Medical ethics as a branch of bioethics deals with issues in which there is a conflict between modern medical technique and the basic principles of health care, like assisted suicide, human cloning, euthanasia, termination of life support, artificial reproduction and autonomy of patients.
These themes are also closely related to Catholic Church’s stand on the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the human person. The purpose of the Conference on Catholic Bio-Ethics and Medicine: Catholic Medical Practice and Social Responsibility, held in Taiwan on June 22nd, expressed and promoted Catholic values of human life and dignity and discussed the means to put these into practice in modern healthcare.
The conference consisted of a keynote address, by Fr. Christopher Mahar from the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, an introduction to the medical situation of Catholic hospitals, round-table discussion on Patient Autonomy Act, sharing of practical experiences by each institution and an general discussion.