Florida Catholic | Bioethics Conference To Give Catholic Perspective

Bioethics conference to provide Catholic perspective

Nationally recognized speakers on life issues will be in Fort Myers for “Faith-Based Bioethics: Catholic Tradition in Health Care” on March 29 at Resurrection of Our Lord Parish.

BOB REDDY | FLORIDA CATHOLIC VENICE BUREAU EDITOR

Published: 02.29.08

VENICE | Physicians who deal with issues regarding the beginning and end of life each day will soon have an opportunity to learn and discuss the Catholic perspective on these cornerstone bioethical topics at a special conference in Fort Myers.

The “Faith-Based Bioethics: Catholic Tradition in Health Care” conference will be held March 29 at Resurrection of Our Lord Parish hall in Fort Myers, with Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrating Mass prior to the all-day event.

WHAT: “Faith-Based Bioethics: Catholic Tradition in Health Care” conference

WHEN: Saturday, March 29, 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m.

WHERE: Resurrection of Our Lord Parish, 8121 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers

COST: $25 (Make checks payable to Lee Memorial Health System)

CONTACT: Joanne Gorgone, continuing medical education coordinator: call 239-574-0397, fax 239-772-6564 or e-mail Joanne at gorgone@leememorial.org.

TRANSPORTATION: Round-trip shuttle bus available for $45 from St. Martha Parish, 200 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota. Contact: Monica Storm, 941-365-4023.

Dr. Steve Hannan of Health Park Medical Center in Fort Myers organized the event, and received the blessing of the bishop and Lee Memorial Health System to support this conference.

The conference comes at a critical time: It was recently announced that scientists have reprogrammed human skin cells to behave like embryonic stem cells.

“A lot of people are thinking the stem-cell war is over, that it’s a dead issue,” said Jeanne Berdeaux, director of the diocesan Respect Life Office.

“It is not over. A battle may have been won, but the war rages on. Researchers are still looking for taxpayers to fund embryonic stem-cell research. People need to understand the difference between fact and fiction on this important issue. Human life and our tax dollars are at stake.”

Hannan came up with the idea for the conference after attending similar events sponsored by the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, which advises the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“There are lots of Catholics in our hospital and issues come up almost daily, and depending on what your world view is, conflicts occur,” he said.

“This is an opportunity for everyone, because there is a lack of knowledge on most positions of the church. Anyone who practices medicine or has a ministry that deals with these issues should attend.”

Emphasizing that point, Bishop Dewane sent a letter to every member of the diocesan clergy pertaining to this conference and its importance, Berdeaux said.

Topics being discussed include an overview of Catholic health care and bioethical principles; stem-cell research and cloning; stem-cell research related to Florida; assisted reproductive technologies and human embryos; moral and ethical considerations of brain death; hospice care and Catholic doctrine; and ordinary and extraordinary means regarding the end of life.

Physicians and other medical professionals can earn continuing medical education credits for their participation.

One of the featured speakers from the bioethics center is Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, a Catholic priest who holds a doctorate in neuroscience from Yale University. Father Pacholczyk also worked in molecular biology as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School.

A second speaker is National Catholic Bioethics Center president John Haas, an internationally recognized theologian who serves as a consultant to the Pro-Life Activities Committee of the USCCB.

Other speakers include Dr. Mary Stegman, end-of-life chairman for the diocesan respect life department, and Dr. Daniel Pepin, who has traveled the diocese giving presentations on embryonic and adult stem-cell research.

The bioethics center speakers will help attendees better understand the issues that modern medical advancements have caused, Stegman said.

“No one gets out of this world alive,” she said. “In the 1900s, 90 percent died a sudden death and 10 percent died a slow, protracted death. In the 2000s, 10 percent die a sudden death and 90 percent die a slow, protracted death.”

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