Pope urges doctors, healthcare workers to fight anti-life culture

September 20, 2013 - Pope Francis on Friday urged Catholic doctors and health care workers to fight today’s anti-life culture, stressing that there is no true development without openness to life. The Pope’s appeal came in his talk to participants in the 10th international conference of Matercare International (MCI) being held in Rome Sept. 18-22, on the theme “Catholicism and Maternal Health Care.” Matercare is an international group of Catholic obstetricians and gynecologists, with a preferential option for mothers and babies, both born and unborn, especially in developing countries. Pope Francis noted that in today’s “paradoxical situation” a doctor risks losing his/her natural identity as the servant of life. The Pope lamented that while attributing to the person new rights, that sometimes are also presumed, life is not always safeguarded as the primary and primordial right of every person. “The final objective of doctor is always the defence and promotion of life,” the Pope said, calling on professionals and health workers, especially gynecologists to collaborate in the birth of new life. The Pope noted that a widespread mentality of utility and the ‘culture of waste” that enslaves the heart and intelligence of many, calls for the elimination of human beings especially if they are physically and socially very weak. Stressing that “the first right of a human person is his life” the Pope said that human life in its totality has become a priority of the Catholic Church, particularly those largely defenceless, such as the disableds, the sick, the unborn, the child and the elderly. In this anti-life mentality, the Pope reminded the conference participants that the credibility of a healthcare system is not measured only on its efficiency, but above all for its attention and love for persons for people whose life is always sacred and inviolable.