Perspect Biol Med. 2020;63(3):512-525. doi: 10.1353/pbm.2020.0040.
For the last 25 years, the Popes of the Roman Catholic Church have been vocal proponents of palliative care in an effort to promote human dignity, decrease human suffering, and discourage euthanasia and suicide. They have supported efforts to expand the scope and provision of palliative care. Recently, Pope Francis has focused on the need to provide perinatal palliative care. He has emphasized the need to do so as an act of mercy, love, and solidarity. His approach builds on the main pastoral theme of his Papacy, the mercy of God. This article outlines the thought of Pope Francis on the mercy of God and how he wishes to see this mercy motivate and invigorate not only the Church but all people. Perinatal palliative care becomes a further outgrowth of the love and mercy we show one another. It is a pastoral practice encouraged by the Church and consistent with Catholic doctrine and the mission of Catholic health-care facilities.
在过去的 25 年里，罗马天主教会的教皇们一直在大力倡导姑息治疗，以促进人类尊严、减少人类痛苦，并劝阻安乐死和自杀。他们支持扩大姑息治疗的范围和提供。最近，教皇方济各关注提供围产期姑息治疗的必要性。他强调，这样做是出于怜悯、爱和团结的需要。他的方法建立在他的教皇任期的主要牧灵主题之上，即上帝的怜悯。本文概述了教皇方济各关于上帝怜悯的思想，以及他希望看到这种怜悯不仅激励教会，而且激励所有人。围产期姑息治疗是我们彼此之间表现出的爱和怜悯的进一步发展。这是教会鼓励的一种牧灵实践，符合天主教教义和天主教医疗机构的使命。
