To the
members of the International Federation of Catholic Pharmacists
ALL AGGRESSION AGAINST HUMAN LIFE MUST BE OPPOSED
MORAL CODE MUST SUPERSEDE LAWS OF THE MARKETPLACE
On 3 November the Holy Father met 300 members
of the International Federation of Catholic Pharmacists which is celebrating
its 40th anniversary. He delivered this speech in French:
Mr President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
1.It is with pleasure that I welcome
you who are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of
the International Federation of Catholic Pharmacists. I thank your President,
Edwin Scheer, for the warm greeting which he just directed to me, and for the
description he gave of the strong resolve of your federation to follow courageously
in the steps of your founders. Four decades of increasing activity confirm the
importance and worth of your institution.
2.As you know, the Church considers
care given to the sick to be a privileged aspect of her mission. The Church is
closely connected with spiritual care, but that should not lead her to ignore
physical health. Is it not true that we often borrow from your language when we
speak of "medicinal grace", or when we refer to virtues and spiritual
values as "remedies"?
The extraordinary development of
science and of the practice of medicine, both in terms of society's care of the
sick and preventive medicine, includes a considerable parallel development in
the field of pharmacology. Pharmacists, therefore, who have always been an
intermediary between the doctor and the sick person, have seen their field of
activity broaden. Awareness of your responsibilities leads you to reflect
increasingly on the human, cultural, ethical and spiritual dimensions of your
mission. In fact, the relationship between the pharmacists and the one seeking
medication goes far beyond its commercial aspects, because it requires an acute
perception of the personal problems of the person involved as well as the basic
ethical aspects of the services rendered to the life and dignity of the human
person.
3.As I have often had the occasion
to point out, pharmacists can be sought out for non-therapeutic ends which are
liable to go against the natural law, to the detriment of the person's dignity.
Therefore it is clear that the distribution of medication - as well as its
production and use - must be governed by a rigorous moral code attentively
observed. Respect for this code of behaviour presupposes fidelity to certain
intangible principles which the mission of the Baptized and the duty of
Christian witness make particularly timely.
All this
requires the pharmacist's constantly renewed reflection. Forms of aggression
against human life and human dignity are becoming more numerous, notably
through recourse to medication, even though it should never be used against
life, directly or surreptitiously. This is why the Catholic pharmacist has the
duty - in accord moreover with the changeless principles of natural ethics
inscribed in the human conscience - to be an attentive counsellor of those who
are purchasing remedies, not to mention the moral help which he or she can give
to those who come to buy a product, but who also await some counsel, a reason
for hope, or a path to follow.
4.In distributing medication, the
pharmacist cannot ignore the demands of his or her conscience in preference to
the harsh laws of the marketplace or permissive legislation. Profit, which is
both legitimate and necessary, must always be subordinated to respect for the
moral law and in accord with the Church's Magisterium. In society one should be
able to recognize Catholic pharmacists as both competent and faithful
witnesses, without leading to a situation where institutions and associations
which form under that title lose their reason for coming into existence.
For the Catholic pharmacist, Church
teachings about respect for life and the dignity of the human person from
conception to the last moments of life are of an ethical and moral nature. He
or she cannot submit to various opinions or apply changing options at will.
Aware of the novelty and complexity of the problems posed by scientific and
technological progress, the Church makes her voice heard more often and gives
clear guidelines to health-care personnel, to which group the pharmacists belongs.
Adhering to this teaching is surely a difficult duty to apply concretely in
your daily work, but for a Catholic pharmacist it is a matter of fundamental
guidelines which he or she cannot ignore.
5.In working at your profession, you
are called to be near to the consumers of medication: for you they are the
neighbours whom, in the image of the Good Samaritan, you view not only in
regard to their immediate needs, but as brothers and sisters who ask for more
than simply material help.
The Gospel speaks of a power to heal
which emanates from the person of Christ Himself; the sick and the infirm
approach the pharmacist as one who knows how to heal soul and body. It is in
this spirit that you are called to act, by virtue of your profession and your
Christian faith.
That was what inspired your
founders, whom we recall today with admiration and recognition. Your
association helps you to come to a clear awareness of your specific duties. The
Church needs your witness which, among other ways, can be translated into your
activities to urge public authorities to adopt laws which recognize the sacred
and intangible character of life and of all that can contribute to improving
physical, psychological and spiritual conditions.
6.With all my heart I invoke upon your federation, upon you yourselves and your families, as well as upon your daily work the support of God's blessing. May the Most Holy Virgin, Mother of goodness and wisdom, guide you along the path of faith and in the service you render to life!