Denver Catholic

2 AUGUST 12-25, 2017 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page Archbishop's Column Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila PHOTO OF THE WEEK @ArchbishopDen July 22 Andrea Polito #ConsecratedVirgin today @ Cathedral-A sign of contradiction to the world - witness to #joyoftheGospel Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 Denver Catholic (USPS 557-020) is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January. Denver Catholic is printed by Prairie Mountain Publishing, LLC in Boulder. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $50 a year in Colorado; $57 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $57 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $63 air; Canada, $70 air. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or email circulation@archden.org. CIRCULATION & CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-715-3230 or info@archden.org. General Manager KARNA SWANSON Business Manager MICHAEL O'NEILL ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE AUG. 13: Mass for installation of pastor, St. John the Baptist Parish, Longmont (10:30 a.m.) AUG. 15: Mass, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (12:10 p.m.) AUG. 20: Mass, 50th anniversary of Risen Christ Parish (11:00 a.m.) Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila was awarded the Veritatis Splendor Award by the Alliance Defending Freedom during a private luncheon at the Napa Institute in California July 29. The award recognized Archbishop Aquila for his steadfast devotion to upholding Christian truths. PHOTO BY KATE CAPATO Lessons from Charlie Gard A fter living one week short of a year, Baby Charlie Gard passed on to eternal life on July 28th. His brief life and the court battle over his treatment should move us to pray for him and his family and to refl ect on the lessons it holds for the ongoing health care debate in our own country. For those of you who are unfamil- iar with the story of Charlie Gard, he was an almost one-year-old English boy with a rare genetic disorder called mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. The disease damaged his brain and left him unable to move his arms or legs. Over the last few months, Charlie's parents had to appeal to a series of courts to prevent his doctors from removing him from a ventilator and to allow their child to be admitted to an experimental clini- cal trial in the U.S. In Britain, if the parents of a minor or the patient himself disagrees with the doctors about treatment, the disagreement is settled in the court system. This means that the patient is at the mercy of a judge. Charlie's mother, Connie Yates,šdescribed how this resulted in the denial of their request to bring their son home for his fi nal days. She told Sky News, "We just want some peace with our son, no hospital, no lawyers, no courts, no media, just quality time with Charlie away from everything to say goodbye to him in the most loving way. We've had no control over our son's life and no control over our son's death." When Pope Francis heard about the battle over Charlie's care, he said that he hoped his parents' wish to "accompany and care for their child" would be respected to the end. Unfortunately, as time and the court battles went on, the damage to his body reached a point that meant the clinical trial in the U.S. was no longer a possibility. And in the end, Charlie was not allowed to go home to die. Instead, the judge ruled that he would be taken to a hospice, where he would be removed from a ventilator and subsequently pass away. Much to the dismay of his parents, this is what happened on July 28th. As we consider the future of health care in our country and as some pol- iticians call for a government-run system, we should not gloss over the tendency for such systems to usurp the rights of parents to determine what is in their child's best interest, and for that matter, the rights of patients to manage their own health care. Another danger is the demand by the government for immoral proce- dures, such as the Health and Human Services contra- ception mandate that tar- geted the Little Sisters of the Poor and others. All too often, one sees state-run health systems make decisions based on a drive for ež ciency, a patient's so-called "quality of life," or along ideological lines, rather than seeking to uphold patients' inherent dignity as a human person. In the "throw- away culture" in which we live, our hearts are hardened against caring for those with disabilities and the dying. Reform e¡ orts for our health system should respect the rights of patients and parents to make deci- sions about their own medical treat- ment, the conscience rights of med- ical professionals and the principal of subsidiarity. The story of Charlie Gard makes the consequences of doing otherwise clear. While Congress considers repeal- ing the A¡ ordable Care Act, it should also keep in mind that any replace- ment should treat health care not as a privilege, but a right founded upon the right to life and the God-given dignity of every person.šThe level of care we extend to the poor and sick should not be curtailed because of their fi nancial means, health or the decisions of hospital ož cials. The plight of so many people who are sick and in need of care reminds me of Emma Lazarus' poem "The Great Colossus," which can be found in the pedestal of the Statue of Lib- erty. Lazarus was a Portuguese Sep- hardic Jew who spent much of her time helping poor and often sick ref- ugees as they arrived at Ward Island near New York City. She wrote, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your hud- dled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tem- pest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" I pray that in the coming months our lawmakers will strive to craft leg- islation that places the dignity of the person at the center of health care, so that our country will continue to care for the sick and downtrodden. Let us also pray for Charlie's family and all those who are facing medical trials. May our Father grant them peace, wisdom and fortitude. As we consider the future of health care in our country and as some politicians call for a government-run system, we should not gloss over the tendency for such systems to usurp the rights of parents to determine what is in their child's best interest." "

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