The Presidency of the European Federation of Catholic Medical Associations (FEAMC) respectfully submits a statement to the Roman Catholic Church entitled:
Pastoral Care in Health Care: A Priority for the Church Today and in the Future – Reflections and Proposals from the FEAMC Presidency.
This text has been prepared on the occasion of the Consistory of Cardinals to be held on 7–8 January 2026, and is offered as a contribution to the Church’s reflection on pastoral care in the field of health care, an area that closely touches the mission of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.
Rooted in the integral Christian vision of the human person, the document affirms that pastoral care in health care is not an ancillary or optional activity, but an essential dimension of authentic health care and of the Church’s evangelizing mission. Drawing on the lived experience of Catholic physicians and other health care professionals throughout Europe, it seeks to identify both the serious challenges and the significant pastoral opportunities emerging in contemporary health care systems, marked by rapid technological, ethical, demographic, and cultural transformations.
In a spirit of ecclesial communion and genuine synodality, we place these reflections and proposals at your disposal, trusting that they may be of some assistance to the Dicastery’s work in accompanying the faithful, supporting lay professionals, and promoting the dignity of human life from conception to natural death.
FEAMC Position Paper – Pastoral Care in Health Care
