Debate On Whether Brain Death is Suitable for Organ Donation Continues

The philosophical debate on what determines the point at at which a person is declared dead is ongoing, and impacts the matter of organ donation significantly. As Catholic Culture reports: "If 'brain death' is not to be considered real death, virtually all transplants of vital organs would be morally illicit, since these organs are invariably taken from 'brain dead' donors. (When death is judged by traditional standards, the organs have already deteriorated enough to be unsuitable for transplantation.) The Church has clearly and repeatedly endorsed organ donation-- several reporters noted that Pope Benedict himself carries an organ-donor card-- and transplants are done at countless Catholic hospitals. So the stakes in this debate are very high."

The recent challenge to the use of the brain death definition as the acceptable parameter for collecting organs from a patient has been raised by Lucetta Scaraffia in the magazine, L'Osservatore Romano.
Catholic Culture Article 1

Catholic Culture Article 2

UN Secretary General Invites Cardinal Maradiaga to Discuss Global Poverty

The UN has set goals to reduce poverty throughout the world to certain percentages by 2015. However, the projections for many countries are far below the planned pace to assist those suffering from destitution. Cardinal Maradiaga, the president of Caritatis Internationalis, submitted that these goals to reduce poverty are important, but revealed that faith-based organizations like Caritatis are not supported in their efforts to assist those in want.

Zenit Source Article

Caritatis in India , in Georgia, Caritatis Sounds off on Aid to Africa

Stem Cells from Wisdom Teeth Now Possible

This should be another good and ethical alternative to embryonic stem cells.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080822090616.cje0kojr&show_article=1

New Pres. Bush Proprosal May Stop Catholic Employers from Paying for Employees' Contraception

California passed a law in 2000 to require health insurance plans to cover oral contraceptives for women, as many were already covering viagra for male employees and denying payment for the contraceptives. This legislation forced Catholic Charities and all Catholic hospitals in the state to cover these expenses. Language in the new conscience clause proposed by the Bush administration may curtail this misguided step towards equality.

More from San Fransisco Chronicle

Dept of Health and Human Services Considers Conscience Clause on Abortion

Catholic Exchange reports,
"Abortion advocates are predictably outraged by this development, calling it a “restriction of reproductive rights,” an “act of complicity with the religious right,” among other things. A few of the more astute among them, however, have noticed the deeper threat to their cause, for the new regulations call hormonal contraceptives “abortifacients” — which they are — and talk about pregnancy beginning at conception — which it does. Both positions are anathema to Planned Parenthood and its minions."

get the rest at http://www.catholicexchange.com/2008/08/14/113472/

Obama Has Received Endorsement from Planned Parenthood with 100% Pro-Abortion Rating

Catholic World News Reports

Navanethem “Navi” Pillay: Likely UN Commissioner for Human Rights

Pillay of South Africa is the reported to be the probable pick of Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon for this top tier position within the world body. Pillay is one of the founders of Equality Now, an organization that led efforts to ensure abortion access in Poland and Nepal.

CWNews writes, "According to UNHCR definition, the High Commissioner is charged with the task of leading the international human rights movement by acting as a “moral authority” and coordinating and streamlining human rights within the UN system."