Catholic News 2

(Vatican Radio) Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York, Archbishop Bernardito Auza delivered a statement  to the UN Security Council Open Debate on Preventing catastrophe: A global agenda for stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors.

In the statement the Archbishop reiterated the  "Holy See’s  constant  and  firm  opposition  to  the production  and  use  of  weapons  of  mass  destruction."  He also noted that the Holy See "noted with "grave  concern  that  technological  advances  in  the  destructive power  of  weapons  systems  produces  ever  more  frightening  catastrophes  for  innocent civilian populations."

Below find Archbishop Auza's statement in English

The Holy See is grateful that the Presidency of Spain has brought the important subject

of stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors to the

deliberation of this Council and to the attention of the International Community.

The involvement of non-State actors in wars and conflicts has been increasing lately and

this has had horrendous effects on civilian populations, most especially women, children,

the elderly and the disabled. Non-State actors use weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)

with impunity and in total lawlessness, showing little or no regard for civilian immunity,

for proportionality and for the discrimination between combatants and non-combatants.

Today the staggering numbers of refugees and forced migrants worldwide bears witness

to  the  devastation  wrought  by  WMDs,  along  with  frightfully  potent  conventional

weapons.

Mr. President,

My  delegation  wishes  to  reiterate  the  Holy  See’s  constant  and  firm  opposition  to  the

production  and  use  of  weapons  of  mass  destruction.  Any  act,  any  weapon  that  aims

indiscriminately  to  destroy  entire  cities  or  extensive  areas,  together  with  their

inhabitants, is against all international humanitarian law and all ideas of civilization, and

merits unequivocal, unqualified and unhesitating condemnation.

The  Holy  See  notes  with  grave  concern  that  technological  advances  in  the  destructive

power  of  weapons  systems  produces  ever  more  frightening  catastrophes  for  innocent

civilian populations. Just a little more than a week ago, Pope Francis observed, “We say

‘Never again’ but at the same time we produce weapons and sell them to those who are at

war with one another.”

This gifting and selling of arms takes place at different levels.

Some States supply arms to client States even with the knowledge that they will be used

to  perpetuate  mass  atrocities,  suppress  fundamental  human  rights  and  turn  back  the

development of entire peoples and nations. Transactions are often carried out through

international crime syndicates, which, as Pope Francis stated last week, is “an easy way

to grow rich, but the price is very steep: blood.”

Fighting and defeating the illegal and

criminal arms trade is fundamental to preventing non-State actors from possessing and

using weapons of mass destruction, and thereby to preventing the atrocities they will use

those arms to commit. Strengthening relevant laws and conventions at the multilateral,

bilateral and national levels is a necessary step in the right direction.

Mr. President,

Business as usual with regard to policies concerning weapons of mass destruction, and all

weapons  systems,  must  be  replaced  with  a  new  global  ethic.  Profit,  geopolitical

advantages at any cost and the logic of fear and mistrust must be replaced by addressing

the wider security, political, economic, and cultural dynamics that lead both State and

non-State actors to seek security, legitimacy, and power in the production of weapons,

rather  than  in  expending  their  resources  to  promote  socio-economic  development,

diplomatic and political participation, respect for fundamental human rights and the rule

of law, and cooperation and solidarity at the regional and international level.

The Holy See has repeatedly called on weapons-producing nations severely to limit and

control the manufacture and sale of weapons and ammunition to unstable countries and

regions of the world where the likelihood of their illegal use or their falling into the hands

of non-State actors is a real and present danger. The proliferation of weapons, regardless

of  whether  they  are  weapons  of  mass  destruction  or  “merely  conventional,”  simply

aggravates  situations  of  conflict  and  results  in  unimaginable  human  suffering  and

material costs, profoundly undermining development and the search for lasting peace.

Non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament underpin global security, respect for

human rights and sustainable development. Without them, the achievement of the much

vaunted  2030  Agenda  for  Sustainable  Development  will  be  seriously  jeopardized.

Without them, catastrophes that might have been prevented against persons and peoples

will continue to occur. Without greater international and regional cooperation, especially

among weapons-producing States, strictly to control and limit the movement of weapons

of mass destruction, it is an illusion to talk of a global strategy to stop the proliferation of

such weapons by and among non-State actors.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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(Vatican Radio) The Holy See is urging all States that are members of the Organization for  Security and Co-operation in Europe to recognize human trafficking as one of the most heinous crimes and do all they can to eradicate it.

The appeal was made by Monsignor Janusz Urganczyk, Permanent Vatican Observer to the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday during a meeting.

He emphasized that “particular attention should be given to the eradication of this crime when it is committed against children, who are enslaved and fall prey to exploitation as child labourers or soldiers, fall into the criminal network of drug trafficking or into the mire of pornography; who are forced to flee from conflict and persecution, risking isolation and abandonment”.

Monsignor Urganczyk also highlighted the fact that this bleak scenario is made even worse by the demand “even in the OSCE region which drives their exploitation and abuse”.

Thus, he said: “the only way to stop the multiple forms of child slavery effectively is to take more rigorous and effective actions against those who profit from such abuse”.

Please find below the full text of Monsignor Urbanczyk’s statement:

Mr Chairman,
The Delegation of the Holy See gladly joins previous speakers in warmly welcoming the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, H. E. Ambassador Madina Jarbussynova, back to the Permanent Council and thanks her for the presentation of her detailed report on the activities and priorities of her Office. The Holy See has often spoken out against the evil of human trafficking, forced labour and all forms of modern slavery, often focusing on abhorrent exploitation of children. It has also tirelessly taken action, through the Catholic Church’s institutions around the world, to put an end once and forever to this “social cancer”, which is one of the greatest scourges and challenges of our time, as successive Popes have often emphasized.

In fact, inspired by Church teaching, especially since the Second Vatican Council, as formulated by Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis, many Catholic religious institutes, parishes, charitable organizations and groups of lay people in various parts of the world, are committed daily to the fight against trafficking, through prevention and care for victims. In opposing the crime network, they have established an effective solidarity network, constantly in contact, also through social media, which allows for the rapid exchange of information and programs. They also cooperate with Governments and local authorities in order to encourage them in their political decisions. Like his predecessors Pope Francis has condemned this enormous and hidden problem, and has also taken concrete action. In 2014 he spearheaded the Joint Declaration of Religious Leaders against Modern Slavery, and oversaw the creation of the so-called “Santa Marta Group”, named after his own residence in the Vatican. This is an alliance of responsibility between police forces and Church leaders all over the world, which aims, together with civil society, to eradicate human trafficking by developing strategies of prevention and reintegration of victims, as well as ensuring their pastoral care. Thanks to the Group’s work, including the close cooperation between the Church and the police, many desperate and silent voices have been heard. Thus, as Pope Francis said, “what is needed is a concerted, effective and dedicated effort, both to eliminate the causes of this complex phenomenon, and to encounter, assist and accompany the people who fall into the snare of trafficking”, who are “the most defenseless, who are robbed of their dignity, their physical and psychological integrity, even their lives”1. With the recent approval of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs, in particular goal 8.7, States who are members of the UN have reaffirmed their moral imperative to fight this massive violation of fundamental human rights.

In line with this, the Holy See urges all participating States, to recognize trafficking in human beings as one of the most heinous crimes and continue to acknowledge their moral duty to address it properly and indeed eradicate it. Particular attention should be given to the eradication of this crime when it is committed against children, who are enslaved and fall prey to exploitation as child labourers or soldiers, fall into the criminal network of drug trafficking or into the mire of pornography; who are forced to flee from conflict and persecution, risking isolation and abandonment. This already bleak scenario is made worse by the demand even in the OSCE region which drives their exploitation and abuse. Thus, the only way to stop the multiple forms of child slavery effectively is to take more rigorous and effective actions against those who profit from such abuse. Finally, I wish to conclude my remarks by recognizing the conviction and admirable energy  that Ambassador Jarbussynova has brought to her work. I can only express my Delegation’s sincere gratitude to her and wish her all the best as she continues to carry out the activities of her Office.

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Vatican Weekend for December 17, 2016 features a report on the surprisingly large number of lonely people who have nobody with whom to spend Christmas, the origins of the tradition of making nativity scenes and where you can find a relic of the Christ Child’s crib in Rome plus a reflection on the practice of making advent wreaths and their symbolism.

Listen to this programme produced and presented by Susy Hodges: 

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Vatican Weekend for December 18, 2016 features our weekly reflections on the Sunday Gospel reading, “There’s More in the Sunday Gospel than Meets the Eye,” plus a reflection on the coming of Christmas with the intriguing title of “Mischief Makers.”

Listen to this programme produced and presented by Veronica Scarisbrick: 

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(Vatican Radio) Birthday wishes have been pouring in from across the globe in celebration of Pope Francis’ 80th on Saturday, 17 December.

Amongst those toasting to the Pope in an especially ‘personal’ way, are the impoverished residents of the villas miserias – or shanty towns - in Buenos Aires who always looked to the then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio, as their pastor.

Francis’ ‘right-hand-man’ in the field was Father ‘Pepe’ Di Paola, who continues to carry out his mission with the poorest of the poor in Argentina’s capital city. He spoke by telephone to Vatican Radio about Jorge Bergoglio and ‘his’ people.

Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni:

First of all, Father Pepe says, I would like to wish Pope Francis the possibility of continuing to pursue his priestly vocation in solidarity and in communion with the poor and in deep union with the Church and the Gospel.

“May he go ahead in his mission to walk in the spirit of the Gospel which is what the Church is in need of” he says.

As for his birthday, Father Pepe reveals, Francis does not particularly like being made a fuss of. For example, he says, when the children and young people here in our vocational school used to make gifts for him, they knew he would give them away… but that was ok! It’s not that he didn’t appreciate the gift, what was important for him was that it was made by the children themselves and that they would want to be with him.

And exactly because they know him, Father Pepe says, what the poor people here in Argentina are doing for his birthday is praying for him. Because they love him very much.
      

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(Vatican Radio) Christians should look to the “great” John the Baptist as a model of humble witness to Jesus, as one who denies himself, even to the point of death, in order to point out the coming of the Son of God. That was Pope Francis’ message, during the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta, to Bishops and religious celebrating the 50^th anniversary of their ordination, and to married couples celebrating the 50^th anniversary of their wedding vows.

John the Baptist, the witness who points to Christ

The Church’s liturgy turns once again, as it has in the past two days, to the figure of St John the Baptist, presented in the Gospel as the “witness.” His vocation, the Pope explained in his homily, is “to give witness to Jesus,” “to point out Jesus,” like a lamp with respect to the light:

A lamp that points out where the light is, that bears witness to the light. He was the voice. He said of himself: “I am the voice that cries out in the desert.” He was the voice but that bears witness to the Word, points out the Word, the Word of God, the Word. He was only the voice. The Word. He was the preacher of penitence who baptized, the Baptist, but he makes it clear, he says clearly: “After me comes another who is mightier than I, who is greater than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. And He will baptize you in fire and the Holy Spirit.”

The humility of John, his self-annihilation is a model for Christians

John, then, is the “place-holder who points out the definitive figure”; and the definitive figure is Jesus. This, the Pope said, “is his greatness,” which was demonstrated each time the people and the doctors of the law asked him whether or not he was the Messiah, and he clearly responded, “I am not he”:

And this provisional but certain, strong testimony; that torch that was not put out by the wind of vanity; that voice that was not diminished by the force of pride; always becomes one that indicates the other and opens the gate to the other testimony, that of the Father, that which Jesus speaks of today: “But I have a testimony greater than that of John: that of the Father. And John the Baptist opens the gate to this testimony.” And the voice of the Father is heard: “This is my Son.” It was for John to open this gate. And this John was great, always left aside.

John is humble, he “annihilates himself,” the Pope emphasized once again, he takes the same road that Jesus would take later, that “of emptying himself.” And it will be thus until the end: “in the darkness of a cell, in prison, beheaded because of the whim of a dancing girl, the envy of an adulteress, the weakness of a drunkard.” If we have to paint a portrait, Francis is of the mind that “this alone is how we must depict it.” This is an image that the Pope then offered to the faithful present, including religious and bishops celebrating their jubilees, and married couples celebrating their 50^th wedding anniversaries.

Christians by their lives should open the road to Jesus

It is a beautiful day to question ourselves about our own Christian life, if our own Christian life has always opened the road to Jesus, if our own life was full of this act: pointing out Jesus. Giving thanks for the many times that they did it, giving thanks and beginning anew, after the fiftieth anniversary, with this aged youth or this youthful age – like the good wine! – taking a step forward in order to continue to be witnesses of Jesus. May John, the great witness, help you in this new path that you are beginning today, after the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary, of priesthood, of consecrated life, and of matrimony.

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Krakow, Poland, Dec 16, 2016 / 04:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- (Editor's note: This article includes explicit descriptions of violence. Reader discretion is advised.)

Christina Shabo was born under a tree in a refugee camp after her family fled bombing in their Iraqi hometown in 1991.

Several of her relatives have been killed by the Islamic State – one whose body was chopped up and delivered to the family in pieces – and some continue to fight for their lives after suffering vicious attacks.

However, rather than harboring an understandable hatred toward those persecuting her family and her people, she has decided instead to pray for ISIS and their conversion.

“I asked Jesus for the grace to forgive every time I would pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. But instead of praying 'For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world,' I pray 'have mercy on ISIS and on the whole world.'”

This is what Shabo, 25, said she has decided to pray as a means of helping learn how to forgive the terrorists who are slaughtering her people.

She gave her testimony to fellow youth this summer as part of a catechesis session for WYD in Krakow, detailing the painful events that led her family to flee Iraq in the first place, as well as the horrors that have taken place after the rise of ISIS in 2014.

In an interview with CNA after her testimony, Shabo explained that the decision for her to speak during WYD was last minute, and she was asked to incorporate forgiveness into her talk.

However, upon hearing this request, Shabo's first thought was “I don't forgive ISIS.”

“I’ve struggled with it, because I haven’t gotten there yet. It’s a daily reminder,” she said, explaining that she still harbors anger and resentment, so the path to forgiveness has been a difficult, everyday task.

Admittedly, after hearing Shabo's story, it’s easy to understand where these feelings come from.

“I was a miracle baby. I really, truly was,” she said, explaining that her mother was 8 months pregnant when her family made the difficult decision to leave Iraq in 1991 due to the threat of bombing in their hometown during the Gulf War.

They were among the thousands of others who decided to make the dangerous trek through the steep mountains in order to pass into Turkey, with bombs falling nearby.

She noted how many people died along the way, including her 8-year-old cousin Rita. Shabo said that when Rita died, her uncle didn’t “have it in his heart” to bury her in the mountains, so he carried her body the rest of the way into Turkey.

Once the family made it across the border, they buried Rita under a tree in the camp. Then, “it gets even crazier,” Shabo said, explaining that just a month later her mother’s water broke near the same tree, “and my mom delivered me right then and there.”

While Shabo and her family gained religious asylum in Detroit two years later, many of their relatives are still living in Iraq where the violence hasn’t ended, but instead has reached a fever pitch with the spread of the Islamic State.

The world of violence Shabo was born into “was reincarnated” June 20, 2014, when ISIS militants stormed Mosul, either slaughtering Christians and moderate Muslims who don’t share their extreme ideologies, forcing them to pay a high tax, or flee the city.

Shabo said that during the attack, one of her relatives was “violently murdered…He was chopped up in a dozen pieces” and delivered to his family in a bag.

“Imagine someone that you love being delivered to you in a bag in pieces. It’s insane. So when I hear stories like that, how could I not be angry?” she said.

One of her cousins was also killed the series of bombings in Baghdad which claimed the lives of some 400 people July alone. Her cousin’s mother is still in the hospital “fighting for her life.”

However, as hard as it was to think about forgiveness, Shabo said that throughout her life whenever she has felt anguish, anger, frustration or numbness, “I go to adoration. I take it to Him.”

It was through adoration that the idea to pray for ISIS came to her mind, she said, explaining that as she was praying one day she kept repeating the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, “it just kind of came to me: pray for them. Use that as a way to kind of think about them, but think about them in a more positive way.”

Though she didn’t mean it at first, Shabo said the idiom “fake it till you make it” eventually worked, and that slowly she was able to open her heart letting go of her anger.

“Anger just makes you angry and bitter, and nothing good comes out of it. But when you take that and you turn it into mercy and forgiveness, and you see how fruitful that can be, even for yourself, aside from anyone else, you can’t stop doing it.”

Shabo noted how her father is a deacon at their Chaldean parish in Detroit, and that as their family marched through the mountains to Turkey, it was he who kept their faith strong.

“As they march they prayed. That’s all they had. They left with nothing,” she said, explaining that her father kept reminding the others that “it’s okay. Even despite all of this, we have him with us. And we need to hold on tight to that.”

This, she said, “is how they got through that, and that’s how we continue to get through it.”

However, it hasn’t always been easy. Shabo said while she has been “blessed” to have her family, to live in Detroit and go to school like “a normal person,” she also feels a great sense of guilt.

“None of my other family survived. There’s a sense of guilt that I survived and they didn’t,” she said, explaining that she also feels a deep connection with the Christians in Iraq, and desperately wants to go back, but is unable to given the precariousness of the current situation.

When asked why she feels ashamed of not being able to return, Shabo said it’s because the stories of all the refugees currently fleeing Iraq and Syria “are the same as mine.”

She pointed to the September 2015 photo of Aylan Al-Kurdi, three-years-old, which captured the reality of many refugees. The photo, which gripped the heart and conscience of those all over the world, showed the tiny body of Al-Kurdi washed up on the shore of Turkey after drowning along with his mother and older brother in a failed attempt to reach the nearby Greek island of Kos from Bodrum, their most direct passage into the European Union.

“When I saw that image, I absolutely broke down…I did not see that child, I saw myself,” she said, explaining that after everything she’s gone through, she “vividly” relates to what these families are experiencing.

“There’s thousands of Iraqi Christians in the northern Erbil that are living in the same situation I was. It’s hard not to feel that connection, to feel that that’s me,” she said, adding that there’s also the aspect “that I survived, but that child died.”

Shabo said she wants to take “all the goodness” she has received through God and her faith “and to give it back to the people” in difficulty, as well as those still living in Iraq.

In fact, she’s already jumped in, and has started working in crisis intervention and volunteers on a help line for suicide. She also collaborates with an organization called the “Shlama Foundation,” which was established after a peace rally she helped organize in 2014 when ISIS attacked Mosul.

It was through the rally that close friends of hers created the foundation, which aims to find out the concrete needs of those in Iraq and raise money to fund specific projects on the ground.

She explained that for a long time she was “ashamed” of her story, and didn’t want to tell people the conditions of her birth, but it was her parents who insisted “this is who you are, and you’re going to keep it alive.”

“It’s so hard to do that in the secular world of America or a lot of these other countries,” Shabo said, noting that in Iraq “it was easy” since many come from similar situations, but that many she knows in the U.S., including her nieces and nephews, are struggling to hold on to their heritage.

Even keeping the Chaldean language of Aramaic – an ancient language dating back to the time of Christ – is a challenge.

Aramaic “was the language that Jesus Christ spoke,” she said, explaining that the prospect of a Middle East without Christians is “a tragedy, because that’s where Jesus is from.”

“That can’t happen. I don’t want to see that happen. I don’t want to live in that world,” she said, cautioning that “if we don’t do something about it, then unfortunately that will be our reality.”

While she wants Christianity in Iraq and the Middle East to live on, Shabo admitted that the uncertainty of the situation is hard for many to deal with, and that even she and her family have a hard time accepting the decision of their relatives who have decided to stay.

She said that after the Baghdad bombing that claimed her cousin’s life, her family called “and were yelling at them: ‘Why did you stay? Why didn’t you go to Erbil? Why are you still there? Get out! Your son just died and you’re in a hospital.’”

“I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to go back into the same world that it was,” she said, but noted that despite Iraq’s bloody history of violence and persecution “our people have stood their ground.”

“That gives me hope, and I feel like if we hold on to that hope and hold on to that faith, that there will be a world where I can return to and it will still continue.”

Shabo explained that events like World Youth Day can help serve as catalysts for those who want to do something to help, thanks to the global representation of youth as well as the connections people are able to make.

“As powerless as you feel as an individual, when you connect with other people who have that same passion that have that same desire, God works wonders,” she said, explaining that through World Youth Day she was able to meet people she had been corresponding with in Iraq, but had never met in person.

She was also able to meet the group of 300 Chaldean youth who traveled from Iraq to Krakow for the July 26-31 event, one of whom was from her hometown.

When Shabo asked the group for something from Iraq, they gave her a scarf with the Iraq flag on it. In return, when the group asked her for something from the U.S., Shebo gave them her necklace and bracelets.

“It’s such a blessing” to be at World Youth Day, she said, explaining that a cousin whom she had never met before was also there, and she was trying to find a time to meet him.

“It’s good to know that other people are listening and connecting with the story,” she said. “There’s no words to describe that, when you feel that, because that comes from God. We are truly one Body in Christ. It’s amazing I can’t put it into words.”

 

This article was originally published on CNA Aug. 7, 2016.

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Washington D.C., Dec 16, 2016 / 06:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- States cannot keep federal grants away from Planned Parenthood clinics, the Obama administration ruled on Wednesday in a move that critics say is a “parting gift to Big Abortion.”

“The Obama administration, even in its waning hours, has chosen to put Planned Parenthood’s Big Abortion agenda ahead of women’s health and the right of states to decide how best to prioritize public health funding so that patients and the most comprehensive health providers come first,” Steven H. Aden, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom stated.

The Department of Health and Human Services released final regulations “to increase access to affordable family planning and preventive services” under Title X grants Dec. 14. The new rule takes effect Jan. 18, two days before the inauguration of Donald Trump.

Title X is a federal program that promotes “family planning” through grants to various providers of health care through the states.

In its new rule, the HHS says that states can’t withhold these grants to certain health providers if they provide the “family planning” services that Title X is based on: “no grant recipient making subawards for the provision of services as part of its Title X project may prohibit an entity from participating for reasons other than its ability to provide Title X services.”

Thus, if states felt that community health centers – which do not provide abortions but offer other health care options like breast cancer screenings – should receive grants over Planned Parenthood affiliates – which provide abortions but not breast cancer screenings or health care that is not preventative – they could not favor the health centers if both recipients met the criteria for the Title X grants.

“In the past several years, a number of states have taken actions to restrict participation by certain types of providers as subrecipients in the Title X Program, unrelated to the provider’s ability to provide family planning services,” the HHS stated.

“This has caused limitations in the geographic distribution of services and decreased access to services,” they added, noting that the final rule was meant to “protect access to family planning services.”

States such as New Hampshire and Kansas have tried to limit Planned Parenthood affiliates’ funding under the program, the HHS has claimed, but now they can only do so if they “can prove that they disperse birth control better than Planned Parenthood does.”

“Planned Parenthood isn’t superior to true, publicly-funded health care centers -- which are far more numerous – simply because it claims to focus on dispensing birth control, despite being America’s largest abortion business,” Aden said.

Back in October, ADF, along with the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List and its research arm the Charlotte Lozier Institute, wrote to the HHS asking them “to reject the proposed rule, as it contradicts the letter and spirit of Title X not to subsidize elective abortion.” Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion provider.

ADF continued, saying the rule blatantly favors Planned Parenthood over public health centers, trampling on the states' legitimate authority to disburse the federal grants to organizations that best align with their declared health policy.

“By defining ‘quality of care’ in a way that strongly favors providers who focus on contraceptive services, HHS asserts that ‘reproductive healthcare providers’ such as Planned Parenthood are superior to the federal government’s own system of public healthcare because they more effectively deliver contraception – a proposition both remarkable and untrue,” the comments stated.

Plus, it is “simply better healthcare policy” to leave federal health funding to centers like community health centers that provide an array of healthcare options and not just contraceptives, ADF added:

“Unlike boutique ‘reproductive healthcare providers’ such as Planned Parenthood affiliates, such primary and preventive care centers provide low-income families with access to not only family planning services, but also vital preventive services, including prenatal and perinatal services, well-child services, immunizations against vaccine-preventable diseases, primary care services, diagnostic laboratory and radiological services, emergency medical services, and pharmaceutical services.”

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