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MATERCARE INTERNATIONAL’S (MCI)

14th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

10TH BIENNIAL IN ROME

THEME: CATHOLIC HEALTHCARE: WILL IT WITHER OR WHITHER CAN IT GO

 

PATRONS

Pope St. John Paul II

St/Dr. Gianna Baretta Molla

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DATE: September 18 – September 22nd 2019

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PLACE: Istituto Maria SS Bambina, Rome

Address: Via Paolo VI, 21 – Rome (Across from St. Peter's Basilica)

Tel: +39 06 698 93511

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MOTHERHOOD. To appreciate the importance of motherhood in our contemporary world at least four complementary approaches must be envisaged by those in whose professional expertise this responsibility lies.

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FIRSTLY, the Catholic physician must be professionally COMPETENT, in all the skills associated in caring for mothers. Legal and social aspects are a fundamental part of the doctor's and midwife’s remit. This is what the law, society and the Church rightly expect of them.

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SECONDLY, the Catholic obstetrician must have the CONVICTION that Catholic teaching on ethics, magisterially guided, is not only true, but totally beneficial for the patients requiring medical assistance within the scope of his or her competency.

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THIRDLY, this involves the Catholic obstetrician’s appreciation of the nature of society at large and of each particular local COMMUNITY within it. Motherhood is foundational for the flourishing of every society, and for every individual community, which is a constituent part of that society.

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FOURTHLY, the Catholic obstetrician must appreciate that motherhood is so fundamental to human existence that profound COMPASSION is necessary. This involves compassion for all mothers and families, believers or not, who suffer to beget and bring up their children.

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CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: (Skip to Day 2, Day 3, Day 4)

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Presentations and text are available for download noted in the below.

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Day 1: Wednesday, September 18th

 

9:00 am           Chapel: Mass and Retreat –  Humility and Authority  

                        Directed by Fr. Richard Taylor (UK)

                        Spiritual Advisor, MaterCare International

                        Retired Professor of Scripture 

                        Retreat- Authority (text)

                        Retreat- Humility (text)

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10:30 am         Break

 

10:45 am         Resume

 

12:00 pm         Close

 

12:00 pm         Papal General Audience St Peter’s Square (2.0 hours)

                        Great view from the roof          

 

1:00 pm           Lunch in Bambina or on your own at a nearby restaurant     

 

3:00 pm           Registration

                        Outside of Conference Hall (Level -1)

 

6:30 pm           “Welcome” Main Conference Hall

                        Dr Bogdan Chazan (Poland)

                        Chairman, MaterCare International

                        Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

                       

                        Dr Robert Walley  (Canada)

                        Founder and Executive Director, MaterCare International

                        Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

                       

6:45 pm           Opening Address and Discussion

                        Is Medicine as a Vocation Still Possible? (PowerPoint)

                        Sr/Dr. Maria Pilar Nunez Cubero (Video)

                        Company of Mary (Spain)

                        Obstetrician and Gynaecologist; Professor of Medical Ethics;

                        Missionary; Hospital Administrator

                                                                       

7:30 pm           Wine and Cheese Anniversary Celebration

                        Opposite Conference Room

                        (Please note no dinner served in Bambina dining room) 

                       

9:00 pm           Informal “Get Acquainted” gathering on the roof of the Bambina.  BYOB

 

11:00 pm         Close

           

N.B. MAIN GATE AND DOOR OF BAMBINA ARE CLOSED  EACH EVENING

 

 

Day 2: Thursday, September 19th

 

8:30 am           Holy Mass 20th Anniversary Opening and Thanksgiving Mass

                       

SESSION 1      SYMPOSIUM:  WITHER CATHOLIC HEALTH CARE

 9:30 -10:00      Opening Address (PowerPoint)

                         Most Rev. Kevin Doran

                         Bishop of Elphin, Ireland

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10:00 -10:10      Dr. Robert Walley

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10:10 -10:30     Dr. Dermot Kearney (UK) (PowerPoint)

                         President, Catholic Medical Association UK

 

10:30 -11:00    Break

 

11:00 -11:20    Mrs Geraldine McSweeney      (PowerPoint)     (Text)

                         President, CICIAMS International

11:20 -11:40      Mr. Patrick Buckley (Ireland) (PowerPoint) 

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11:40 -12:00     Fr./Dr. Rene Stockman (PowerPoint)

                         Superior General of the Congregation of the Brothers of Charity

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12:00 -12:30       Questions and discussion

 

12:30                 Close

 

1:00                   Lunch

 

SESSION 2     

3:00 - 3:20        Seventy Years after the Signing of the Universal Declaration of Human                                   Rights, The Fight for Freedom and Social Justice Continues 

                         Fr. Raymond De Souza (Canada) (Contact Fr. de Souza for presentation)

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3:20 - 3:40        Poland –The Last Hope for Life, Defending the Handicapped  

                         Prof. Bogdan Chazan (Poland) (PowerPoint)

3:40 - 4:00       

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4:00 - 4:20         Questions and discussion

 

4:20 - 4:40         Break

 

4:40 - 5:00        Natural Cycles' Fertility App gets FDA Approval to Prevent Pregnancy

                         Dr. Elvis Seman (Australia) (PowerPoint)

                         Obstetrician and Gynaecologist

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5:00 - 5:20       Advances in Restorative Reproductive Medicine (PowerPoint)

                        Dr. Henrietta Williams (Nigeria)

                        Obstetrician and Gynecologist

                        Medical Director, Fertility Care Services Lagos, Nigeria)

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5:20 - 5:40        Questions and discussion

 

5:40 - 6:00       Designer Babies (Both Texts)

                        Ms. Fiorella Nash (UK)

                        Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child   

           

6:00 - 6:20       Eugenics 21st Century Style (PowerPoint)

                        Dr.  Andrzej KochaÅ„ski  (Poland)

                        Professor of Genetics in Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish                         Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

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6:20 - 6:40       Questions and Discussion

 

6:40                 Close

 

8:00                 Dinner

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Day 3: Friday, September 20th 
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8:30                 Holy Mass

           

SESSION 3  SPONSORED SYMPOSIUM -

EUTHANASIA PREVENTION COALITION 

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9:30                 Dr William Toffler (Oregon USA) Physicians for Compassionate Care – 20                              Years of Assisted Suicide in Oregon. How it has Changed Medical Attitudes

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9:50                 Dr Paul Saba (Quebec Canada) Physicians for Social Justice – Child                                    euthanasia and the expansion of euthanasia, once legalized. (PowerPoint)

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10:10               Dr Annette Hanson (Maryland USA) University of Maryland - Euthanasia for                          Psychiatric reasons. (PowerPoint)

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10:30               Questions and discussion

 

10:50               Break

 

11:10               Dr Gordon MacDonald (Scotland) Care Not Killing Alliance – The politics of                          assisted suicide in the medical community (PowerPoint)

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11:30               Catherine Glenn Foster (Washington DC USA) President, Americans United                          for Life – Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide court decisions.

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11:50               Fabian Stahle (Sweden) Moral Disengagement and the Legalization of                                  Assisted Death.

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12:10               Questions and Discussion.

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1:00-2:00pm    Lunch

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2:00- 3:00pm  MATERCARE NEWS CONFERENCE (Press Release Available)>>

 

3:00                 Amy Hasbrouck (Quebec Canada) Not Dead Yet - Eugenic euthanasia and                          people with disabilities. (PowerPoint)

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3:20                 Alex Schadenberg (Canada) Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention                                Coalition - Euthanasia and assisted suicide world-wide update and the                                  issue of conscience rights.

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4:00                Antonio Brandi (Italy) President of Pro-Vita & Famiglia. Euthanasia and                                   assisted suicide in Italy 

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4:20 - 4:40       Questions and Discussion

 

4:40 - 5:10       Break

           

5:10 - 5:30       Cannabis Who Cares

                        Fr. Raymond De Souza (Canada)

                        Parish Priest, Journalist and Author (Contact Fr. de Souza for presentation)

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5:30 - 5:50       Cannabis as the New Thalidomide: Genotoxic and Neurotoxic Implications                          of Widespread Cannabis Use in USA and Elsewhere: The Power and                                    Incisiveness of Geospatial Analysis

                        Dr. Stuart Reece (Australia)

                        Professor of Medicine at the University of Western Australia

                        and Edith Cowan University in Perth (Contact Dr. Reece for presentation)

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5:50 - 6:10       Update on the Evidence: Effects of Hormonal Contraception on the Embryo

                        Dr. Cara Buskmiller (PowerPoint)

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6:10 - 6:30       Questions and Discussion

 

6:30                 Close  

           

8:00 - 9:00       Dinner

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Day 4: Saturday, September 21st
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8:30                 Holy Mass

 

SESSION 4    HUMAN SEXUALITY AND TRANSGENDERISM

9:30 - 9:50       Church, Chastity and Celibacy

                         Rev. George Woodall Professor (UK)

                         Professor of Medical Ethics and of Canon Law, Apostolic University Regina                           Apostolorum, Rome       (Contact Fr. Woodall for presentation)

   

9:50 -10:10       Humanae Vitae 50 Years On  (Contact Fr. Woodall for presentation)

                         Rev. George Woodall (UK)   

  

10:10 -10:30      Transgenderism (PowerPoint)

                          Dr. Paul Hruz (USA)

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10:30 -10:50     “The Threat of the Transgender Ideology” (PowerPoint)   (Text)

                          Pat Byrne,  (Australia)

                         National Civic Council President, Australia

 

10:50 - 11:10    Break

 

11:10 -11:30      The Incredible Value of Women as God’s Daughters (Text)

                          Ms. Fiorella Nash  (UK)

                          Society for the Protection of Unborn Children

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11:30 -12:00      Down Syndrome - My Family Experience  (Text)

                          Zayn Walley with my Father and Grandfather (UK)

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12:00 -12:30      Questions and Discussion 

              

12:30                 Close

 

1:00 - 3:00         Lunch

 

SESSION  5      

3:00 - 3:40       Final Address- Catholic Health Care Between Charism and Compromise

                        Dr. Gian Luigi Gigli (Italy)                   (Contact Dr. Gigli for presentation)

                        Professor of Neurology

                        Past President of FIAMC

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3:40 - 4:00        Break

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4:00 - 4:20       MaterCare International Review

                        Dr R Walley (Canada)

                        Executive Director, Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

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4:20 - 6:00       Whither Catholic Health Care

                        We know What We must do and for Whom, the question is How?

                        Discussion

                        Registrants and the Audience

 

6:00                 Close of Conference

 

8:00 - 9:00       Dinner

 

 

Day 5: Sunday, September 22nd
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8:30 - 9:30        Closing Mass and Homily

9:30                  Depart

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REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

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About the Conference:

This conference is unlike any other. Featuring international speakers, covering matters of interest to the medical profession, including spiritual, bioethical and professional concerns, in a well appointed retreat centre.

 

Our conference title, asking "Is Catholic Health Care Withering, or Whither can it go?”, is designed to draw attention to the present concerns about the future of the ministry of health care. As ethical, moral and legal principles have undergone and continue to undergo fundamental change, this conference seeks to examine the questions; "Where are we going? What are our responsibilities? What support and resources are available to practitioners of faith?"

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Because of the Istituto Maria SS. Bambina's unique layout and location, this conference also offers the opportunity to socialize through shared meals and rooftop discussions overlooking Saint Peter's square. Here, you will stay in the same retreat-like settings and take advantage of the additional time offered during the conference for audience participation and shared community. The Bambina's chapel also offers participants morning mass each day.

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About the Bambina:

Istituto Maria Santissima Bambina is a spectacular offering on the doorstep of the Vatican. The roof terrace has sublime views of St Peter's Basilica and the house is an oasis of peace and welcoming hospitality with well appointed rooms and facilities.


Right next to the Vatican it is ideally situated to visit the Vatican Museum, Castel Sant'Angelo, Sistine Chapel and St Peters Square. The attractions of the rest of Rome are easily accessible.    

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