Pope Calls Health Care An ‘Inalienable Right,’ Urges World Governments To Provide Universal Coverage
At an international papal conference on health care yesterday at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI and other Catholic church leaders said it is the “moral responsibility of nations to guarantee access to health care for all of their citizens, regardless of social and economic status or their ability to pay.” Saying access to adequate medical care is one of the “inalienable rights” of man, the pope said, “Justice in health care should be a priority of governments and international institutions”.
The pope lamented the great inequalities in health care around the globe. While people in many parts of the world aren’t able to receive essential medications or even the most basic care, in industrialized countries there is a risk of “pharmacological, medical and surgical consumerism” that leads to “a cult of the body,” the pope said.
“The care of man, his transcendent dignity and his inalienable rights” are issues that should concern Christians, the pope said.
Because an individual’s health is a “precious asset” to society as well as to himself, governments and other agencies should seek to protect it by “dedicating the equipment, resources and energy so that the greatest number of people can have access.”
In a separate statement, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said, “Justice requires guaranteed universal access to health care,” adding that minimal levels of medical care are “a fundamental human right.” “Governments are obligated, therefore, to adopt the proper legislative, administrative and financial measures to provide such care,” the cardinal explained, saying that, “The governments of richer nations with good health care available should practice more solidarity with their own disadvantaged citizens.”
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2010/11/19/131348/pope-universal-healthcare/?mobile=nc
And exactly how do YOU define the "cult of the body," Katherine?
ReplyDeleteArchbishop Chaput: Catholic teaching trumps party loyalty on abortion... According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, abortion is "gravely contrary to the moral law" in all cases -- a church teaching that "has not changed and remains unchangeable." Under canon law, any "formal cooperation" in abortion automatically incurs the penalty of excommunication...He said that a lack of such unity among Catholic voters had permitted support for legalized abortion to become part of the Democratic Party platform. We can not in good conscience support a party that blatantly promotes the culture of death.
ReplyDeleteI define it like the Pope does. For working people to go without needed health care while the rich go out spa holidays and "fat farms" visits is an outrage and a social sin.
ReplyDeleteThe Pope has shown great wisdom in re-affirming the long standing Catholic principle of socially guaranteed health care for all.
Seems like Anonymous is one of them cafeteria Catholics who picks and chooses what to believe from Catholic social teaching.
ReplyDeleteBefore any inalienable right to anything is the right to life. Read the Catechism. You cannot vote for anyone who promotes unrestricted abortion or same-sex "marriage" to name a few actions that are unambiguously categorized as evil by the Church. If you place yourself against the Church you are a heretic. If you follow your own conscience and disagree or ignore the teachings of the Church, at least recognize that you are your own authority apart from the Magisterium. Some courageous Bishops are warning not to put your soul in peril by casting a vote that cooperates with evil. A suggestion would be to change your blog name to "Katholyks for Obama" or "National Socialist Independent Katholics for O". Btw all the good that real Catholic hospitals are doing in health care will be obliterated by Obamacare, the Godless, secular soviet-style health care that puts the needs of the state before any individual. If implemented it will betray even those who fought for it.
ReplyDeleteek, I hope you are not voting for anyone like Romney who says stopping abortion is not on his agenda.
ReplyDeleteThe Right-Wing is so invested in its taking points, it has even come up with a new line now that Romney has thrown the unborn under the bus.
If you are voting a third party, I respect that. But you've made the argument against Mitt.
As I mentioned before, Romney's policies are the lesser evil. No one is as passionately pro-abortion and pro-sanctioned sodomy as Obama. Romney would not force Catholics who oppose contraception and abortifacients to violate their conscience. Realisticallly you know that it's between Obama and Romney. A vote for a third party at this point would be like voting for Obama which as a faithful Catholic I cannot do. Before casting a vote for Obama read the statements by Bishops Paprocki, Jenky and Kagan. Even if you disagree with their upholding of the teachings of the Church, you will have cast a completely informed vote. So vote for Obama at your peril. Thanks again for allowing dissent in your blog. May our Lady enlighten you and protect you. Sincerely,
ReplyDeleteek,
ReplyDeleteRomney's policy is to have nothing on his agenda to stop abortion. Under President Obama, the number of abortions has declined. And that is without counting the number of unborn lives saved by the President's EPA policy, which Romney wishes to repeal. Hence, there will be more abortions under Romney's policies.
Right wing Catholics constructed this meme that we should only vote on the abortion issue. Now, their own argument turns against them.
The Pope doesn't support Kenyan Muslims. He supports real American Christians.
ReplyDeleteRomney and Obama are BOTH pro-choice.
ReplyDeleteWhen there are 2 candidates who support intrinsic evils, you have to choose the one who will do the least to further the cause. Obama supports abortion entirely and wants to make it legal at all times up until the moment of birth everywhere in America, regardless of what the states say on the matter. His healthcare mandate also would force all businesses to supply free contraception and abortion to their employees, even catholic ones. Also, may I add, while in Illinois, he voted against an act that would protect the lives of children born alive after failed abortions. If anything is truly evil, that s. Romney, on the other hand, will not do more to make abortion legal and will not force companies to pay for abortions and contraceptions, which would be participating in those evils. (Obama is already suing companies who have attempted to go against this- what ever happened to our freedom!)
ReplyDeletehealthcare is denied to no one in the united states right now. when someone goes to the hospital, they have to be taken care of, whether or not they can pay. what obama wants to do is take away our freedom to choose what kind of healthcare we want and where we get it from. just look at what happened in canada, where the government runs health care.......
ReplyDelete