VATICAN - Situation, reflection, Action: International Conference organised by Pontifical Council for Health Care pastoral on “palliative care” comes to conclusion

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The work of the 19th annual Conference organised by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Pastoral, 11-13 November in the Vatican which focused on Palliative Care, was articulated in three parts: situation, reflection, action.
Part one, Situation, was a general panorama on palliative as seen by the World health Organisation and the media. This was followed by a scientific analysis of pain examining the impulse in the human body, repercussion on the cerebral-nervous system and pain therapy.
Part two, Reflection highlighted the Catholic Church’s prominent role in this field. Reflection on different remedies for pain used by the main non Christian religions, revealed that the main means for Judaism is prayer, for Islam creation of personal harmony, for Hinduism the presence of the family, for Buddhism serenity, and recourse to euthanasia in the post modern era.
Part three, Action highlighted seven steps of action: 1. increase divine/human accompaniment of terminally ill patients with the Sacraments; 2. draft an effective plan for assistance to the terminally ill; 3. transform pulsation of death in pulsation of life; 4. overcome negation of death and consumer culture by means of sure hope in the resurrection of the dead; 5. identify oneself with the terminally ill patient; 6. pressure the media to stop trivialisation of death; 7. provide agents of palliative care with Christian, personalised and scientific formation. (AP) (16/11/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:25; Parole:260)