- 14 September, 2026
BENGALURU, September 14, 2026: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) Bioethics Forum has released two national resources aimed at strengthening ethical formation and decision-making in Catholic healthcare institutions and among the wider Catholic community in India.
The resources — A Primer on Catholic Bioethics: Ethical Decisions in Life and Healthcare and the Guidance Document on the Setting Up of Hospital Ethics Committees in Catholic Healthcare Institutions — were released at St John’s, Bengaluru, in the presence of Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the CCBI, along with CCBI officials, Archbishops, Bishops, National Executive Secretaries and Regional Deputy Secretaries.
The Primer on Catholic Bioethics is designed particularly for lay Catholics, healthcare professionals, students and others seeking to understand the Church’s approach to contemporary questions concerning human life and healthcare. Presented in a question-and-answer format, it explains complex bioethical issues in accessible language while grounding ethical reflection in the dignity of the human person and the Church’s moral teaching.
The resource addresses questions related to health, illness, suffering and the care of human life from conception to natural death, providing readers with principles for informed moral discernment amid the rapidly changing landscape of medicine and the life sciences.
The second publication, the Guidance Document on the Setting Up of Hospital Ethics Committees in Catholic Healthcare Institutions, provides a practical framework for Catholic hospitals and healthcare institutions seeking to establish ethics committees. It outlines ways of identifying and addressing ethical concerns in the light of Church teaching while promoting clinical ethics and a compassionate, holistic approach to healthcare.
National initiative in Catholic bioethics
The CCBI Bioethics Forum is the national academic and pastoral initiative of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India dedicated to the study, promotion and dissemination of Catholic bioethics. Its work includes ethical reflection, research, education, publications and institutional capacity-building, while engaging contemporary developments in medicine, the life sciences and public policy in fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium.
The two publications mark a significant step in strengthening bioethical formation and responsible ethical decision-making within Catholic healthcare institutions as well as among Catholics engaged in healthcare and pastoral ministry.
Bishop Gerald Mathias, Chairman of the CCBI Bioethics Forum, expressed appreciation for the contributions of Fr Christopher Vimalraj, former Director of the Forum, and Fr Charles Davis, the present Director, to the development and dissemination of its work.
He also acknowledged the contribution of members of the National Council, particularly Dr Mario Vaz, Dr Olinda Timms and Dr Ravindran.
The preparation and academic review of the resources drew on the expertise of scholars including Prof Josef Schuster SJ and Prof Pablo Requena. Their contribution helped strengthen the academic quality and theological grounding of the publications.
The Forum also acknowledged the encouragement and support of Fr Stephen Alathara, Archbishop Peter Machado, Archbishop Vincent Aind and Fr Joe Xavier SJ in advancing the national bioethics initiative.
Translating Pastoral Plan 2033 into action
The new resources are also being presented as a concrete fruit of the CCBI’s Pastoral Plan 2033, translating its pastoral vision into practical tools for formation, ethical discernment and healthcare ministry.
At the heart of the initiative is the conviction that every human person possesses inherent dignity and deserves care and protection from conception to natural death. The two publications seek to help healthcare professionals, pastoral workers and the wider Catholic community approach difficult ethical questions with truth, compassion and justice.
The resources are intended not simply for individual reading but for use in formation programmes, institutional discussions, professional consultation and ethical discernment. Through them, the CCBI Bioethics Forum seeks to deepen a culture of life and strengthen the Church’s witness to compassionate and ethically responsible healthcare in India.
By Catholic Connect Reporter
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