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PALLIFE Project

In our day, those human lives that, for whatever reason, are most
characterized by weakness run the risk of falling victim to the “throwaway
culture” that is ever more prevalent. Unfortunately, marginalization and
diminishment of so many human beings is all too frequent. All merit our
attention, but we need to recognize that weakness caused by serious
illness or old age deserves priority consideration because it is in these
circumstances that the culture of exclusion and death which pervades so
many aspects of society today finds fertile soil in which to grow. It is in
these circumstances that the abandonment of our fellow human beings
finds its theoretical justification—expressed in the phrase “right to die.”

The Pontifical Academy for Life views with deep admiration and gratitude
the palliative care movement that has grown up in the medical profession
today as an answer to the needs of a class of humanity—the “dying”—
that is clearly fragile and that, without the vigorous spirit of solidarity that
inspires the palliative care movement, would all too easily remain subject
to the risk of marginalization and exclusion.
In the palliative care movement we see that society has a soul, alive and
fruitful, that reminds us of the source of each human being’s dignity—the
dignity of both the person who suffers from illness, and of the one who

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encounters that suffering person. Indeed, it is only in the solidarity of that
encounter that the person who cares for a suffering fellow human can
understand what his own dignity requires.
Pope Francis has pointed to palliative care as an “expression of our
uniquely human need to take care of each another, particularly to care
for persons who are suffering. Palliative care is a witness to the fact
that the human person is always precious, even if old, even if sick. The
human person, whatever his circumstances, is always a good, for himself
and for others, and is loved by God.” (Discourse of Pope Francis to the
participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life,
March 5, 2015).
With these words the Holy Father recalls a fundamental truth: the human
person is never an evil! He or she is always a “someone” who is to be
cared for. “Taking care” of the other is not a social superstructure, a choice
that can be made or not. It is a intrinsic demand that arises from our very
humanity. “Taking care” rather than abandoning is a course of action that
has no alternatives if humanity is to make real progress.
The activity of the palliative care movement is the only appropriate way to
be close to those who suffer from advanced or terminal illness. Through
their everyday work, those who offer palliative care not only provide a
worthwhile service able to fulfill with true humanity the needs of persons
who are ill and suffering, they also become witnesses to all of society of
a cultural message that gives long life, even everlasting life, to the good
that is contained in every single caring act.

The Catholic Church looks with great hope toward the charism that
inspires palliative care, recognizing the good that all humanity can realize
from such care. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “Palliative
care is a special form of disinterested charity. As such it should be
encouraged. (Article 2279). We know, however, that practically speaking,
there are truly few who are able to receive from society the kind of
recognition and accompaniment that palliative care offers to the dying.

On the other hand, from its beginning Christianity has been present in
society through activities and institutions that are concrete manifestations
of Gospel mercy. Hospitals are certainly one example of the Church’s
commitment in this area. Even though they are today an important feature
of secular society and get a large measure of their support from public
resources, at their origin they were seen as manifestation of Christian
mercy. Today, in the Christian-tradition West and in nations more recently

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evangelized, the Catholic Church, and the other Christian confessions,
own and operate a significant percentage of the various healthcare
facilities, from urgent and emergency care for the poor to great centers of
excellence for care and medical research.

We are thus aware that in the Catholic Church, or inspired by it, enormous
material and spiritual resources constitute a great potential for answering
the need that exists, today as before, for the caring and humanity required
when dealing with those suffering advanced or terminal illness.

This is the spirit that gave rise to the Pal-life Proposal. It is a project that
has a clear goals but that is still just at its beginning. Much will depend on
how able we are to take on the human and social challenge posed by the
fragility of persons with advanced and terminal illness. It will also depend
on how able we are to become partners, both welcoming and generous,
of a community like that of palliative care professionals, which is fully
committed, with all its intelligence and compassion, to finding appropriate
answers to the calls of a profoundly needy humanity..

The Project will have its official opening on March 31 and April 1, and will
initially consist of a consulting study group of fifteen experts in palliative
care throughout the world. Each one of them has joined the Project with
great enthusiasm. The purpose of this first step is to study both the
current situation and the opportunities and obstacles to the introduction
and development of palliative care in the various regions around the world.

In addition to the information that these experts will supply, the Pontifical
Academy for Life has begun an “internal” study within the Church
environment to determine how many Catholic-related care and assistance
facilities deal with terminal illnesses. The study will cover both the
professional and the cultural aspects of the situation. It is known that the
challenge of welcome and inclusion for the terminally ill, just as with every
other weak element in society, always has cultural aspects that imply a
vision of the reality and dignity of every human life. The goals of this study
is to establish a clear starting point from which concrete palliative care
initiatives can be developed in the Catholic Church and outside it.
Our hope is that from this meeting and subsequent Project-related
initiatives we can develop not only basic palliative care capabilities, but
also a cultural understanding of illness and suffering that is able to accept
death with tranquillity and to care for the dying with love.

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