Bridging Faith and Palliative Care: Catholic Clergy and Community Engagement in the United States

Spiritual care is a core component of high-quality palliative care, yet persistent gaps remain between health care systems, professional chaplaincy, and patients’ home religious communities. While patients and families frequently desire spiritual support at the end of life, evidence suggests that spiritual needs are often insufficiently addressed by medical teams and inconsistently supported by local congregations. Moreover, spiritual care delivered by community clergy when disconnected from contemporary palliative care principles may, in some cases, unintentionally contribute to delayed hospice referral and increased use of aggressive, nonbeneficial treatments near the end of life. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature in palliative care, chaplaincy, and sociology of religion, this paper examines structural, educational, and cultural barriers that limit collaboration between palliative care teams and Catholic clergy in the United States. Engagement is analyzed at national, diocesan, and parish levels, with attention to opportunities for strengthening clergy formation, institutional partnerships, and lay ministry involvement. The paper argues that systematic collaboration between palliative care professionals, Catholic clergy, permanent deacons, and lay ministers represents an underutilized strategy for improving holistic end-of-life care. It concludes with evidence-informed recommendations aligned with Catholic moral theology and palliative care best practices.