[Pflienews] PharmFacts E-News Update: aLARCON: How about a right to live? Caritas can't be made to look 'catholic'; more...

Thu Jun 11 18:36:44 MDT 2009

*PharmFacts E-News Update -- 11 Jun 2009 AD

*Please take the time to comment on this new National Post Blog article!!
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/holy-post/archive/2009/06/10/c.aspx

*Cristina Alarcon: Right to die? How about right to live*

Posted: June 10, 2009, 2:06 PM by Yoni Goldstein
Cristina Alarcon 
<http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/holy-post/archive/tags/Cristina+Alarcon/default.aspx>
I had just returned from Washington, D.C., where I attended the Second 
International Symposium on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. The theme: 
"Never Again."
The night before, I had mused over the intense weekend in Washington, 
the moving testimonials and the lively plane ride where I had become 
engulfed in conversations that betrayed the pervading culture of 
confusion surrounding assisted suicide and euthanasia. No, euthanasia is 
not about withdrawal of life support so as to allow a terminally ill 
person to die, I had explained to the lady on the plane. No, 
physician-assisted suicide "guidelines" are not always strictly enforced. 

What is it about these experiences that makes me feel as though I am 
bathing in what John Paul II called, the "culture of death"? In 1999, he 
warned: "Nowadays, in America, as elsewhere in the world, a model of 
society appears to be emerging in which the powerful predominate, 
setting aside and even eliminating the powerless: I am thinking here of 
unborn children, helpless victims of abortion; the elderly and incurably 
ill, subjected at times to euthanasia." 
Could the way we treat our most vulnerable be a sign of the times, a 
measure of societal devolution? Rather than seeking life-giving 
solutions to societal problems, have we not been seeking death as a 
panacea --- death for the unwanted child through abortion, and now death 
via assisted suicide for the handicapped sibling or the ailing parent, 
even for the depressed teenager?

The tenacious drive of the Right to Die movement today ought to be a 
cause for alarm. In March, 2008, Nadia Kajouji, an 18-year-old student 
at Carlton University in Ottawa, was allegedly counseled to commit 
suicide by William Melchert-Dinkel, a nurse from Minnesota, over the 
Internet. While suffering from depression in May, 2009, Jennifer Malone, 
a beautiful, healthy, intelligent young woman, was lured by a man in 
Mexico who helped her to kill herself. As pointed out by Alex 
Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition 
--- Canada, and chair of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition --- 
International, this case really clarifies the need for our laws to 
explicitly outlaw Internet suicide Web sites, as well as aiding, 
abetting and counseling suicide via the Internet and other 
communications devices. These young women needed help --- not help to 
die, but help to live.
As for suicidal tourism, over 1,000 people have been helped to kill 
themselves at the Swiss Dignitas facility. Its founder, Ludwig Minelli, 
is currently being investigated by Swiss prosecutors over claims that 
Dignitas is making a profit from its suicide fees, thus contravening 
Swiss law. According to past employee Soraya Wenili, the victims' 
belongings are collected to be sold.

In May, 2009, Quebec MP Francine Lalonde reintroduced a private member's 
bill that would make it legal for a doctor to kill you. The bill does 
not limit death to the terminally ill, and does not define terminal 
illness. It allows intended death for persons who refuse appropriate 
treatments for depression and chronic illness. The bill measures 
competency of the solicitor based on "appearing to be lucid." You just 
have to be 18 or older and continue, after trying or expressly refusing 
the appropriate treatments available, to experience severe physical or 
mental pain without any prospect of relief. This description could fit 
many elderly patients or young adults, who, feeling lonely and 
worthless, at times express a wish to die but are really telling us "I 
need your encouragement, your company, your care, your support, your smile."
Euthanasia advocates claim that there is no slippery slope, that there 
are safeguards to ensure that only the terminally ill are "aided in 
dying." However, after attending the symposium it seems more likely to 
me that there is a slope, that it is well greased and that we have 
slipped to the bottom. Only time will tell what the consequences might be.
- Cristina Alarcon is a pharmacist at Hollyburn Medicine Centre in West 
Vancouver.

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*Cristina Alarcon 
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Free Abortions in Honor of Tiller Denounced as 'Sick'*
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09061008.html 
<http://ss.all.org/link.php?M=18096&N=197&L=1443&F=H>
Life Site News
Philadelphia Women's Center gave away free abortions on Tuesday as a 
means of "honoring" slain late-term abortionist George Tiller.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Caritas insurance deal faces changes*
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/11/cardinal_omalley_seeks_to_modify_insurance_venture/ 
<http://ss.all.org/link.php?M=18096&N=197&L=1445&F=H>
The Boston Globe
Judie Brown, president of the American Life League, an antiabortion 
organization, said she does not believe there is any way to modify the 
arrangement that would make it acceptable.

*_NEWS RELEASE_*

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2009

*_FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE_*

CONTACT: C. J. DOYLE

(781) 251-9739

*__*

*__* 

*_CARDINAL O'MALLEY, CARITAS CHRISTI, AND ABORTION_*

The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts today took issue with the 
statements released yesterday by Sean Cardinal O'Malley, Archbishop of 
Boston, and Dr. Ralph de la Torre, President of Caritas Christi Health 
Care, regarding the Commonwealth Care contract awarded to the Caritas 
Christi/Centene Corporation partnership, now known as CeltiCare. This 
contract, offering health insurance to low-income Bay State adults, due 
to take effect on July 1, includes abortion coverage.

The Archdiocese stated that "Caritas is in active discussions with 
Celtic Group and CeltiCare with a view to making acceptable 
modifications to their arrangement."  The Cardinal went on to say that 
"...under no circumstances will Caritas either perform procedures 
prohibited by [Catholic teaching] or refer any patient to other 
providers who perform or procure such procedures." Dr. de la Torre said 
"when the patients seek such a procedure, Caritas...will be clear that 
(a) the hospital does not perform them and (b) the patient must turn to 
his or her insurer for further guidance."

Ironically, these statements came just one day after Brian Delaney, 
CeltiCare's Director of Communications, when asked whether the Caritas 
hospitals would refer a patient seeking an abortion to the 
Caritas/Centene call center, answered "I believe so."  Meanwhile, /The/ 
/Boston Globe/ reports that Caritas Christi now owns a 49% share of 
CeltiCare, and that NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts will serve on 
CeltiCare's advisory board.

The Catholic Action League described the statements as "yet more 
unpersuasive denials intended to obscure the fact that as of July 1, 
Caritas Christi will be in the abortion business."

Catholic Action League Executive Director C. J. Doyle stated: "The 
Archdiocese has known for at least 3 1/2 months that this contract 
requires abortion coverage. Now with less than three weeks to the 
startup date, the cardinal is suddenly seeking modifications, having 
previously castigated others who questioned the contract.  This reversal 
begs the questions of why Caritas sought this contract in the first 
place; why they signed it knowing it was problematic; and why they 
failed to raise these issues when they testified before the awarding 
agency on March 12. This last minute call for revisions is either a 
desperate public relations ploy aimed at diffusing opposition from 
pro-life Catholics, or a stunning admission of institutional 
incompetence, or both."

"The Cardinal's statement is contradicted by that of Dr. de la Torre. In 
sending a patient seeking an abortion back to her insurer, Caritas will 
be sending Commonwealth Care members to the Caritas/Centene partnership, 
which will not only procure the abortion but lists Planned Parenthood as 
a reproductive services provider. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 
2009 will allow no exemption for Caritas Christi in the matter of 
abortion. Caritas must withdraw from this contract."

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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