By Colten Maertens-Pizzo

On May 3, Archbishop Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, spoke to the 17th World Congress of Public Health on the necessity of justice in public health. The congress is hosted by the World Federation of Public Health Associations every two to three years, this year focusing on the role of interdisciplinarity for health equity. Paglia contributed significantly by calling the congress to recognize that public health cannot achieve equity if it lacks an awareness of the need for justice in public health policy.

Colten Maertens-PizzoSeptember 18, 2023catholic health care

FDA Prematurely Relabels Plan B

In episodes 106 and 107 of Bioethics on Air, “Changing the Messaging and Mechanisms of Plan B,” Joe Zalot interviews John Brehany, director of institutional relations at The National Catholic Bioethics Center, regarding the revised messaging for Plan B, which was published by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 23, 2022 and stated that the medication “will not affect an existing pregnancy.” Brehany explains that this label change may be premature and elaborates on the moral challenge that will result from this revision.

Pope’s Message on Leprosy Extends beyond Pathology

In his message to the Second International Symposium on Hansen’s Disease, which was held January 23–24, 2023, Pope Francis reflected on the fact that, despite our claims of being more just than previous societies, we are no better equipped than were they to ensure the fundamental human rights of those who are marginalized. For our all knowledge of disease mechanisms, we still are as likely as were our ancestors to recoil from persons as if they were their disease. This revulsion seeps into other areas of life, pushing people to take drastic steps to avoid crises whose roots can be traced to the stigma created by the selfishness and injustice of others.

Colten Maertens-PizzoFebruary 21, 2023catholic health care

Pope Francis Praises Harmony and Care in Medicine

On November 14, 2022, Pope Francis gave a speech to Apoteca Natura, a network of European pharmacists who specialize in providing advice on natural therapy. The speech mostly passed by popular media unnoticed. This lack of coverage is unfortunate because the speech contains pearls of wisdom about the proper attitude and intent for medicine. Although the speech was given to a pharmacist network seemingly on the peripherals of medical care, its message resonates for all health care professionals. In praising Apoteca Natura for its good work, for example, the Pope called all listeners to remember the human-oriented nature of all medical work.

Colten Maertens-PizzoDecember 12, 2022catholic health care