Category: Procedures & Services

Moral Reflections on Vaccines Prepared from Cells Derived from Aborted Human Foetuses

Pontifical Academy for Life; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

PONTIFICIA ACADEMIA PRO VITA

Il Presidente
Prot.n.P/3431

Vatican City,
June 9 2005

Mrs Debra L.Vinnedge
Executive Director, Children of God for Life
943 Deville Drive East
Largo, Florida
33771
Stati Uniti

Dear Mrs Debra L.Vinnedge,

On June 4, 2003, you wrote to His Eminence Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, with a copy of this letter forwarded to me, asking to the Sacred Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith a clarification about the liceity of vaccinating children with vaccines prepared using cell lines derived from aborted human fetuses.  Your question regarded in particular the right of the parents of these children to oppose such a vaccination when made at school, mandated by law. As there were no formal guidelines by the magisterium concerning that topic, you said that catholic parents were often challenged by State Courts, Health Officials and School Administrators when they filled religious exemptions for their children to this type of vaccination

This Pontifical Academy for Life, carrying out the commission entrusted to us by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, in answer to your request, has proceeded to a careful examination of the question of these “tainted” vaccines, and has produced as a result a study (in Italian) that has been realized with the help of a group of experts. This study has been approved as such by the Congregation and we send you, there enclosed, an English translation of a synthesis of this study. This synthesis can be brought to the knowledge of the interested officials and organisms.

A documented paper on the topic will be published in the journal “Medicina e Morale”, edited by the Centra di Bioetica della Universita Cattolica in Rome.

The study, its synthesis, and the translation of this material took some time. We apologize for the delay.

With my best regards,

Sincerely yours,
+E.Sgreccia

 00193 Roma – Via della Conciliazione, 1 – Tel. 06 698.82423 – 06 698.81693 – Fax 06 698.82014

See Moral Reflections on Vaccines Prepared from Cells Derived from Aborted Human Foetuses 

Saskatchewan doctors could face discipline over assisted suicide

Global News

Doug Lett

SASKATOON – Doctors in the province who refuse to cooperate with physician-assisted suicide could face discipline according to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan.

“If a physician feels the directives are wrong, they will still, we would expect, they will still follow those directives,” said Bryan Salte, associate registrar of the college, “in spite of the fact they may not agree with them.”

While the college has not come up with policies around assisted suicide, it is circulating a draft policy on conscientious refusal. It says while doctors can refuse to provide a legally provided service if it violates their freedom of conscience, they do have to make a referral to another health care provider who will do it.

That means a doctor who believes suicide is wrong would still have to refer a patient to a doctor who would help them kill themselves. . . [Full Text]

 

Groups make effort to protect physicians’ conscience rights

 The Catholic Register

Deborah Gyapong, Canadian Catholic News

OTTAWA – Doctors’ conscience rights are threatened by a proposed policy of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) that may force them to refer patients for morally problematic procedures, warn some physicians’ organizations.

The CPSO has given a Feb. 20 deadline for input into the policy that would force physicians to refer patients for procedures such as abortion and assisted suicide (the Supreme Court on Feb. 6 struck down prohibitions against assisted suicide) against their consciences. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan is also considering similar changes to its policy, with a deadline of March 6 for public input.

The Christian Medical and Dental Society (CMDS) Canada has been working closely with the Canadian Federation of Catholic Physicians’ Societies in rallying opposition to the proposed changes.

“The proposed policy demands that doctors refer for, and in some cases actually perform, procedures like birth control, abortion and even euthanasia,” said CMDS executive director Larry Worthen. “Physicians would have to perform these procedures when the regulator considers them to be ‘urgent or otherwise necessary to prevent imminent harm, suffering and/or deterioration.’  . . . [Full Text]

 

Midwives left with £300,000 legal bill after abortion conscience fight

Catholic Universe

The Catholic midwives who fought against being involved with terminations are facing a six-figure legal bill after the Supreme Court ruled against them.

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), the anti abortion charity that backed the pair’s battle to be considered conscientious objectors, said it plans to raise funds to help with costs, which are estimated to be as much as £300,000. . . [Full Text]

 

Euthanasia cases leap 73% at cautioned clinic

NL Times

Janene Van Jaarsveldt

The Levenseindekliniek helped 232 people with their request to die in 2014, 98 more than in 2013. The clinic also had 1,035 requests for euthanasia last year, substantially more than the previous year, the Levenseindekliniek announced.

The Levenseindekliniek received two reprimands last year. The Regional Euthanasia Review Committee (RTE) reprimanded the clinic last month for the euthanasia of a woman with severe tinnitus (ringing in the ears), without performing a psychiatric examination. In August the clinic was also reprimanded for assisting in the suicide of an elderly woman without sufficient motivation. . . [Full Text]