CCBI Resources for COVID-19 Matters – September 18th, 2020 | Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute – Affiliated with the University of St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto

Dear Friends of CCBI,

Welcome back to CCBI’s COVID19 Bulletin! We had a short break before the semester and school began, and now want to continue sending you our small sample of articles relating to our socially-distanced world, balanced with an infusion of hope born of our faith and trust in God.

The recent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases is worrisome. Canada’s Chief Officer of Health, who has been a model of balance in her announcements, is now speaking as forcefully as she did at the beginning of this protracted struggle against the virus. She tells us there is a real danger that our hospitals could be overrun. We know this did not happen to the extent feared at the beginning of summer but now it seems we are slipping. Or, at least some of us are. It does seem as if parties among young people are to blame. It is understandable that young people are chafing under these strange restrictions that we find ourselves under, but they also must see sense. The fact that a lot of younger people have contracted the disease, sometimes quite seriously, should give them pause for thought, even if they are not mature enough to think of their elders, even in their own families.

Just as I was writing this, in came the news that Ontario is restoring the 10-person inside /25-person outside rule for private gatherings, in Toronto, Peel and Ottawa, the ‘hot spots.’ Let’s hope it helps! Premier Ford addressed Ontarians today to talk about restrictions and penalties. Ontario is creeping up to 3000 deaths, almost a third of the Canadian total and we need to pay attention.

At the same time, a hopeful note has been sounded as far as recovery from the disease is concerned. An article in Nature informs us that because of increased knowledge of the disease and because of professional sharing this information, globally, more people are surviving, albeit still needing intensive treatment. The article notes some human touches in cases where it was impossible for families to visit: “At other times, doctors and nurses have had to step in themselves. They’ve held the hands of dying patients and tried to make them as comfortable as possible. Morgan remembers one patient whose condition had deteriorated so much that they would not recover. He called their family via phone to tell them the news. “They asked, ‘Please, can you play their favorite song?’” he says. So he did. “It’s those kinds of things we carry with us into the future.” It’s wonderful to see humane examples of what the Pope means by accompaniment.

In a book called “Life after the Pandemic,” a collection of Pope Francis’ addresses compiled by Canadian Jesuit, Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Pope is quoted as saying, “Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives, filling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void, that stops everything as it passes by.” He confesses, “We find ourselves afraid and lost.” BUT, he adds, “In the midst of isolation when we are suffering from a lack of tenderness and chances to meet up, and we experience the loss of so many things, let us once again listen to the proclamation that saves us: He is risen and is living by our side…Embracing the Lord in order to embrace hope, that is the strength of faith, which frees us from fear and gives us hope. Words worth embracing and a book worth reading!

Our Lady, Health of the Sick, pray for us!

We pray that the planet’s resources will not be plundered, but shared in a just and respectful manner. (Pope Francis’ Intentions for September)

Moira McQueen, LLB, MDiv, PhD
Executive Director, Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute
Lecturer, Faculty of Theology
University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto

The Globe and Mail

Keeping COVID-19 at Manageable Levels Numbers to date: