CHARITY AND GRATUITOUSNESS: BUILDING TODAY IN PLACES OF CARE

In collaboration with Medicina e Persona

Giovanni Cesana, physician; Debora Donati, Associazione Insieme a te, Faenza; Paolo Gardino, high school teacher. Moderated by Giorgio Bordin, President of Medicina e Persona

Standing as caregivers in the face of suffering and death is a daunting task—especially when done alone, and even more so today as we become increasingly individualistic. Those working in healthcare are experiencing a moment of disorientation and disillusionment, stemming from both a loss of meaning and the growing complexity of healthcare systems, which alter not only how we work but also the very nature of responsibility. Care arises from charity, but charity is directed toward the patient, not the institution: how can gratuity coexist with the pursuit of fairness in work? There is still room to build—indeed, now is the time to build.