GUEST COMMENTARY: Catholic principles should be applied to health care reform

From the halls of Congress at the national level to town hall meetings in local communities, the debate about health care reform has been in the collective consciousness for months. The discussion has ranged from polite civility in living room gatherings to raucous shout downs and banner-waving public demonstrations. From health care consumers to insurance company CEOs, it seems as if all interest groups have vigorously pushed to have their voices heard. Some of these groups have an authentic stake in the debate while others come forward to simply voice an uninformed opinion and share the media limelight. There is, however, one voice that both the print and electronic media have tended to ignore or underreport. It is the voice of religious organizations and, in particular, that of the Catholic Church.