Abstract

The appearance of COVID-19 has brought renewed attention to the practice of triage. This is an important means of best utilizing limited available resources during periods of medical crisis, whatever its source. The ethicists of The National Catholic Bioethics Center offer a set of ethical considerations for triage and rationing founded on long-standing principles of Catholic moral teaching. These include the dignity of human life, the objective criterion of justice, the duty to care, and the needs of human stewardship. The authors also offer observations on the process of implementing triage protocols, which must be consistent, accountable, and transparent and undergo regular review. The human dimension of illness and suffering requires prayer and patient support, sound prudential judgment, and the regular exercise of the virtue of charity.