Existential Care and Religious Care in Holistic Palliative Care Based on Religious Pluralism, and Ethics for Recovery of Humanity in Medicine

Cicely Saunders’ foundation of St. Christopher’s Hospice in 1967 was an epoch-making start of palliative care. Saunders proposed care for total pains (physical, psychological, social and spiritual pains). Saunders’ proposal was succeeded by WHO and was later defined as ëholistic care’ by the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC). However, there remain several challenging issues around spiritual care (existential care and religious care) in holistic palliative care. This review article aims to address three problems, i.e., a confusion between existential care and religious care, lack of religious pluralism, and dehumanization in medicine. First, Viktor E. Frankl’s existential care (logotherapy) was presented from a universal standpoint. Then, religious care based on religious pluralism was proposed. Finally, ethics for recovery of humanity in medicine was discussed. For further elaborations, interprofessional and multidisciplinary discussions are required.