Catholic Doctors And The Pill

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31753, 9 August 1968, Page 12

Catholic Doctors And The Pill

Inevitably many Roman Catholic doctors would continue to prescribe the pill and many would continue to obey the ruling of their church on this question—just as they had done with methods of contraception before the pill for many years, said the press liaison officer of the Canterbury division of the Medical Association of New Zealand (Dr J. M. Louisson) yesterday.

“Doctors in general will sympathise with their fellows who are faced with this dilemma and wiU respect them for their decision whichever it may be, knowing that they will have done their utmos' I to put the patient’s best interests first,” he said. Dr Louisson had been asked for his views on a statement by the president of the Auckland division of the association (Dr S. K. Burcher) who bad commented on a statement by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney (Cardinal Gilroy) to a press conference that Roman Catholic doctors must not prescribe contraceptive pills for either Roman Catholic or Protestant patients, except to cure diseases, in accordance with the papal encyclical.

“One cannot but agree with the president of the Auckland division when he says that it is unlikely that Roman Catholic doctors in New Zealand would be directed by their professional association to declare or advertise their religious affiliations,” Dr Louisson said.

“In fact, it is inconceivable that a democfetic organisation should interfere with the privacy of a number of its own members in this way,” he added.