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.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
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.
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.
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.
