Vulnerability and Healthcare Research Showcase Event 

Coinciding with the Jubilee of the Sick and Health Care Workers, the event will present the results of a collaborative project supported by the SACRU Working Group ‘Vulnerability and Healthcare

 

Join the Panel Discussion on Microsoft Teams

Date: Monday, 7 April 2025

Time: from 5pm to 7pm CEST

Location: Australian Catholic University Rome Campus, Largo Giovanni Berchet, 4, 00152 Roma.

The interdisciplinary project involved doctoral candidates from seven of the Catholic universities in the SACRU alliance, together with supporting faculty. Over a series of virtual meetings, the doctoral candidates explored the theme Vulnerability and Healthcare from the perspective of their respective research projects, which cover the topics of vaccine trials in developing countries, physician assisted suicide, theologies of prenatal genetic testing, interreligious dialogue on healthcare in conflict zones, boundaries in environmental ethics, the history of monastic medicine, Aristotelian and Thomistic virtues, and social and ecological justice in residential aged care. They will come together at Australian Catholic University’s Rome Campus to finalize and present their results as a panel discussion.

Proceedings will be in English as follows:

Welcome and introduction to the project
Associate Professor David G. Kirchhoffer, Director of the Queensland Bioethics Centre at Australian Catholic University, Chair of SACRU Working Group 1.

On the importance of research into the ethical significance of vulnerability for Catholic health and aged care agencies
Virginia Bourke, Pro-Chancellor of the Senate of Australian Catholic University, Chair of the Board of Mercy Health Australia, Director of Catholic Health Australia, and Director of Caritas Australia

Panel Discussion on Vulnerability and Healthcare with Doctoral Candidates
Lachlan Green—Australian Catholic University
Dorothy Goehring—Boston College
Gabriel Vidal—Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Jefferson da Silva Bellarmino—Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro
Joana Ramos—Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Enrico Frosio—Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

With additional input by
Aitana Juan Giner—Universitat Ramon Llull
Geetanjali Rogers—Australian Catholic University

Q&A with audience

Reflections on Vulnerability and Healthcare: a response to the panel
Reverend Professor James Keenan, SJ, Vice Provost for Global Engagement at Boston College.

For questions about the event, please contact Dr David Kirchhoffer at david.kirchhoffer@acu.edu.au