Family Visit; Medical Conference (Part 2)

At lunchtime today, I welcomed family members from Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto for a visit to the archbishop's quarters and a meal in the dining-room: sister-in-law Renee Prendergast and three of her four children: Tim, Gillian and Caitlin, her sister Mar, brother-in-law Doug Peebles and niece Andrea and Gill's boyfriend George. Lots of laughter, exchange of news and taking of photos with every one's camera. Will see some tomorrow at the Closing Mass for the Medical Conference ("Conscience and the Physician").

I was able to attend most of the major presentations at the Canadian Federation of Catholic Physicians' Societies (CFCPG) General Meeting:

9:30 Douglas Farrow (McGill U.), "Doctors without Borders: Excising the Conscience, Emasculating Medicine"

1:30 Francois Pouliot, O.P. (U. Laval), "Conscience et Cooperation"

4:00 Jose Pereira (U. Ottawa), "Working Under the Shadow of Legalized Assisted Suicide: Experience and Lessons from Switzerland"

As well, at 11am and 3pm, there were concurrent workshops on Family Practice, Geriatrics, Medical Education and Pediatrics.

The festive dinner was at 6 o'clock, after which I spoke briefly a word of encouragement--on the role of doctors and medical personnel in building today's needed civilization of love.