Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel — one of the principal architects of modern American healthcare policy — was recently invited to the Vatican to address the Pontifical Academy for Life.

In this conversation, recorded at Catholic News Service in Rome, he reflects on his childhood in Chicago, his role advising U.S. presidents, his views on euthanasia and end-of-life care, and why his central message — especially fitting for Lent — is disarmingly simple: remember that you are going to die.

His invitation to the Vatican underscores a larger dynamic — how the Church navigates its engagement with secular expertise, and how encounters between belief and unbelief can deepen moral discernment in a fragmented age.

Guest bio:
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel is a physician, oncologist, and bioethicist widely regarded as one of the principal architects of modern American healthcare policy. A longtime professor at the University of Pennsylvania, he has shaped national debates on medical ethics, end-of-life care, and health system reform for more than three decades.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Introduction — Medicine, Mortality & Moral Clarity
2:27 “Remember You Will Die” — How Mortality Shapes a Life
4:44 Purpose & Vocation — What Drives Dr. Emanuel?
10:09 The Turning Point — Choosing Medicine
13:13 From Physician to Presidential Adviser
14:02 Why the Vatican Invited Him to Speak
16:44 The Vatican’s Global Influence on Health Care Ethics
18:03 Faith & Secular Bioethics — Can Believers and Nonbelievers Work Together?
19:19 Euthanasia & End-of-Life Ethics — Dr. Emanuel’s Position
23:22 Rome — What Surprised Him Most
28:45 Dr. Emanuel on Pope Leo’s Address
31:11 Population Aging & the Sustainability of Health Systems
32:06 His Private Exchange with Pope Leo
33:00 The Longevity Debate — Inside His New Book
36:38 Does Religious Practice Improve Your Health?
38:41 Lent, Feasts & the Rhythm of the Year — A Health Lesson?
41:57 Mortality, Meaning & the Lessons of the Dying
46:37 What He’s Bringing Home from the Vatican

Subscribe to Vatican Access to receive new episodes, exclusive interviews, and special content delivered directly to your inbox at vaticanaccess.com.

Follow Vatican Access on Social Media:

📌 Facebook: / vaticanaccess

📸 Instagram: / vaticanaccess

𝕏 Twitter/X: / vaticanaccess

🎵 TikTok: / vaticanaccess

#Vatican
#CatholicChurch
#Bioethics
#EzekielEmanuel
#ReligionAndScience