Isiolo Drought Relief Effort raises $6,214:

Thank you to everyone who was able to donate to our drought relief effort for Isiolo. Together we raised $6214 to staff and equip the St. John Paul II MaterCare Maternity Hospital during this time of drought, bringing a record breaking number of patients to the hospital doors.

You an continue to donate to this project at: http://www.matercare.org/donate/

An invitation from our Executive Director:

This year marks the 50th anniversary of legalising abortion in the UK, the first such legislation in a Western country. The result began a fundamental change in traditional Hippocratic medical practice, particularly in obstetrics and gynaecology, which hitherto worked on the basis that all pregnancies, as far as humanly possible, should end with a healthy mother and baby. While this legislation was intended for hard cases (e.g. to prevent a maternal mortality or in the case of rape), abortion, through the process of gradualism, has become the basis on which maternal health care is provided rather than the exception. In recent years there has been the development of reproductive technologies which manipulate the very beginnings of human life that are now becoming standard medical practice. The consequences for obstetricians has been far reaching with denial of their right to practice medicine according to their consciences.
2001 Rome Conference
Now, 50 years later, history is being repeated. All doctors face another ethical and moral challenge as they are being licensed to kill their patients as part of public health services. Already it is being intimated that this could be good for governments but bad for the elderly and the chronically ill and being viewed as a convenient source of organs for transplants. The result will be that the traditional relationship between patient and doctor will undergo another fundamental change from being a covenant of trust to one which is simply a contractual agreement.

In stark contrast, we have the prophetic call of Pope St. John Paul II, at a private audience during MaterCare International’s (MCI’s) first Rome conference in 2001, stated;

”You are always called to be servants and guardians of life, […] Your profession has become still more important and your responsibility still greater in today’s cultural and social context, in which science and the practice of medicine risk losing sight of their inherent ethical dimension, [and] health-care professionals can be strongly tempted at times to become manipulators of life, or even agents of death” (E.v, 89).

“It is my fervent hope that at the beginning of this new millennium, all Catholic medical and health care personnel, whether in research or practice, will commit themselves wholeheartedly to the service of human life. I trust that the local Churches will give due attention to the medical profession, promoting the ideal of unambiguous service to the great miracle of life, supporting obstetricians, gynaecologists and health workers who respect the right to life by helping to bring them together for mutual support and the exchange of ideas and experiences.”

This conference is MCI’s 9th in Rome and occurs during MCI’s 20th anniversary year. These conferences are designed to be different to the typical medical conference. There is a balance between spiritual needs, bioethical concerns and current professional issues. While these meetings have been geared towards equipping obstetricians and gynaecologists to fight abortion, it is now open to all physicians because of medical assisted suicide. This conference will be held, as have all previous conferences, at the Isituto Maria S.S. Bambina (Baby Mary) located immediately opposite St Peter’s Basilica. The Istituto has well appointed accommodations, conference and meeting rooms, and a superb view from its rooftop garden, looking down into St Peter’s Piazza, with the basilica and the Vatican dominating, where social gatherings are held each night with your favourite wine! It is also close to the Vatican museums, excellent restaurants, and shopping .

A comment made by one of our colleagues at the first conference was, “I did not know that I was not the only one who felt lonely and marginalised.” We are gathering to show that we ARE NOT ALONE and intend to practice MERCY though faith and medical excellence.2013 Rome Conference
This meeting is optimistic and encouraging, themed “Catholic Health Professionals Can Still Deliver”. It can serve as the prelude to FIAMC’s 18th World Congress in Zagreb, “Sanctity of Life and the Medical Profession: From Humanae Vitae to Laudator Siæ”.

I look forward to meeting you in Rome, this September, to where all roads lead.

Sincerely

Rob Walley