LAUSR

www.thelancet.com Vol 390 September 30, 2017 1573 When, in April, 2017, the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research and The Lancet invited international experts from diverse intellectual backgrounds to a meeting in Rome hosted by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, it was to discuss nothing less than the Future of Humanity through the Lens of Medical Science. The declared purpose of this ambitious conference was to contribute to healing the schism between science and religion, and to explore the ways in which these two intellectual powers could find solutions to the unprecedented emergencies that humanity faces. The agenda for the conference included climate change, migration, disability, and genome editing, among many other topics. This agenda could have resulted in the emergence of a disjointed jumble of ideas. The results of the conference were much more coherent, but also challenging, than expected. Most importantly, it became clear that the relation between science and religion can be characterised by real dialogue, rather than confrontation. Of the many topics that were discussed, some emerged as particularly compelling subjects that could help to further the dialogue. For instance, the way that scientists have responded to Pope Francis’s Laudato Sì Encyclical Letter On Care For Our Common Home—in which the Pope criticises irresponsible development, denounces environmental degradation and global warming, and calls on all peoples of the world to take “swift and unified global action”— represents an attempt to define and understand the most compelling emergencies humanity faces. The Church has always professed its concern for the health of the poorest of the world, but, paradoxically, some in the medical and scientific communities have been less inclined to do so. The fight against the consequences that poverty has on health should encourage cooperation and highlight the complementarity of medicine and faith communities. Finally, during the meeting there was discussion about the tension that often emerges between science and religion on the issue of the value of life and futile medical care. These complex issues cannot be resolved by taking a dogmatic approach that leaves each side confident in its convictions but does not take the conversation further. With this in mind, the Vatican, the Mario Negri Institute, and The Lancet are launching a Commission on the Value of Life. We see this Commission as bringing the profound wisdom of faith communities and the scientific expertise of the medical community to bear on one of the most difficult practical and moral issues of our time, within a framework of changes of culture. We believe that the often conflictual discussion regarding end-of-life care tends to be unhelpful and even frustrating for patients, families, and the public. We have more in common than we have been in the habit of thinking, and dialogue should be based on shared values. Thus, we have both a moral obligation and an unprecedented opportunity to build on what was achieved in Rome in order to work together. With this Commission we aim to create space for reflection and constructive thinking about how to address issues such as end-of-life care and genome editing that are of increasing importance in medicine, and more broadly in our cultures. It is too early to say whether we will be able to reach a consensus between doctors and members of religious communities on one of the most delicate issues some of our patients and their families will face. In the next year, the work of the wide range of scholars who will be involved in the Commission on the Value of Life will answer at least some of these questions, and will in all likelihood pose many more.