Society is being debased by an institutionalised “hidden violence” towards those most in need of care and protection, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales said yesterday. He also criticised the NHS for treating some patients with a lack of humanity.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols used a special service at Westminster Cathedral to make a highly personal speech, striking out against what he described as a widespread lack of compassion towards the sick and the dying. “There is a hidden violence in so many of our systems, even those of care,” he told the congregation at the annual mass for the sick, at which the ill are anointed with oil and prayers are said for their recovery.
Too often, he said, the NHS reduces those most in need of comfort and compassion to nothing more than “a bundle of genes and actions”.
Lest we Americans gleefully start pointing out the deficiencies of “socialized medicine”, the Archbishop’s criticism can be applied to the American system of health “care”. As a priest with some experience visiting parishioners in hospitals, nursing homes, and their own homes, I have seen far too many evidences of the “hidden violence” of our systems, and the violence extends from health insurance and pharmaceutical corporations to hospitals, and nursing homes and assisted living facilities. We’ve already heard some of the horror stories but there are more not publicized. I am glad that the Archbishop of Westminster has spoken out. Maybe his sermon encourage more religious leaders to speak out.
But, Dan C., most of us seriously believe a governmental take over of the health care system in the US will make things even worse. I don’t know the whole answer, but am certain Obamacare isn’t it.