Dolentium Hominum N.48
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gg DOLENTIUM HOMINUM N. 48 — Year XVI — No. 3, 2001 JOURNAL OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR HEALTH PASTORAL CARE ARCHBISHOP JAVIER LOZANO BARRAG N, Editor-in-Chief CORRESPONDENTS BISHOP JOS L. REDRADO, O.H., Executive Editor REV.FELICE RUFFINI, M.I., Associate Editor REV. MATEO BAUTISTA, Argentina MONSIGNOR J. JAMES CASSIDY, U.S.A. REV.RUDE DELGADO, Spain REV.RAMON FERRERO, Mozambique EDITORIAL BOARD REV.BENOIT GOUDOTE, Ivory Coast PROFESSOR SALVINO LEONE, Italy REV.JORGE PALENCIA, Mexico REV. CIRO BENEDETTINI REV. GEORGE PEREIRA, India DR. LILIANA BOLIS MRS.AN VERLINDE, Belgium SR.AURELIA CUADRON PROFESSOR ROBERT WALLEY, Canada REV. GIOVANNI DERCOLE, F.D.P. DR. MAYA EL-HACHEM REV. GIANFRANCO GRIECO REV. BONIFACIO HONINGS MONSIGNOR JES S IRIGOYEN EDITORIAL STAFF REV.JOSEPH JOBLIN REV.VITO MAGNO, R.C.I. DR. COLETTE CHALON DR. DINA NEROZZI-FRAJESE DR. ANTONELLA FARINA DR. FRANCO PLACIDI DR. MATTHEW FFORDE REV.LUCIANO SANDRIN REV.BERNARD GRASSER, M.I. 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Costantino Ruggeri Spedizione in a.p. - art. 2, comma 20/c, legge 662/96 - Roma gg Contents 4 Prayer THE INTERNATIONAL MEETING John Paul II OF CATHOLIC OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNAECOLOGIST 4 Pontifical Appointments ROME, 17-20 JUNE 2001 TOPICS 64 Address of Presentation Dr. Gian Luigi Gigli 6 The Perception of Pain 65 Doctors Protest in the Buddhist World Conscience Discrimination Prof. Elena De Rossi Filibeck John Paul II 10 Evangelisation in the World 67 The International Meeting of of Mental Health: Catholic Gynaecologists and Foundations and Guidelines for Action Obstetricians: The History of an Event Rev. José Antonio Pagola Dr. Gian Luigi Gigli 2 17 The Anthropology and Ethics of Dying 69 Protecting Human Life Prof. José Garcia Ferez in a Changing World: the Responsibility of 20 Dying in our Society: Catholic Obstetricians Philosophical and Ethical Aspects H.E. Msgr. Javier Lozano Barragán Dr. Franco Davide Pilotto 74 A Question of Conscience Prof. Robert Walley TESTIMONY 78 The Importance of the Catholic Obstetrician-Gynaecologist for the 44 Problems of Health in Burkina Faso Presence of the Church in the World Rev. Renato Di Menna, M.I. of Health and Health Care Dr. Gian Luigi Gigli 49 The Blessed Luigi Tezza: Founder of the Daughters 81 The Year 2001: of San Camillo The Activity of the Pontifical Council Rev. Angelo Brusco, M.I. for Health Pastoral Care Msgr. Krzysztof Nykiel 55 Pastoral Care in Health The Archdiocese of Managua, Nicaragua 60 The World Day of the Sick ‘Praying in Illness’, 11 February 2002: Guidelines for Pastoral Care in Health – Spain The Department for Pastoral Care in Health – Spain The illustrations in this edition are taken from the book: ‘Omaggio a San Marco, Tesori dall’Europa’ edited by Hermann Fillitz, Giovanni Morello Electa gg Prayer to Mary Most Holy «Health of the Sick» O Virgin Mary, «Health of the sick», you who accompanied Jesus on the way to Calvary and remained near the cross on which your Son died, participating intimately in his suffering, take our suffering and unite them with His, so that the seeds sown during the Jubilee continue to produce abundant fruits in the coming years. Most tender Mother, we turn to you with confidence. Obtain from your Son the strength to return soon, completely restored, to our duties, 4 so that we be useful to our neighbour through our work. Meanwhile stay with us at the moment of trial and help us to repeat everyday with you our yes, sure that God will bring out from every evil a greater goodness. Immaculate Virgin, may the fruits of the Jubilee Year be for us and for our dear ones a pledge of renewed vigour in Christian life, so that in the contemplation of the Face of the Risen Christ we will find the abundance of the mercy of God and the joy of a more complete union with the brethren, the beginning of the joy without end in heaven. Amen. Vatican City, February 11, 2001. Pontifical Appointments The Holy Father has confirmed, for another quinquenium, His Excellency Msgr. Javier Lozano Barragán President of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care The Holy Father has confirmed, for another quinquenium, His Excellency Msgr. José Luis Redrado Marchite, O.H. Secretary of the same Pontifical Council The Holy Father has confirmed Reverend Father Felice Ruffini, M.I. Under-Secretary of the same Pontifical Council, until the age of 70. DOLENTIUM HOMINUM N. 48-2001 gg Topics The Perception of Pain in the Buddhist World Evangelisation in the World of Mental Health: Foundations and Guidelines for Action The Anthropology and Ethics of Dying Dying in our Society: Philosophical and Ethical Aspects DOLENTIUM HOMINUM N. 48-2001 gg The Perception of Pain in the Buddhist World In order to introduce the sub- teracted with it and tried to find cient times it was not possible ject of our meeting I would like different answers to it. But to alter the natural path taken to make an observation which these answers are always by men but in the contemporary is perhaps obvious but which is sought through a vision of pain world this is no longer the case. nonetheless also essential: in which sees it as a time of trial I would like to make it ab- the generally accepted meaning and judgement which involves solutely clear that I do not in of the term,”pain” is something the entire meaning of personal any way wish to diminish the which is experienced at various existence. great benevolent effects of the levels by all human beings The literature on this subject high scientific levels which without any distinction. The is very great. Here it is suffi- have been attained by Western perception of pain and individ- cient, for the purposes of under- medicine. Instead, I want to ual and collective responses to standing the questions and is- identify the reasons why many it, on the other hand, vary from sues which are being addressed, people now ask themselves person to person and from peo- to cite, for example, the opin- about the actual real value of an ple to people. Indeed, it is be- ions of the philosopher Salva- answer to pain which is based cause of this fact that reference tore Natoli. In the opinion of exclusively on a faith in techno- is rightly made to an anthropol- this authority there are in essen- logical and scientific means and 6 ogy of pain. Employing the re- tial terms two great cultural instruments. flections of philosophers on this forms through which the West It is in this sense no accident term, I would say that pain is has interpreted suffering – on that I have been invited to that which is most specific, in- the one hand the tradition of the speak here today, and my pres- dividual and non-transferable in Greek world which was charac- ence is certainly not the out- the lives of men. At the same terised by the meaning of come of the fact that Buddhism time, however, because it in- tragedy from which there or Tibet have become fashion- volves an experience which in- sprang the vision of the hero able. It is because, rather, that in evitable leads the person who who challenged pain; and on the people who are more sensitive suffers to ask himself why he other the Judeo-Christian tradi- towards, and concerned with, and not others is afflicted by tion which affirms that man the questions and issues con- such pain, pain itself becomes a must resist pain and await sal- nected with pain there is a subject of thought and attention vation. In the contemporary growing interest in possible al- and leads the person who suf- world, observes Natoli, these ternatives which can interact fers from it to speak about his ideal visions have been replaced with modern technology and own pain and thereby to escape by faith in technology and sci- methods to help those who suf- the prison of loneliness to ence. The approach which sees fer and are in pain, something which pain – because of its in- technical instruments as offer- which is matched by increased trinsic nature – has condemned ing the solution to pain and interest in the cultural world him. Within testimony to pain which concentrates solely on from which these alternatives the individual and collective the sick part of the suffering come. meaning of suffering are bound person is an approach which is In speaking about the percep- up in an inseparable way. This typical of Western society, and tion of pain within the Buddhist is because the person who this occurs as that society be- world I am compelled to en- speaks about his own pain comes ever more distant from gage in a clarification which speaks about it in a world in its religious roots. brings out with greater preci- which mental and oral cate- In this way pain tends to be sion what is actually meant by gories already exist, and these removed and to be withdrawn the phrase “Buddhist world”. categories, it should be ob- from sight and handed over to Buddhism is a religion which served, are designed to be un- professionals. At times it is has experienced twenty-five derstood by other people.