae Statuum propositas circa cibum et potum artificialiter praebenda [English translation](2007);
The Instruction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Dignitas personae (2008);
Pontifical Academy for Life, Prospects for Xenotransplantation - Scientific Aspects and Ethical Considerations (Vatican City, 2001);
Pontifical Academy for Life, Moral reflections on vaccines prepared from cells derived from aborted human foetuses (2005)."
On the right side of the home page is a link to email the White House and the Pa Delegation on federal matters (9/21/17 update), as well as a link to email Bucks County's Delegation in Harrisburg on state matters (9/9/17 update).
- The eyes of Andrea Boceli appear to see so much more than those of James Martin, SJ! (9/23/17)
- President of U.S. Bishops Conference Statement on Hurricane Maria (USCCB, 9/22/17):
- Tens of thousands being evacuated as dam fails, revealing scope of Puerto Rico's dire situation (Chicago Tribune, 9/23/17)
- A 20th Century "Hurricane" [of a different sort] through Puerto Rico (9/21/17)
- Statement from President of U.S. Bishops Conference - Mexico Earthquake (USCCB, 9/20/17):
Damage reported in Oaxaca as a new 6.1 earthquake strikes Mexico (L.A. Times, 9/23/17)
- Remembering 1917: the war on religion (Paul Kengor, 9/20/17)
- Visiting Penn Museum's Cultures in the Crossfire (9/19/17)
- The enduring power of Mosul’s rich and diverse past (MercatorNet, 9/19/17)
- A devastating loss of humanity, just 70 years ago (9/18/17)
- Petition on the Right to Life in International Law (C-Fam and others, 9/6/17)
- CanaVox.com (9/19/17)
- Jahi McMath and So-Called Brain Death (9/19/17)
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