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Australia needs a national body to help co-ordinate the work of Catholic health care workers, according to the president of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral
Care, Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragán.
The archbishop was speaking at last week’s international health care conference held in Sydney as part of the World Day of the Sick.
Archbishop Barragán said
a coordinating body to help provide pastoral assistance to health care workers, as well as similar bodies at diocesan or parish levels, was needed in Australia.
The goal of these bodies would be to express
the care of the Church for the infirm and “to help those who serve the sick and the suffering so that the apostolate of compassion … meets new needs inan ever more effective way,” said Archbishop Barragán, who
delivered the keynote address at the conference, which was held at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney. Over 200 religious, medical and support staff, including 22 bishops, from across the world attended the
conference.
In a response to Archbishop Barragán’s address, Sister Annette Cunliffe, chair of Catholic Health Australia, said the challenge for the Australian Church lay in bringing about a smooth transition
from a Catholic health care system run by religious to one led and run by lay people.
Networks and support mechanisms need to be established to facilitate this transition, said Sister Annette. At the same
time the Church’s contribution to health care was becoming all the more necessary as Australia’s population aged.
“Our commitment to the sanctity of life must remain as a beacon for the community so that the
value and worth of every individual remains at the heart of all research, medical, nursing and health care practice, and all our health care workers are supported in ensuring this,” said Sister Annette.
The Catholic Weekly will bring readers full coverage of the conference next week.
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