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Show Pope Endorses State Medicine Vatican Letter Backs Socialized Health OOCIALIZED MEDICINE was strongly endorsed by Pope Pius XII. A letter from Msgr. Giovanni Bat-tista Bat-tista Montinl, Vatican substitute secretary of state, to Charles Flory, president of the Semaine Sociale, French Catholic organization, contained con-tained the Pope's ideas favoring state medical care. But the Pope expressed the reservations reser-vations that the system he would favor would be one "that would prevent pre-vent the application of materialistic and atheistic theories" and that would aid in improving the physical health of nations. Msgr. Montini's letter made It clear that the Vatican opposed any system of medicine, socialistic or capitalistic, that conflicted with the "moral principles of respect of many for family." From this, it may be deduced that the Pope will not favor inclusion in any health plan such things as birth control, artificial insemination and abortion. When safeguards against certain medical practices are put in force, socialized medicine does not conflict con-flict with any of the principles of the Roman Catholic Church, Msgr. Montini says the Pope has averred. In fact, the Catholic church welcomes wel-comes the initiative of the state in medical care for its people, the monsignor added. Msgr. Montini says that placing medical care within everyone's reach and stamping out plagues and health scourges will contribute to the prosperity and reverence of a people. However, the Pope's concern over the trends in some nations where there were strong movements in favor of birth control and other practices, was seen in Monsignor Montini's warning. "The fear of abuses is not unfounded," unfound-ed," he said. "The Pope himself warned against that danger when he said in a memorable speech: 'Under the appeUation of social security, Malthusian pronouncements pronounce-ments already are making themselves them-selves heard. Under this appellation an attempt is being made to violate the rights of a human person." |