Catholic hospitals address women’s health with faith and dignity at the forefront

Catholic faith

As mothers and female physicians, our hearts go out to Theresa Prenger, who suffered the incredible pain of losing her son. (May 6, 8A, “I was forced to obey men’s decisions in my miscarriage”) A mother’s suffering is unlike any other, and the loss of a child at any age is a traumatic experience.

The sacredness of the doctor-patient relationship should be one of trust in navigating difficult circumstances, making decisions together with informed consent.

Catholic hospitals aim to serve. Studying the Catholic Church’s teachings on sexuality, reproduction and abortion, we have encountered an ethic that consistently honors the dignity of women. These views were formed with contributions from both men and women dedicated to science, faith, biblical study, philosophy and medical ethics.

In contrast to a culture that abuses women and considers people disposable, Catholic directives respect the dignity of each human person. With respect to Prenger’s account, the Catholic Church’s teaching honors mother and child who are both patients, equal in dignity.

We are thankful this mother does not have to bear the guilt of ending her son’s life in addition to the grief of losing him. May she discover Jesus’ healing power in the beautiful teachings of the Church.

- Angelique Pritchett and Terese Bauer, Catholic Health Care Leadership Alliance, Shawnee

Times changed

As a resident of Cass County and a gun owner, I was appalled at Rep. Vicky Hartzler’s recent mailer. (May 30, 7A, “Why the shock at Hartzler’s AR-15 mailer?”) Touting an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association after the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, then also holding an assault rifle with a big smile in a photo on the flyer is despicable.

The Second Amendment was ratified in 1791 when “arms” were muskets and most Americans hunted their own food. Only men voted, and the common form of transportation was a horse or wagon. And the average male life expectancy was about 35 to 40 years.

Have things changed? Why do people need assault rifles — to hunt game? What’s wrong with a waiting period to purchase a gun? Why is it still acceptable to sell military rifles to the public, considering the number of mass murders in 2022 exceeds the number of days this year? Why is it OK to purchase hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and no questions asked?

We can no longer allow the answers to continue “Blowin’ in the Wind.” It’s time to act before we are again trying to answer the same questions after yet another tragedy when innocent people are murdered.

- Pete Muenks Jr., Raymore

Easier approach

The Second Amendment’s most avid supporters’ mantras — “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people” and “The problem is not guns; it’s mental health” — may be true. But why do they insist on allowing weapons of mass destruction to be readily and easily available to anyone, let alone those with mental health issues? Why allow people to obtain a weapon of war?

Will there ever be a time when 100% of the people adhere to the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill”? No. Or a time when we have no mental health issues? No.

These supporters seem to believe we need more guns, fortified school buildings, plus more resource officers. Does that mean a solution would be to arm every teacher and schoolchild? To build reinforced schools with no windows and only one door? To have a military tactical team assigned to each classroom?

Wouldn’t it be easier, quicker and a lot cheaper to just ban the civilian population from owning military-style weapons?

Yes, people would still find way to kill, and, unfortunately, we would still have mental illness. But we wouldn’t have as any many or as severe mass-killing situations as we have now.

- Bruce Hogle, Leawood

At the back

The Royals now rank last of all Major League Baseball teams, on pace to lose 107 games. This is nothing new. This century (since 2000) finds the Royals dead last among major league teams — No. 30 — with only four winning seasons. The Royals went from a World Series title in 2015 to back-to-back 100-plus losing seasons in 2018 and 2019.

This is not about Terry Bradshaw or Mike Matheny. Poor upper level management decisions regarding trades and player development must be addressed if the Royals are to ever field consistent winning teams.

- Stuart Stiles, Gardner