Ethics of End-of-Life Care

Contributions from the
Arts and Humanities

Wed. 24 – Sun. 28 February 2027, Rome, Italy

An intensive ethics seminar
organized in cooperation with the
Pontifical Academy for Life, Vatican City
& the Chateau Center André Center, SAS, France

Summary outline

Care for the dying and their loved ones is a most rewarding but also challenging endeavor. Such care can evoke complex moral questions that often defy standard methods of ethical analysis. In this seminar, we enter into dialogue with the arts and humanities to gain new insights about the human condition, find meaning in the final phase of life, and achieve a truly dignified death.

Approach

Whereas internationally renowned experts will introduce the themes, the core of this seminar will be a sustained discussion among all participants.  Conversations will extend from the classroom to the cultural excursions in the city of Rome, and the many shared meals. Participants are encouraged to prepare a short presentation to stimulate still more dialogue. Registration is limited to 20 persons.

Cultural excursions

Decision-making about care at the end of life is complex. Much has been written about it, And yet it often remains a challenge. It is not that we lack scientific understanding, technologies or drugs. Rather, such decisions involve difficult questions about authenticity, dignity, and the meaning of life, how to respect the dying person, what makes for a good death, and how to honor the dead, In this seminar, we broaden the usual focus of bioethics on principles, rights and duties to incorporate insights from the arts. Each day, we visit different sites in the city of Rome that are especially relevant for the seminar and then reflect on and discuss insights gained during the next plenary session.

Practical note: While Rome has an extensive public transportation system, it is impossible to reach all of cultural sites we will visit by bus/tram/metro. Hence, the program will involve a considerable amount of walking. Specific sites, such as the Catacombs of the San Pancrazio involve narrow stairs and uneven corridors.

Integration with the 2027 Conference of the Pontifical Academy for Life

Following the completion of the seminar, participants can attend the 2026 conference of the Pontifical Academy for Life, the advisory body on bioethics for the Vatican. The 2026 conference will take place on Monday March 1 and Tuesday March 2. The specific theme of the 2026 conference has yet to be publicized. Detailed information about the speakers and presentations at the Academy conference will be available here in the Fall of 2026.

Participants intending to attend both events can make this known when registering for the seminar and their registration information and added payment will be forwarded to the Pontifical Academy. There is no need to sign up separately at the website of the Pontifical Academy.

There may also be an opportunity to join in the Academy’s private audience with Pope Leo at the Vatican, depending on the Holy Father’s schedule (though based on the experiences from the past two years, the odds are small). Generally, the Pope also holds a public audience on the St. Peter Square on Wednesday morning, which those staying for the PAV conference may hence be able to attend the day after the conference. More information on ticket availability for that audience will come available later.

Submissions by participants

Participants are invited to prepare a short presentation, to be given during the seminar. While this presentation may cover a completed ethics project, the primary purpose of these breakout sessions is to present a “work-in-progress” or even a project in the earliest planning phase. Graduate students whose master or doctoral thesis will include a normative component are especially encouraged to participate in this seminar and give a presentation on their research project.

Educational team

• Jos V.M. Welie, MA, MMedS, JD, PhD (Seminar Director). Founding President of the St. André International Center for Ethics and Integrity (France); Professor Emeritus of Medical Humanities at Creighton University (Omaha, USA)
• Ana Borovecki, M.D., B.A. Ph.D., MPH. Professor of bioethics and Head of the Department of Social Medicine and Organization of Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb (Croatia).
• Andrea Ciucci, PhD, Philosopher and scienific staff member of the Pontifical Academy for Life (Vatican City)
• Chris Gastmans, PhD. Professor of Medical Ethics and the Head of the Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium)
• Linda Scheirton, PhD, Professor Emerita, Creighton University (USA) & Chateau Saint André Center (France)
• Tristan Welie, BA, Cultural Programs Manager, Chateau Saint André Center (USA/France)

Tentative Program

WEDNESDAY FEBR. 24: START OF SEMINAR   

THURSDAY FEBR. 25 : SEMINAR (CONTINUED)

FRIDAY FEBR. 26 : SEMINAR (CONTINUED)

SATURDAY FEBR. 27: SEMINAR (CONTINUED)

SUNDAY FEBR. 28: SEMINAR (CONTINUED)

MONDAY MARCH 1 : PAV CONFERENCE

TUESDAY MARCH 2 : PAV CONFERENCE (CONTINUED)

Language

The seminar is held in English. There will not be simultaneous language in other languages (except during the conference of the Pontifical Academy for Life). However, non-native speakers should not hesitate to enroll, as long as they have solid conversational competency in English. The members of the instructional team are either non-native speakers themselves, or have extensive experience working in other countries and conversing across language barriers. What matters is a willingness to engage in the discussions and not be worried about linguistic imperfections.

Certificate

Each educational program of the St André International Center for Ethics and Integrity is assessed by its Curriculum Committee, consisting of highly experienced educators and researchers from various of universities around the world. Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Registration, fees and cancellation issues

Attendance is limited to 20 participants. Registration for the seminar can be done via the online registration form. We will let you know within 72 hours if there still is availability.

Once we have confirmed availability, we will reserve a spot for you which we will hold for you as long as spots remain available (evidently, we will alert you if we reach maximum enrollment). Your reservation will be final once the downpayment (see below) has been received.

The seminar fee schedule is as follows:

Full week including PAV conference US$ 1190 / € 995
Reduced student fee US$ 1075 / € 895
Seminar only: US$ 1110 / € 925
Reduced student fee US$ 1015 / € 845

* If you elect to attend the full week program, you do NOT need to register separately at the website of the Pontifical Academy for the Mon-Tue conference. Your registration info will be shared with the PAV.

The registration fee includes:

• Attendance of all academic sessions
• 3 lunches and 2 dinners
• Coffee/refreshment breaks during all seminar days and the cultural excursions
• Four half-days of programmed excursions (incl, entrance fees) to various cultural sites in Rome

The fee for accompanying persons is US$445 / €370 and includes all scheduled dinners, lunches and excursions (incl. entrance fees and coffee breaks during the excursions).

IMPORTANT

A downpayment of US$300 / € 255 is due no later than October 1, or concurrent with the registration for any registrations occuring after October 1. However, please do not send the downpayment until we have confirmed that there are still spots available.

This downpayment is non-reimbursable unless the seminar has to be cancelled due to lack of registrations. A minimum of 10 registrations is needed to assure in-depth exchanges and sustained discussions. Please do NOT book non-refundable flights or hotel rooms until the conference organizers confirm that the seminar has reached the minimum number of paid participants to occur.

Payment is due in full by 31 December 2026. Please note that a late fee of $100 will be added for payments made after this date.

More information on modes of payment will be provided by email to registrants.

Venue

Please note that the venue for the different program components will change. Not only will the cultural excursions take us to different sites in Rome, the plenary sessions will also take place in different venues. Two of the seminar’s plenary sessions will likely take place in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome (at address: Piazza S. Calisto 16). One plenary session may take place at the Teresianum University next to the San Pancrazio. And two sessions will likely take place near Piazza Venezia in central Rome, which is connected by tram 8 with Trastevere (blue line on the map below).

The conference of the Pontifical Academy for Life will be held at the Augustinianum Congress Center (Via Paolo VI, 25), immediately south of the Vatican square. The Vatican and the Trastevere neighborhood are connected by bus 23 which runs along the Tiber river. One can also commute on foot between the two neighborhoods (about 35 min).

Our recommended lodging option is Trastevere. This neighborhood is still slightly less touristic than central Rome near Piazza Venezia. For those planning to also attend the PAV session, a location between Piazza S. Calisto 16 and Via Paolo VI, 25 might be optimal. Bus 115 runs between Trastevere and the Vatican area.

Alternatively, the area around Piazza Venezia is a good option for lodging. In addition to tram 8 which goes to Trastevere (see blue line on map below), bus 44 goes to the San Pancrazio site, and several busses go to the Vatican.

For those opting to lodge near the Vatican (i.e., near Via Paolo VI), in addition to the aforementioned bus lines to Trastevere and Piazza Venezia, bus 870 goes from the Vatican to the San Pancrazio (where we will likely meet on Thursday).

More tips on finding lodging in Rome and travel more in general will be provided to registrants by email

Additional information

For all questions about this seminar, please use the contact button below.