The unalienable right to life is the fundamental teaching of the Church and also the foundation of the Declaration of Independence. This God-given right requires eternal vigilance by we the people; government officials and Church leaders alone cannot be trusted to protect it. In 650 BC, the city-state of Sparta-the dominant power in ancient Greece left ailing seniors and infants on hillsides to die. Today advanced nations also officially restrict life-giving treatment to the aged, the disabled, the terminally ill- and some infants. George Wesolek, director of the Archdiocesan Office of Public Policy knows this; yet he accuses opponents of the so-called Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of bad theology and partisan political activity. (CSF Dec.10)
This 2000 page act is a soulless assault on the unalienable right to life; it was passed unread, pushed by a partisan Speaker Pelosi and signed by partisan President Obama. 
Catholic clergy and lay leaders who advocate this womb to tomb takeover of America’s health care by 100 bureaucracies, boards and commissions should know that health coverage does not mean health care. In 2005 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled; “Access to a waiting list is not health care.” Every year over 200,000 patients from Canada and European Union countries with government health care seek treatment in the U.S. that they cannot get in their homeland. Catholic leaders also know in Great Britain the National Health Service determines treatment based upon patient age and condition- Quality Adjusted Life Years. Britain and other E.U. nations also deny renal dialysis and certain drugs to elderly patients and the terminally ill. In the Netherlands the Dutch permit lethal injections on newborns diagnosed unable to have a meaningful life.
Catholic clergy and lay leaders who advocate this womb to tomb takeover of America’s health care by 100 bureaucracies, boards and commissions should know that health coverage does not mean health care. In 2005 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled; “Access to a waiting list is not health care.” Every year over 200,000 patients from Canada and European Union countries with government health care seek treatment in the U.S. that they cannot get in their homeland. Catholic leaders also know in Great Britain the National Health Service determines treatment based upon patient age and condition- Quality Adjusted Life Years. Britain and other E.U. nations also deny renal dialysis and certain drugs to elderly patients and the terminally ill. In the Netherlands the Dutch permit lethal injections on newborns diagnosed unable to have a meaningful life. America’s seniors soon will find the $500 billion cut in Medicare will cut diagnosis and treatment for cancer and heart disease. The White House special advisor for health policy has said: “Whether to save one 20 year old who could live 60 years or three age 70 years who could live only 10 years; we recommend prioritizing younger people for the greater good.” (Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, Lancet, 2009)
George Wesolek acknowledges this act has fundamental flaws and hopes the new Congress will clarify it. America’s aged, disabled and terminally ill deserve more than such feeble hope from Catholic leaders. The majority of Americans demand this immoral intrusion be rewritten to protect the unalienable right to life. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and every diocesan office of public policy should lead the demand to protect the fundamental teaching of the Church..
Mike DeNunzio
