Holy Father Pope Francis addressed representatives of the World Federation of the Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC) ahead of their 25th world congress in the Croatian capital Zagreb. His Holiness Pope Francis encouraged Catholic doctors to continue being faithful and consistent in their commitment to spread and implement the pro-life teaching of the Church. “Sanctity Of Life and the Medical Profession from ‘Humanae Vitae’ to ‘Laudato Si’”, is the theme of the May 30-June 2 world Congress.
As reported by en.vaticannews.va, The Pontiff remarked that “Even the field of medicine and healthcare has not been spared by the advance of what he called the technocratic cultural paradigm, by the adoration of human power without limits and by a practical relativism, where everything becomes irrelevant if it does not serve one’s own interests.” Further, His Holiness added, “In this situation, Catholic doctors are “called to affirm the centrality of the sick person as a person and his dignity with inalienable rights, first and foremost his right to life. The tendency to debase the sick man as a machine to be repaired, without respect for moral principles, and to exploit the weakest, discarding what does not correspond to the ideology of efficiency and profit.”
His Holiness Pope Francis called on the doctors whether in their respective countries or at the international level, to involve themselves not just in specialist circles but also in discussions on legislation on sensitive ethical issues, such as the termination of pregnancy, the end of life and genetic medicine.
