No Wonder People Don't Trust

The Peoria Catholic Post December 21, 2008 has an article on the Vatican document "Dignitas Personae" (The Dignity of a Person).

This document reaffirms that Catholic teaching opposes all fertilization techniques that separate procreation from the conjugal act.

Paul Kortz, R.N. is FertilityCare coordinator at OSF in Peoria. Paul teaches Natural Family Planning (NFP) at OSF which is consistent with the Church's teaching.

Paul states in the Catholic post article, “Keeping this in mind we are all called by God to use our intellects to become participants in the work of our Creator. The fight of our intellect provides the means to share an ethical responsibility to discern if medical interventions ever compromise the sacredness of life.”

“Challenging as it may be, we must make concerted efforts to educate our family, friends, and associates that participation in any intervention that undermines the dignity of the human person is to be avoided."

So why did the Catholic Diocese of Peoria and OSF create a loophole for OSF physicians to write prescriptions for oral contraceptives? This policy was created about 15 years ago and flies in the face of Catholic teaching.

Humanae Vitae, written in 1968, states this regarding physicians and health care providers:

Paragraph 27: To Doctors and Medical Personnel

We hold those physicians and medical personnel in the highest esteem who, in the exercise of their profession, value above every human interest the superior demands of their Christian vocation. Let them persevere, therefore, in promoting on every occasion the discovery of solutions inspired by faith and right reason, let them strive to arouse this conviction and this respect in their associates. Let them also consider as their proper professional duty the task of acquiring all of the knowledge needed in this delicate sector, so as to be able to give to those married persons who consult them wise counsel and healthy direction, such as they have a right to expect.

Does OSF and the Catholic Diocese of Peoria promote on every occasion the discovery of faith and right reason and arouse this conviction and this respect in their associates?

I don't think so and money is the reason according to OSF Catholic Ethicist Joseph Piccione.

No mention was made in the article regarding any NFP physician working for OSF. I wonder if OSF even has a NFP at this point. Their only NFP doctor was run out after asking for more money for NFP and being told that OSF needed to pay for the half billion dollar Milestone Project. Women's issues regarding Catholic teachings were given very short shrift.

Also, the Catholic Post article is deceiving by casting eyes on embattled Governor Blagojevich and his policy regarding health care providers and following their consciences. The Post left out that OSF and the Diocese were intricately linked in allowing OSF physicians to provide oral contraceptives. It seems to me that The Diocese and OSF were more effective than the Governor regarding this issue.

The Post article ends with the editor pointing the reader to www.popepaulvi.com. (Pope Paul VI Institute). OSF FertilityCare Department takes much of its philosophy from this Institute.

The Pope Paul VI Institute website states it is dedicated to building a culture of life by confronting the culture of death:

• By confronting the contraceptive mentality, which is the gateway to abortion.
• By confronting artificial reproductive technologies that suppress, distort, and alter women's fertility; that negatively impact marriages and families; and that lead to the "new abortion."
• By confronting moral erosion.
• By confronting Planned Parenthood's agenda.

So when all is said and done, the reader should be confused regarding what the Catholic Diocese of Peoria and OSF really believe regarding pro-life issues.