a chartered guild of the Catholic Medical Association
The CMA has announced that due to COIVD-related travel restrictions they are transitioning the annual meeting to a hybrid in-person and virtual format. Details are forthcoming.
While this is disappointing in many ways it also provides an opportunity for those who would have otherwise not been able to travel to San Diego to still take part! Stay tuned for more info re: registration!
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I was very glad to read that Dr. Meaney has recovered from his health scare…and…I was not at all surprised to hear about the drastic visitor restrictions that caused him to be denied the sacraments. This is occurring all over the country, including here in Rochester.
The reasoning for these restrictions is clear and while I am very much in favor of doing what we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19, he sums up the fundamental problem succinctly:
I do not think some thoroughly secular people grasp the magnitude of the offense of denying a gravely ill or even dying person the last rites of the Church. The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, including Holy Viaticum, can literally make the difference between an eternal destiny in heaven or one in hell.
Ultimately the secular world simply disagrees…and sadly so do many Catholics with perhaps as few as 30% of self-identified Catholics believing that the Most Blessed Sacrament is truly the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
The question is whether the Church in the US and around the world has the political will and moral fortitude to face this challenge.
Dear Friends,
Thank you to everyone who offered their support for my talk about Physician Assisted Suicide opposite Tim Quill on Wednesday! I very much appreciate the (virtual) “in-person” support of those who were able to join via Zoom and for all of your prayers!
I am told that the session was recorded and I will post the link when it becomes available.
In Christ,
Tom Carroll
Please consider supporting our President, Dr. Tom Carroll, as he talks about Physician Assisted Suicide opposite Dr. Timothy Quill on Wednesday, 5/27, from 12-1pm. The Zoom link is https://urmc.zoom.us/s/94337697512
This presentation is part of the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Unmasked conference. This is a forum for presentations about projects around the COVID-19 crisis and abstracts that were part of canceled conferences this spring. In addition to Dr. Carroll’s presentation there is a full slate of intriguing presentations on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Please feel free to join any/all that you like!
Full daily schedules here:
Thank you to everyone who joined our Zoom meeting today at noon! We had a nice turnout and great discussion! It’s always refreshing to reconnect with friends and make new connections…especially in these trying times!
Our next Catholics @ URMC…and Beyond will be on June 18th. We will post a Zoom link when we get closer, so check back here for this and other Guild upcoming events.
This is good guidance from the JPII institute. There are serious concerns that at least some vaccines for coronaviruses can cause increased severity of disease in response to exposure to the virus after immunization. So, before consenting to a trial ask:
1. Were animal studies conducted with the vaccine?
2. How many different animal models were tested with the vaccine?
3. Was there any evidence of toxicity with the vaccine?
4. Were the animals that received the vaccines subsequently challenged with the wild-type virus and what was the outcome of those studies?
I would only add that we should also be asking whether cell lines derived from aborted children were used in the development of a vaccine as well.
This is an excellent article by Bledsoe et al., discussing what is, by my reading, the morally licit view of crisis rationing ethics. The focus MUST be on the individual’s likelihood of surviving the acute illness and NOT on life-years gained/lost etc.
My only criticism of the article is that they did not cite and respond to the recent high profile paper by Emanuel, et al. wherein it is argued that:
New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling
OMH Emotional Support Line:
The Emotional Support Line provides free and confidential support, helping callers experiencing increased anxiety due to the coronavirus emergency. The Help Line is staffed by volunteers, including mental health professionals, who have received training in crisis counseling.
*** *DISCLAIMER: The Office of Mental Health’s (“OMH”) Emotional Support Line (“Line”) is not licensed or unlicensed mental health care or treatment of any type regardless of what is discussed or who provides support. It is for emotional support purposes only. Use of the Line does not create any confidential provider-therapist relationship of any type. The Line not a substitute for professional health care.
If you believe you are experiencing a medical or behavioral health emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
By using this Line, you acknowledge and agree that the State, OMH, any State or OMH employee(s), and/or any community volunteers involved with the Line in any manner (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”), have no liability of any type related to your use of the Line, including but not limited to any decision you make, or a third party makes, as a result of your use of the Line, or because you were not able to access the Line for any reason. By using the Line, you agree to fully indemnify the Indemnified Parties and hold them harmless for any and all damages or causes of action that may arise out of your use of the Line. Without limiting the foregoing, in no event shall any of the Indemnified Parties be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, or indirect damages of any type arising from your use of the Line, or for any other reason.
The Line is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. None of the Indemnified Parties shall be liable for any inability by you to access the Line, including but not limited to interruptions in the Line due to technical reasons or delays to due to a high volume of calls.