In his practice as a consultant in neuroradiology, which focuses on imaging, Dr. Jack Lane of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester said he hasn’t faced a lot of ethical decisions that other doctors might face, such as providing abortion or assisted suicide.
But he is the faculty adviser to the Catholic Medical Student Association at Mayo, and that role calls on him to advocate for students as they negotiate their way through difficult situations, particularly obstetrician-gynecological and similar rotations.
Dr. John (Jack) Lane
“It’s becoming more and more difficult to avoid these conflicts, though, particularly with the whole move to transgender medicine, which involves multiple specialties,” Lane said.
“So, there’s lots of conflicts. And we have to advocate for ourselves in being able to exercise right to conscience, so that we don’t have to participate in those types of practices,” Lane told Patrick Conley, the host of “Practicing Catholic,” for a segment on bioethical issues and their impact on health care professionals, which is debuting 9 p.m. March 11 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
Lane was joined by Roland Millare, vice president for curriculum and director of Shepherd’s Heart, an initiative for priests and deacons at the St. John Paul II Foundation in Houston. The foundation, which specializes in conferences for clergy, family and on medical issues, is hosting a “Converging Roads” conference April 2 at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota’s Minneapolis campus titled “Catholic Medicine in a Secular Society.”
Dr. Roland Millare
Topics will include the dignity of the human person, gender dysphoria, health care in an era of secular medical ethics, proportionate and disproportionate medical care, infertility and surrogacy, and providing spiritual and sacramental care for the dying.
The conference focuses on doctors, nurses, medical residents and students, but the general public also is invited and can register at forlifeandfamily.org
Lane said he will address practicing health care in a secular world, and the need to carve out space in medicine for Christians concerned about the religious and moral implications of medicine.
“Hopefully, we can transform this hyper-secular culture that we have to live in,” Lane said. “And I think we have to do that through advocating for rights of conscience and converting hearts, one health care professional at a time,” he said.
To hear more about the conference, the St. John Paul II Foundation and other Catholic health care resources, tune in to the next “Practicing Catholic,” which also airs on Relevant Radio at 1 p.m. March 12 and 2 p.m. March 13.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Father Spencer Howe and Sam Backman from Holy Cross in Minneapolis, who describe the history of the 40 Hours devotion and an upcoming opportunity for participation this Lent; and Jesuit Father Christopher Collins, vice president for Mission at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, who discusses charitably navigating social media.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at
soundcloud.com/PracticingCatholic
tinyurl.com/PracticingCatholic (Spotify)
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