Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “The specific mission that characterizes your medical and surgical profession holds three facets: curing the sick person, or at least trying to treat them in an efficient manner as their illness progresses; alleviate the painful symptoms that accompany the disease, especially in its final stages; care for the sick patient in all their human needs.” This was what Pope Benedict XVI mentioned in his address to participants in the 110th national congress of the Italian Surgical Society, whom he received in audience on October 20.
“In the past, one was pleased with merely alleviating a sick person's suffering, unable to do anything to impede the evolution of the illness, let alone offer a cure. In the past century, thanks to the advances of science and technology, it is now possible to more successfully treat the sick. Thus, recovery, which in many cases was barely an option, is today a relatively common possibility, and is a great goal for modern medicine.” Benedict XVI also indicated, however, the risk of “abandoning patients at the moment in which it is felt impossible to obtain appreciable results.” But even when recovery no longer seems to be an option, the patient's suffering can be relieved and he can be accompanied on his path, in an effort to improve his quality of life in every way possible. “Every patient, even those without hope for a cure, hold an unconditional value, a dignity which must be honored, and which constitutes the necessary foundation of all medical activity. Respect for human dignity, in fact, requires unconditional respect for each individual human being, born or unborn, healthy or sick, whatever their condition may be,” the Holy Father affirmed.
Proceeding with his address, Benedict XVI pointed out the “primary relevance” of the relation of reciprocal trust that should be established between a doctor and patient, which is a determining factor in defining a plan for treatment, and in a certain way, for its success. “The aim should be a true therapeutic alliance with the patient, using their clinical knowledge to discover the most appropriate means to communicate with each patient. Such means of communication, while respecting the truth of the facts, will aim to sustain hope which is an essential element of therapy. It is important to keep in mind that it is precisely these human qualities that, in addition to professional competence in the strict sense of the term, the patient appreciates in a doctor.” Reflecting further on this theme, the Pope encouraged them to avoid “any tendency to interfere externally in this delicate doctor-patient relationship. On the one hand, it is undeniable that the will of the patient must be respected, without forgetting, however, that the individualistic exaltation of autonomy leads to an unrealistic, and certainly impoverished, reading of human reality. On the other hand, the professional responsibility of doctors must bring them to suggest treatments that aim at the true good of patients, with an awareness that their specific competencies generally make them better capable of evaluating the situation than the patients themselves.”
The Holy Father's final exhortation made reference to the risk of treating the sick person not as a person, but as an object: “Due to the demands made by science, technology, and the organization of healthcare itself, their habitual lifestyle is completely turned upside down. Thus, it is very important that the existential context of the patient, especially his family, is not excluded from the treatment he undergoes. For this to take place, there is a need to promote a sense of responsibility among family members towards their sick relative. This is an important factor in order to avoid increasing the sense of alienation that a person inevitably suffers if entrusted to a form of medical care that is highly technological but lacks sufficient human sentiment.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 21/10/2008)
