BY: JUDY CASSIDY
As I write this, hideous news reports about atrocities in Kosovo and a shooting rampage in a Colorado high school overwhelm my thoughts. These large-scale acts of terror and hatred ravage our trust in our fellow humans, but so do the "everyday" reports that are equally horrible in their own ways — stories of church burnings in Indonesia, of "racial profiling" of motorists by New Jersey troopers, of the death of a boy ignored as he lay wounded on the steps of a hospital — to name a few recent ones.
I find hope for humanity in Catholic social teaching — particularly in the subject of this issue: the common good. I am proud that Health Progress is often a vehicle that provides moral guidance in a world so lacking any "moral compass," in individuals, and, it follows, in the various societies they inhabit. Without voices to counterbalance the cruelty that humans perpetrate on each other, I am convinced the destruction would be of a magnitude we could not fathom, for we have no protection by virtue of the country or community in which we live, or the age of the people with whom we associate, or our ethnic or religious backgrounds, or how much money we have.
I urge you to read — even study — this issue of the journal and do all you can to spread its concepts to as many people as possible. I hope this issue's ideas will reach more people than those of any other issue. They are that important for our survival.
As I said, I am very proud of Health Progress, particularly this issue, which will be my last as editor. As I depart, I am filled with sadness but also excitement about continuing in Catholic healthcare in other ways, and also having time to explore new types of work, hobbies, and friendships.
I especially want to thank all the readers of Health Progress, including the many, many people who have contributed articles, ideas, and advice. My life — and Health Progress — have been enriched by all of you. Without you, the journal would not exist in any meaningful way, no matter who the editor.
My 18 years here have been a special journey with special people. Where else could I have routinely received letters that, after addressing specific business, then ended with a sentence thanking me for working in the ministry? I hope to stay in contact with you. And, like you, I will be watching eagerly for each new edition as Health Progress continues to adapt to meet the changing needs of the Catholic health ministry.
Copyright © 1999 by the Catholic Health Association of the United States
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