In early September, I had the privilege of attending the annual educational conference of the Catholic Medical Association. The Catholic Medical Association, as described on its website, is “the largest association of Catholic individuals in health care. We help our members to grow in faith, maintain ethical integrity, and provide excellent health care in accordance with the teachings of the Church.” The conference was held in Orlando, Florida, and there were about 750 people in attendance. The conference's theme was “Imago Dei” – the image of God. These words recall the first chapter of Genesis, where God says, “God created mankind in His image; in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27).
Each day of the conference began with the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, the episcopal advisor to the CMA, was celebrant on the first day, and I was one of about twelve concelebrating priests. Immediately after Mass, there was a Eucharistic procession to another room set up as an adoration chapel, and adoration continued throughout the conference. Priests heard confessions each day before Mass and during breaks between talks.
Each day included talks in the mornings and break-out sessions in the afternoons. The first talk was given by O. Carter Snead, a law and political science professor at Notre Dame University, entitled “What It Means to Be Human: The Foundation for Medical Ethics.” Other talks dealt with such topics as the ethics of treating diseases with embryonic cells, the science and law regarding abortion, the need for healthcare professionals to recognize and find help for vulnerable patients, medicine as a vocation, and maintaining personal connections with patients in the age of virtual visits.
The afternoon break-out sessions covered a wide variety of topics. These topics included ethical treatments for infertility, threats to the right of health care providers to practice in accord with their Catholic beliefs, finding the proper balance between treating the mother and the fetus in prenatal care, gender dysphoria, conscience protection, the use of AI, finding meaning in suffering, writing as a help in processing trauma, brain death and organ donation, and vaccine mandates.
There was one particularly noteworthy breakout session. It included a panel of young people who had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and received hormonal and surgical treatment. They later came to regret these decisions and told the stories of the harm they had experienced.
On Saturday, September 7, the attendees went to the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe, for the “White Mass,” which honors members of the medical profession (just as the Red Mass honors the legal profession and the Blue Mass honors law enforcement and first responders). Bishop John Noonan of Orlando was the main celebrant. After Mass, the attendees returned to the conference center for the banquet, at which Father Robert Spitzer, S.J., gave the keynote address.
I should add that I was not the only person from Corpus Christi who attended. Dr. Sean Hutzler, a parishioner at St. Pius X and an emergency room physician, was there. We visited for quite a while and agreed that organizations like the CMA are good and much needed. Catholic medical professionals and Catholic patients have the right to have their consciences respected in health care matters. Neither doctors nor patients should feel pressured to perform or accept treatment that goes against the Church's teachings.
There were two aspects of the conference that I found particularly encouraging. The first was that the conference included daily Mass, adoration, and confessions. The Masses were well attended, and confessions kept me busy between sessions. The second thing that I found encouraging was the quality of the people who were there. The members of the Catholic Medical Association are medical professionals who are passionate about their Catholic faith. The Mass and the sacraments are critical to them, and the ability to practice medicine following the Church's moral teachings is vital to them.
I was pleased that, at the banquet, Dr. Michelle Stanford (the president of the CMA) encouraged all of the members to take part in the “Walk With One” initiative that the bishops have recommended during this "Year of Mission" in the Eucharistic Revival. It is good to know that such faith-filled medical professionals exist and have come together for mutual support and encouragement in the faith.
Of course, the reason they want to practice in accord with the faith gets back to the theme of the conference, “Imago Dei” – the image of God. The Catholic healthcare professional will see the image of God in every patient. May all healthcare providers, particularly Catholics, always strive to see the Imago Dei in their patients and treat them with the respect they deserve.