"Tutte le insidie della medicina alternativa" 
Healing from disease: a desire for everyone. A goal that drives the researchers of yesterday and today to work ceaselessly to offer the man of every age the chance to get out of suffering physical or mental condition.
Healing hands of God, a gift of faith, similar to that offered by Christ during the three years of earthly ministry, or healing the hand of man, indeed, a doctor, thanks to drugs via synthesis via managed to cure, and also to heal many kinds of diseases.
In recent years, however, revealed several other forms of medicine, the so-called "alternative medicine". Homeopathy, to name just the most famous, or the acupuncture, followed by a string of many names more or less twisted, and practices that come to touch the esoteric.
But is it right to cross over into methods that are not always the result of study, discernment and human experimentation, but, in contrast, have their roots in ritualistic practices are very close to the world of the occult? And, above all, a Christian can use them without having an injury if not physical, even spiritual?
A great help is given to us by an authoritative book entitled "Lord, to whom shall we go?" (If Press, 2010), written by an equally authoritative medical internist, surgeon, as well as bioethicist, called Francesco Bungaro. In this book, Bungaro answers to many questions about the validity or otherwise of these practices on a scientific level, and if they are compatible with the Christian life, in addition, the essay explains the meaning of healing in the Bible and current reality of Church, offering a careful reflection on healing in the Old and New Testament. Bungaro is also the author of several articles on addiction, which has recently collected in another book entitled: "Christ has set us free because remain free ".
Speaking of alternative medicines, Bungaro it this way: " When traditional medicine fails, as in the case of some diseases, in answer to physical suffering of a man, the latter or his family directly address any technical experience or they may help, falling into the error of relying on alternative medicine, often reaching a therapeutic techniques that have proved more effective than placebo uma and is meant to be "sweet", but which may hide hazards to health, and spiritual pitfalls serious, and can reach up agli operatori dell'occulto, e lì rischiano di far perdere, oltre che lapropria salute fisica, anche la propria anima".
Sembrerebbe andarci giù pesante, il dottor Bungaro, ma d'altra parte un pericolo ci deve pur essere se addirittura il Pontificio Consiglio della Cultura e del Dialogo Interreligioso, in un documento intitolato "Gesù Cristo, portatore dell'acqua viva", si è espresso così: "Il New Age pubblicizza una vasta gamma di pratiche quali l'agopuntura, il biofeedback, la chiroterapia, la kinesiterapia, l'omeopatia, l'iridologia [...] vari tipi di erboristeria, la cristalloterapia, la metalloterapia, la musicoterapia e la cromoterapia [...]. Il New Age ritiene che la fonte della guarigione sia dentro di noi e che possiamo raggiungerla entrando in contatto con la nostra energia interiore o energia cosmica".
Eccolo, allora, il vero nodo, il punto dolente, incompatibile con la fede cristiana, e che trasforma il ricorso apparentemente innocente a queste pratiche in una forma di sottile e strisciante apostasia.
Il cristiano sa che non può guarire se stesso, sa di essere uno spirito incarnato, ad immagine e somiglianza di Dio. E la Parola di Dio conferma questa consapevolezza nel libro del Siracide che recita: "Honor the physician must be in need, too, was created by [...] Son of God, delay not sickness, but pray to the Lord and He will heal you [...] goes on to pass the medical - the Lord has created him - not be far away from you, because you need it. There are cases where the success is in their hands ". (Sirach 38, 1-14)
Today's consumers of homeopathic products are 300 million worldwide, of which 50 million in Europe alone. The acupuncturist only around 10 thousand in Italy, and treat about 2,500,000 patients each year. Some Italian hospitals are already equipped opening doors to these practices and currently over 25 universities in our country take courses in alternative medicine.
The Council of Europe has defined alternative medicine as "that set of practices and care, which ignore the diverse methods of scientific medicine, which have their origin or traditions handed down from the distant past or current of extra-scientific or philosophical ideologies, cultures and Eastern religions and are united by their demand for greater safety and efficacy. "
Yet the Italian Society of Internal Medicine, after a long and constructive discussion, said that "these practices by many considered to be "complementary", ignore the knowledge of the more established biomedical sciences and appear devoid of any rational foundation. " harsher still the comment of the Regional Coordinator of the Medical Association of Liguria, Renato Giusto, who said: "The people, with the advent of the New Age, you leave confused by the word" natural "but is also a natural poison! In Italy there should be greater control of homeopathy for the protection of those patients who are entitled to be informed that in homeopathy there is no active ingredient.
The Catholic Church in His Catechism (section 2293) states that "basic scientific research as applied research, constitute a significant expression of man's dominion over creation." In the New Age movement does not, in what is covered and not just the autosalvezza salvation from another, God, who reveals to man his sin, and at the same time expresses his love.
In conclusion, Bungaro encourages the believer to disregard a good healing practice simply because it works, but to consider that the means are compatible with Christian teachings, which are mostly devoid of components of the occult, of 'idolatry and without opposition, net or sliding, with the Catholic faith.
The term spiritual , in fact, may mislead many, and hide behind phrases for effect, a good dose of the occult, which can cause damage on a spiritual level far superior to a physical illness.
Sabrina Pietrangeli Paluzzi
for "The Optimist" No 43, December 30, 2010
