Digital Marian Helper Magazine Spring 2021

A healthcare conference that proved virtually excellent By Ronald M. Sobecks, MD Marie Romagnano, MSN, RN, the founder of the Marian Fathers’ Healthcare Professionals for Divine Mercy, started to plan the 16 th Annual Divine Mercy Medicine, Bioethics, and Spirituality Conference for May 2020. However, inMarch 2020 when the pan- demic hit, she realized the conference would have to be canceled. As I was planning our next conference for November 2020 in Cleveland, we had concerns that an in-person conference was still not safe. So with the help of the Marian Fathers’ IT depart- ment —and by the grace of God and Our Lady’s intercession—we went virtual! The conference was presented on Nov. 6-7 to participants who registered from around the world, healthcare professionals and non-professionals alike. Their feedback revealed that they had enjoyed a significant educational and spiritual experience. The conference included world-renowned Marian priests who provided rich pastoral guidance. Marie further addressed the need for urgent spiritual care during the pandemic. Keynote speaker Sr. Gaudia Skass, OLM, reminded viewers of their mission to not only help save physical lives, but eternal lives through courageous prayer and suffering. Dr. Michael Parker encouraged viewers to know and live their Catholic faith to the fullest. Dr. George Delgado’s presentation on abortion pill reversal provided great hope for women who regret using the abortion pill. Todd Lentocha’s testament of hope after recovering from a catastrophic head injury helped viewers more fully appreciate God’s power and unfathomable mercy. Doctors Brian Burkey, AlanTaege, and I spoke respectively on having dif- ficult conversations with patients, COVID-19, and healthcare provider burnout. Bioethical concerns in medicine were beauti- fully addressed by Bishop Robert McManus, Fr. Joseph Koopman, and Dr. Christopher Klofft. We look forward to continuing this virtual option in the future and to helping the world more fully appreciate that the Lord’s Divine Mercy is the definitive source of all healing! Dr. Sobecks is a professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute. To join Healthcare Professionals for Divine Mercy, Visit TheDivineMercy.org/healthcare/join M arian H elper • S pring 2021 • marian . org 7 As more vaccines are approved, will we be able to choose the least morally compromised? We hope and pray that it would be possible. The distribution of vaccines is still in its early stages. This is a matter we all must pay close attention to. Should we be concerned about the vaccines’ safety considering how rapidly they have been developed? No, says Alan Taege, MD, assistant professor of medicine and staff physician for the Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Infectious Diseases. He has spoken at healthcare conferences sponsored by Healthcare Professionals for Divine Mercy. He told us this: What we have seen in the trials is that there have been no unexpected long-term side-effects … . The short-term side-effects are pretty much what you could expect with a lot of vaccines. …What we know, historically, for the majority of people who have taken vaccines: If you don’t see [side-effects] in the first two or three months, it is quite uncom- mon to see long-term side effects thereafter. For anyone with concerns about the vaccines’ safety with regards to fertility and pregnancy, Dr. Taege said the vaccines “should not have any effect on fertility at all.” He said: The anticipation is it should be safe for everyone. But when you don’t have a fully functional immune system, you may not develop as good antibody levels. But that would be true of any vaccine. Where do the Marian Fathers stand on this issue? The Marians faithfully follow the directives of the magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church, which provide sound moral guidance. Thus, the reason for this article. We hope that by careful and prayerful reading of it, each member of our Marian family will greatly benefit from the scope of its research and come to an informed decision on this critical topic. To review: The Church does not command that we receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but it allows us to receive it. With so many factors involved, there is no “black or white” answer. Be informed. As St. Thomas Aquinas teaches, follow your well-informed conscience.