The Thomistic Institute

Suffering and End-of-Life Care I Prof. Gina Noia

Jun 23, 2025
Gina Noia, an Assistant Professor of Theology at Providence College and expert in healthcare ethics, dives into Catholic teachings on end-of-life care and suffering. She discusses the moral nuances between mandatory and optional treatments, illustrated by a case study of a patient with stage four breast cancer. Noia also contrasts euthanasia with compassionate care, emphasizing the importance of palliative and hospice care while debunking common misconceptions, ultimately advocating for ethical decision-making and compassionate support in challenging times.
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ANECDOTE

Jenny's End-of-Life Choice

  • Jenny was a 40-year-old woman diagnosed with stage four breast cancer facing multiple treatment options.
  • She chose to forgo chemotherapy to spend meaningful time with her family and return to her home country.
INSIGHT

Catholic Middle Ground in Care

  • Catholic teaching distinguishes itself from subjectivist and medical vitalist extremes in treatment decisions.
  • It mandates preserving life but permits rejecting treatments that are disproportionately burdensome or minimally beneficial.
INSIGHT

Ordinary vs Extraordinary Treatments

  • Catholic tradition divides medical treatments into ordinary (morally obligatory) and extraordinary (morally optional) means.
  • This hinges on whether treatments offer reasonable hope of benefit without excessive burden or cost.
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