CCBI National Bioethics Forum Hosts Workshop on Hospital Ethics

Bengaluru, June 12, 2025: The National Bioethics Forum of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) conducted a one-day pre-conference workshop on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences in Bengaluru. Held ahead of the 13th International Conference on Ethics Education, the workshop aimed to provide Catholic healthcare institutions from across India with practical guidance on establishing and operating Hospital Ethics Committees.

The workshop, held under the theme ‘Teaching and Practising Catholic Bioethics in Healthcare Institutions in India’, was inaugurated by Fr. Jesudoss Rajamanickam, Director of St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, in the presence of Bishop Gerald Mathias, Chairman of the CCBI Bioethics Forum, and Dr. George D’Souza, Dean of St John’s Medical College.

Rev. Prof. Pablo Requena, Delegate of the Holy See to the World Medical Association, delivered the keynote address. His presentation, titled ‘Navigating the Intersection between Catholic Bioethics and Contemporary Healthcare Demands’, set the tone for the day’s proceedings, emphasising the importance of fidelity to Catholic moral teaching while responding to the complexities of modern healthcare.

Delegates from ten Catholic hospitals across India participated in the workshop and also discussed plans to establish Hospital Ethics Committees within their respective institutions. These committees are intended to support healthcare professionals in navigating complex ethical decisions and to actively promote the principles of Catholic bioethics in clinical practice in these hospitals.

The workshop was a significant step forward in the promotion of Catholic bioethical principles among the Catholic medical fraternity in India.

By Dr. Olinda Timms

Communications Secretary, 

CCBI Bioethics Forum