Message for World Youth Day 2016

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the international family of Catholic doctors, I would like to welcome you to Krakow. Today is a historic occasion as this is the first time that a special session has been organised for young doctors and medical students in conjunction with the WYD celebrations. I would like to thank Dr Pedro Spineti, from Rio de Janeiro, and his committee for transforming this event from a dream into reality.

Two years ago at the XXIV FIAMC Congress in Manila, I was gazing across the convention hall when a thought struck me. Looking at many balding heads with grey hair, it occurred to me that FIAMC was fast becoming a geriatric fraternity. Recognising the need to infuse the Federation with the idealism and exuberance spirit that the young possess, the FIAMC Presidency created a committee under Dr Kevin Murrell to engage the younger doctors and medical students.

In this era of increasing secularisation where the anti-life and anti-family organisations are very vocal, FIAMC remains one of the last bastion against the Culture of Death which Saint Pope John Paul II prophesized will afflict society. Now more than ever the Church needs you to be the Light Of The World which was the theme chosen by Saint Pope John Paul II for the WYD in Toronto in 2002. In the Prayer for the Catholic Doctor which was written by the beloved late pope for the XXth FIAMC Congress, he urged us to be witnesses to the “Gospel of Life” committing ourselves to defending it always, from conception to its natural end, and to respect the dignity of every human being, and especially the dignity of the weakest and most in need.

There are many Catholics who are doctors but there are very few Catholic Doctors. For many of us especially those who are just starting out in their career God often takes a back seat. Our faith is something which we often confine to Sunday worship and church activities. It is not easy to see how Christian principles can be applied to our professional lives especially when we work in organisations that are secular. If we adopt this attitude then our work which constitute a large part of our daily lives would soon become meaningless. If we allow God into our daily lives regardless of how mundane it is, then like St Teresa of Liseux we can become sanctified in doing whatever God has called us to do. The fact that you are here at the WYD demonstrates that you aspire to a deeper love relationship with God not only as a Catholic Doctor but in every aspect of your life.

Coming from a pluralistic society like Singapore where Catholics are a minority, our views are often considered weird. When I attended my first FIAMC Congress in New York in 1998, looking at the hundreds of delegates with the same “weird” ideas I remember thinking to myself, “Wow I am home. This is my family”. Knowing that I am not alone in defending my prolife views has been a great source of comfort for me and up to now I still keep in touch with the hundreds of friends in my extended family. Similarly, I am sure that in Krakow you will experience joyful memories and make new friends whom you will cherish for life. I hope that you will keep in touch with us your international family of Catholic Doctors. If you have not done so join the nearest Catholic Doctors guild or even start a local chapter! Remember your altruistic intentions when you first decided to become a doctor. Medicine is a vocation not a career and a properly informed Catholic Physician imbued with the Holy Spirit has the power to change the world. Be fortified by the words which Saint Pope John Paul (who gave the Church the gift of WYD) uttered when he was first elected Pope “Be not afraid”.  As an individual and as part of the family of Catholic Doctors there is a lot of work to be done e.g. humanitarian missions, championing pro-life and pro-family causes. If you have any questions or suggestions please contact Dr Kevin Murrell or myself atwww.fiamc.org.

I leave you with a beautiful quote from Mother Teresa which I have adopted as my philosophy in life, ”I am but a little pencil in God’s hand writing a love letter to the world”. Thank you.

Dr John Lee

President

FIAMC

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