Italy: The Church Pleads for Conscientious Objection for Doctors

L’Osservatore Romano in its December 16, 2017 issue, spoke of a “controversial” law. From now on, doctors are obliged to respect the will of the patient in refusing or accepting treatment, which is an open door to euthanasia, as several members of the Italian parliament have pointed out.

Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, archbishop of Perugia and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, voiced his worry in the name of the Italian episcopate: Catholic doctors and hospitals can never “accept to no longer accomplish essential acts such as feeding, hydrating, and caring for a person’s hygiene,” he declared. 

The prelate also demanded that “the possibility of having recourse to conscientious objection be recognized, not only for every doctor, but also for our healthcare institutions.”

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State for the Holy See, followed suit, although without much vigor. In an interview on TV2000 on December 21, 2017, the prelate said the absence of conscientious objection, especially for Catholic establishments, is a “weak point” (sic) of the law voted in by the Italian Senate.