More than 300 people gathered in Barcelona to delve deeper into hospitality and bioethics within the social and healthcare field.
From November 13 to 14, the Sisters Hospitallers Foundation and the Order of Saint John of God held the EthiCare’25 Congress in Barcelona, the first event jointly organized by both institutions to address the ethical challenges present in healthcare and social care, placing at the center the value of hospitality shared by both charisms
In this inaugural edition, more than 300 professionals took part. The main objective was to join efforts to strengthen the relationship between ethics and hospitality, always prioritizing the care of people. As Sister Luz Divina Sánchez, President of the Sisters Hospitallers Foundation, expressed: “When ethics joins hospitality, our world becomes more humane.” Sister M.ª Rosario, First Councillor of the Spain Province, emphasized that this congress “is an initiative that deserves continuity,” highlighting the value of a hospitality that welcomes, accompanies, and supports those who need it most.
The opening session included the presence of authorities from both congregations and the organizing committee, followed by the conference Ethics of Hospitality, which highlighted vulnerability as the starting point of truly human care. Throughout the first day, different discussion panels explored topics such as professional responsibility, the future challenges of hospitality, digitalization, care communication, and sustainability from the perspective of hospitality values.
The program also included the presentation of experiences and projects—volunteering, mental health, self-determination processes in residential centers, and person-centered accompaniment—that showed how ethics and hospitality take shape in concrete practices that improve the well-being of those receiving care.
The second day continued with a panel dedicated to ethical experiences of hospitality and concluded with a dialogue on public-private collaboration and its ethical implications. The congress reaffirmed that ethics and hospitality are key to continuing to humanize healthcare in a context marked by technological advances and new organizational challenges.
A shared path toward the future
EthiCare’25 represents the first step in a stable alliance between the Sisters Hospitallers and the Order of St. John of God, built on shared values and the vocation to offer more human-centered care. “We are moving forward together so that ethics and hospitality continue to illuminate our service to those who need it most,” emphasized Sister Luz Divina.
The congress was not only a space for reflection but also an invitation to keep the person at the center of every decision and every act of care, reminding us that no technological advancement can replace the compassion, dignity, and hospitality that inspire the work of both institutions.
