Italian
The theme of end-of-life, palliative care, and the fragility of the elderly at the center of Step 6 of the 3rd Festival of the Whole Human, held at the Pio Sodalizio dei Piceni.
ROME. In Step 6 of the festival, the session dedicated to «weak life» and the radical question posed by the title itself: should fragile life be embraced or eliminated?
The case of Mirko Bernardinello opened the proceedings as a direct testimony on the topic of end-of-life, while Federica Cappelletti Rossi, president of the Paolo Rossi Foundation, presented the project Casa Pablito which aims to provide dignified facilities for terminally ill patients.
On the aspect of the beginning of life, Anna Dalle Ore from the Scientific Directorate of the IRCCS Bambino Gesù intervened, while Arianna Giuseppina Medoro (PhD Knights Care) and Carlo Tosti, president of the Campus Biomedico of Rome, brought the perspective of hospitals as places of care, not of discard.
On the “crossroads of every public decision” — does life always have value or does it have variable dignity? — four authoritative voices have been entrusted: the philosopher Roberto Presilla from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Marcello Ricciuti, Director of the Hospice of Potenza and member of the National Bioethics Committee, Giuliana Ruggeri from the Bioethics Observatory of Siena (CNB), and Soemia Sibillo, Director of CAV Mangiagalli and Vice President of the Movement for Life.
The public proposals “on the roofs” were discussed with Stefano Ojetti, President of the Catholic Doctors (AMCI), Gino Gerosa, Health Councillor of the Veneto Region, and the Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci.
To lead the session, Carlo Alberto Adami: surgeon, network man, and voice of that part of Italy that chooses to stand, without ambiguity, “on the side of the creatures”.
Doctor Adami, what is the network’s position on the end-of-life issue?
We still believe in the mission of the doctor: to heal, to save, to seek in every way to save lives. We do not want to side with those who, with a chemical injection or the push of a button, take a person’s life.
We are well aware that there are extreme cases. But we are also very confident in medical research, in advancing science, and especially in palliative care, which must be maximally encouraged in Italy. Nowadays, a patient, even in the terminal phase, should not be condemned to feel the pain that eats away at their flesh. There are specific therapies that help us, and we are counting a lot on the latest generation of drugs: they cannot grant eternal life — that is not for humans — but they can truly extend life.
Why is this topic so urgent today?
With the word longevity, this physiological extension of life brings about a fragility in human beings. We are heading towards millions and millions of elderly people who risk falling into a depressive state in the future, feeling alone and abandoned. With certain laws passed too lightly, they might even take drastic actions, removing themselves from life. It is a huge risk that we cannot ignore.
There is talk of a “Venetian model” to be exported. What is it about?
The Veneto model is currently the most viable, the most cutting-edge. We want to ensure that it serves as a driving force for all Italian regions, with the common sense that we Venetians have always had, and thanks to the concrete support of the current regional government.
In fact, we want to go further: we are founding a project called Casa Pablito, inspired by our great champion Paolo Rossi. We already have a structure ready to ensure that terminally ill patients, fragile patients, and all those in need are cared for in dignified, well-maintained facilities, not dilapidated ones.
A message to the decision-makers present at the festival?
We do not want to talk about votes, but about lives. Remember that this is not a political speech, tied to electoral consensus — a path that unfortunately politics often takes too often. It is a discourse above politics, linked to a single word: life.
3rd Festival of the Whole Human — June 16-17, 2026, Pio Sodalizio dei Piceni, Rome — suitetti.org
