Reviewed by Rev. James R. Gould
The Eternal Word Television Network recently aired a very insightful show about the current issues facing the Catholic medical community. Anchorman Raymond Arroyo recognized the new cutting edge (excuse the play on words) in the interaction of medical treatments shared between Catholic and secular healthcare providers.
In our contemporary culture, the obvious components of Catholic medical programs serving the patients are: the Church hierarchy — bishops assisted with the insights of moral theologians — which sets moral standards for healthcare; healthcare centers — hospitals, clinics and offices — which provide the technological services in healthcare; insurance providers, who are concerned primarily with juggling finances and the provision of adequate healthcare; and finally, the educational systems — including four Catholic medical schools — educating the next generation of doctors. One component often forgotten or simply overlooked is the doctor himself — a most disturbing oversight.
Arroyo, true to form, allowed a venue whereby the most cynical of us could be shocked: A professor from a prominent Catholic medical school indicated that the current class favors abortion as a legitimate option in modern healthcare. A lone voice stood out in response, asking why the Catholic school would allow those candidates into the medical program, ultimately unleashing them upon an innocent and unsuspecting public. The voice belonged to none other than Dr. Eugene Diamond.
Dr. Diamond is a professor of clinical pediatrics at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, director of the Linacre Institute, and past president of the Catholic Medical Association. He has authored six books and more than 200 articles related to pediatrics and bioethics. He is a man who not only asks the tough questions, but can deliver the right answers.
Dr. Diamond’s answers to the tough questions can be found in his new book, A Catholic Guide to Medical Ethics: Catholic Principles in Clinical Practice. Finally, a book discussing the moral dilemmas facing modern medicine has become available to both doctors and patients. Dr. Diamond’s book offers great clarity and understanding on the insights the Catholic Faith brings to the art and science of medicine. And the best part is that you don’t need a medical degree to understand it.
Dr. Diamond has placed the ideal medical resource before the public eye. His book encompasses more than 50 issues that engage the Catholic serving in the medical field today. The book addresses topics such as: sterilization in Catholic hospitals; determination of brain death and organ transplants; the recent statement from the Catholic Medical Association on the topic of homosexuality and hope; the use of hydration and nutrition for the impaired; the problem of abortionists on Catholic hospital staffs; and the maladies of contraception, among many others. One chapter in particular that readers will find interesting discusses miraculous cures in medicine.
The importance of this book cannot be stressed enough. It should be placed in every Catholic home and promoted as a marvelous investment for collegians. It is a tool for many, including newlyweds confused by the attractions of contraception, and for the elderly who often fall prey to the false compassion of “Living Wills” that restrict hydration and nutrition. It serves as a valuable resource for the one group that must no longer be overlooked: the doctors who serve us so very well.
A Catholic Guide to Medical Ethics should also be offered to non-Catholic physicians. Consider sending a copy to your family physician—not as a Christmas present, but as an investment for the health of your family and the many others who place their trust in the guardians of the current healthcare system. Let the truth set our doctors free.
(Fr. Gould is Chairman of the Board of HLI. This article appeared in the August 2001 issue of HLI Reports, published by Human Life International.)
