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USCCB News Release     09-058
March 16, 2009              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
En Español at
http://usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-058sp.shtml

Message Spread on Web Sites, YouTube:

• Don’t Move From ‘Democracy to Despotism,’ Cardinal Francis George Warns
• Alert Health, Human Services to Danger in Rescinding Conscience Protections

Cardinal George Urges Catholics to Tell Administration:

Keep Conscience Protections for Health Care Workers

WASHINGTON-Cardinal Francis George is urging Catholics in the United States to tell the Obama Administration to retain Health and Human Services regulations governing conscience protections for health care workers.

This is vital to keep the government from “moving our country from democracy to despotism,” said Cardinal George, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He delivered the message via video available on the Web at http://www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NoCRwMqVzQ.

Those who want to protect conscience rights can speak out through an action alert at http://www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection.

“Respect for personal conscience and freedom of religion as such ensures our basic freedom from government oppression. No government should come between an individual person and God-that’s what America is supposed to be about,” Cardinal Francis George said. “This is the true common ground for us as Americans. We therefore need legal protection for freedom of conscience and of religion-including freedom for religious health care institutions to be true to themselves.”

“I ask you please to let the government know that you want conscience protections to remain strongly in place. In particular, let the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington know that you stand for the protection of conscience, especially now for those who provide the health care services so necessary for a good society,” he said.

Cardinal Francis George taped the message after the Obama Administration announced in early March that it was rescinding the regulations which guarantee that health workers cannot be forced to provide services that violate their consciences, including abortions.

Source: http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-058.shtml. You can read the full text of Cardinal George’s statement at that site.

USCCB News Release     09-061
March 18, 2009              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

• Depend on conscience for guidance, M.D. says
• I draw on education, experience, conscience, says nurse
• Medical students will rely on conscience to uphold Hippocratic Oath

Doctor, Nurse, Medical Students Call for Conscience Protection on USCCB Web Site

WASHINGTON-A doctor, a nurse and two medical students gave testimonials on the importance of conscience protection in the medical field in four videos now available on the Web at http://www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection. Their testimonies are part of an effort by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) urging Catholics to tell the Obama Administration to retain Health and Human Services regulations governing conscience protection for health care workers.

• Giving her testimonial in English and in Spanish, Sally Sanchez, R.N. of Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Ill., said of the nursing profession, “As part of our every action, I have to make a decision. Here I draw on my education, my life’s experience and my conscience.” She added, “If our government will not respect my right to follow my conscience, I can’t be the kind of professional you want at your bedside.”

• Myles Sheehan, M.D., who practices internal medicine and geriatrics, spoke on the responsibilities of his field, noting that he and his colleagues “hold the extraordinary power of medicine in our hands.”

“We depend on our conscience for guidance as we work with our patients. For years, our government has recognized the importance of protecting conscience in a democratic society, especially in the field of medicine where human lives hang in the balance,” said Dr. Sheehan, who is also a Jesuit priest.

• Medical students Michael and Kathryn Redinger of the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University in Chicago mentioned the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm to their patients. “We’ll rely on conscience so we never violate this oath,” said Kathryn.

These videos can be found along with other USCCB resources and a link to contacting Health and Human Services at http://www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection.

Source: http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-061.shtml.

To view the videos, go to http://www.usccb.org/conscienceprotection/. That site has all the videos in one place, as well as a link to You Tube for each video.

090406 update:
Here is a link to videos by another organization http://www.cmda.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Right_of_Conscience&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=21504