CMA Guild Launches in Los Angeles, California
October 16, 2023
By Dr. Rene Trabanino
Within the largest and most ethnically diverse archdiocese in the United States, the newly formed Catholic Medical Association Guild of Los Angeles (LA CMA Guild) is in a unique and wonderful position to serve.
In 1771, St. Junípero Serra founded the Mission San Gabriel the Archangel, and in 1781, a group of settlers founded a small town named El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora Reina de Los Angeles, the town of Our Lady Queen of the Angels. Since that time, the city has grown to over 11.5 million people with around 4.4 million Catholics.
CMA’s mission of “forming and supporting current and future physicians to live and promote the principles of the Catholic Faith in the science and practice of medicine” is one which we on the Board of this newly formed Guild are compelled to follow, especially considering what Catholic health care professionals are facing in this state.
The trajectory of political policies has been mixed. Even though important health care access has been expanded in California, grave policies have been furthered which are an affront to the dignity of the human person with a soul made in the image and likeness to God and to God who is the source of that dignity. As physicians charged to preserve life, these policies are unacceptable. These troubling policies include:
1) the constitutional amendment Proposition 1 (2022) which effectively made abortion a constitutional right through all trimesters;
2) SB 380 (2022) which expanded Physician Assisted Suicide even further;
Not only are these policies psychologically, socially (with harm to families), and physically damaging but most importantly spiritually damaging. As Catholic physicians, we must strive to help our patients heal body, mind and soul if we are to hope for true holistic healing. We are blessed as Catholic physicians to have not only a long tradition of powerful prayers and devotions, but also the sacraments of healing in Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick as well as the powerful sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to recommend to our patients (which do not require co-pays).
“Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” (Luke 12:48) Being able to work in the medical field is a gift from God, something entrusted to us, which also requires more of us. As such, we aim to “be not afraid” and speak the truth when it is needed, especially when much error in medical practice and ethics is promoted. Many souls depend on our medical judgment regarding these issues, and we should take this responsibility seriously.
Please pray for our Guild. May God grant us the gifts of the Holy Spirit –– wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord –– to aid in CMA’s vision of “inspiring physicians to imitate Jesus Christ.”
Dr. Rene Trabanino is the president of the LA CMA Guild.