Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi condemns therapeutic obstinacy, urges clear limits

Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference and Archbishop of Bologna, appeared in a video podcast with regional president Luca Zaia on 29 July 2026. He condemned therapeutic obstinacy – the continuation of futile medical treatment – as dangerous and a source of unnecessary suffering, describing it as “an idea of Prometheus that harms humanity.”

Zuppi stressed the need to delineate a clear boundary between obstinacy and appropriate care, warning that some physicians may choose the former to avoid legal liability. He reaffirmed the Church’s support for palliative care that respects the dignity of the person, noting that the Church does not condemn suffering itself but opposes useless and harmful interventions. The cardinal also referenced his pastoral and diplomatic experiences from Mozambique to Kosovo and missions in Washington, Moscow and Beijing, linking his call for ethical medical practice to broader commitments to peace and human dignity.