CHARLESTON—Members of the medical profession received a heartfelt thank you during a White Mass held recently in their honor.
Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone said he wanted to express his gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and other health care employees for all they do in the community.
He said it is important for those in the medical field to know they have the church’s support, noting that it can be a very difficult profession in terms of being true to one’s beliefs.
The Mass, held Oct. 6 at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, was the third annual event. The Blessed Cardinal Galen Guild also held a fellowship meeting in the Cathedral center.
Speakers included Mike O’Dea, who founded Christus Medicus Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to the promotion of Christ-centered health care. He talked about what people can do in the face of the HHS mandate, noting that there are options and encouraging employers and employees to opt out of any insurance programs that promote the culture of death.
• Apply for a Safe Harbor exemption;
• Do not renew insurance plans that cover birth control, sterilization, abortifacients, etc.;
• Engage in civil disobedience.
“We think it would be very wrong to discontinue health plans,” O’Dea said. “So what do we do?”
He said the solution is simple: don’t comply. Don’t follow the mandated regulations and don’t pay the fines.
He also told people to get involved by meeting their representatives and demanding religious liberty.
Bishop Guglielmone did not address the health care controversy during his homily at Mass. He focused on the permanence of marriage and living a life open to children.
The White Mass is held in October each year in honor of St. Luke, the patron of physicians and surgeons.
Its name stems from the white coats and uniforms traditionally worn by health care professionals.