Catholic Social Teaching Highlighted at CMA’s Conference

By Dr. Mary Keen Kirchoff

The Catholic Medical Association’s 94th Annual Educational Conference last month featured a joint panel of physicians and lawyers to discuss the Church’s social doctrine. This joint gathering marked a significant milestone in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among Catholic professionals.

The integration of legal and medical perspectives enriched the dialogue, underscoring the shared commitment to upholding human dignity within the fields of healthcare and law. The panel discussion provided a unique opportunity for attendees to explore how the principles of Catholic social doctrine can be applied in both medical and legal contexts to address contemporary ethical challenges

The first speaker on the panel was Dr.  Frederick Fakharzadeh, chairman of the CMA committee on Catholic Social Teaching and Justice in Medicine. He is also the president of CAPP USA.  CAPP USA is the U.S. affiliate of the Vatican-based foundation established by Pope St. John Paul II to promote the knowledge and practice of Catholic social teaching.

 Dr Fakharzadeh summarized, the three primary principles of human dignity, solidarity and subsidiarity, which he believes are one of the best kept secrets of the Catholic faith!

Pope St. John Paul II said, “[T]he guiding principle…of all of the Church’s social doctrine, is a correct view of the human personand of his unique value.” Human dignity, rooted in a correct view of the human person, is the prime principle of Catholic social doctrine.

Solidarity, another of the three primary principles, is the fabric for authentic relationships. It is integral to Catholic social teaching’s view of social and political organization. Interdependence among human beings compels people to love one another for the common good. Solidarity is fostered through communities that allow its members to achieve their full potential by embracing each person’s rights, responsibilities, and dignity. Solidarity is central to attaining the common good.

Subsidiarity, the third of the primary principles of CST, lies at the center of a stable social order; without it there can be no authentic freedom and human dignity. Subsidiarity is a prescriptive principle that informs us on how and at what level decisions should be made.

Other panelists included, Steven White, M.D. president of the Catholic Health Care Alliance, Joshua McCaig, JD, president of the Catholic Bar Association, Louis Brown, Jr, JD, Executive Director of the Christ Medicus Foundation and member of the board of My Catholic Doctor.org; Cynthia Jones Nosacek, M.D. a retired family medicine physician bioethicist and mission doctor; and Charlie Peters, M.D. a retired pediatric oncologist and member of the CMA committee on Catholic Social Teaching and Justice in Medicine, who is writing a book on the history of medicine in the United States.

These panelists were key to a comprehensive discussion. Dr White represented the Catholic Health Care Leadership Alliance (CHCLA) whose mission is to support the rights of patients and professionals to receive and provide health care in accordance with the moral, ethical, and social teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church. Louis Brown represented Christ Medicus Foundation, whose mission is defending religious freedom and medical conscience by promoting public policy and education, supporting Christ-centered pro-life medical centers, and building Catholic health care through the CURO health care community.

The Catholic Bar Association (CBA) is a lay movement within the Church to build community, nationally and internationally, among Catholic members of the legal profession. 

The speakers all explained why Catholic social teaching is more important than ever for the healthcare system, for moral medical practice, for the practice of the legal profession and for the health of society.  They all agreed that we must all work together to promote respect for all human life, improve access to health care for all who need it, and true justice for all.

The entire conference was a testimony to the importance of Catholic social teaching, Even the exhibit area was full of organizations that represented core values of the Church’s doctrine. Those included: TOBIT (Theology of the Body Evangelization Team), Do No Harm Medicine; Euthanasia Prevention Coalition; the Abortion Pill Rescue Network; Advocates Protecting Children; The American Association of Pro-Life Ob Gyns; Human Life International; Mission Doctors Association; MyCatholicDoctor.Org; the National Catholic Bioethics Center, and FACTS about Fertility.

The mission of MyCatholicDoctor Foundation is to answer “the call of Jesus in Luke 10:9, treating each patient as if caring for Christ Himself, in order to bring the kingdom of God into the world by bearing witness to the Gospel. We enable patients to connect directly with Catholic doctors. Likewise, we enable faithful clinicians to practice independently and with the full voice of their faith. MCDF was founded by a member of the CMA, Kathleen Berchelman M.D.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition works to preserve and enforce legal prohibitions and ethical guidelines prohibiting “mercy killing”; to increase public awareness of hospice/palliative care, and to promote improvement in the quality and availability of hospice/palliative care and effective methods of controlling pain and suffering.

The mission of the National Catholic Bioethics Center is to provide education, guidance, and resources to the Church and society to uphold the dignity of the human person in health care and biomedical research, thereby sharing in the ministry of Jesus Christ and his Church.

The vision of Human Life International is a world where the incalculable value of every human life is respected, protected, loved, and served, and the family is ordered in accordance with God’s design. Its Mission is to Defend Life and Family Around the World.

FACTS about Fertility, Fertility Appreciation Collaborative to Teach the Science, also founded by a CMA member, Dr Margarite Duane, aims to educate our colleagues about fertility awareness and restorative reproductive medicine so we may engage and empower our patients.

These inspiring organizations, and many others, contributed to the education of CMA members and to the success of the 94^th Annual Educational Conference.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the 95^th Annual Educational Conference, September 10-12^th 2026, at the Arizona Grand in Pheonix Arizona

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