The University’s Faculty of Theology, together with the Theology Students’ Association, is holding its annual public Aquinas Lecture entitled: ‘Stories of a Belgian Jesuit palliative care physician: accompanying persons requesting euthanasia’, on Tuesday, May 17 at 7pm at the Embassy of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, in Ordnance Street, Valletta.

Marc Desmet, SJ, a Belgian Jesuit palliative care physician, will deliver the lecture. 

Desmet will also deliver a second lecture entitled: ‘In search of meaning at end-of-life care: experiences of a Belgian Jesuit palliative care physician’, on Wednesday, May 18 at 6pm at the South Auditorium at Mater Dei Hospital.

The lecture will be addressed particularly to university students, especially those of the faculties of medicine and surgery, science, health sciences, social well-being, arts, laws, theology and education. Medical professionals, NGOs and the public are also encouraged to attend.

Born in Belgium in 1956, Desmet studied medicine and practised as a medical doctor before joining the Jesuits in 1984. He studied philosophy in Paris and theology in Louvain and was ordained a priest in 1992.

He specialised in palliative care and is one of the leading voices in Belgium on this topic. Desmet worked for 27 years as a full-time palliative care physician at the public hospital of the city of Hasselt, where he founded one of the first palliative care units.

For more information and registration, visit the Faculty of Theology’s Facebook Page or send an e-mail to theology@um.edu.mt.