On June 4, 2005 in Vitebsk there took place the First Medical Conference devoted to problems of medical ethics in the modern world. During numerous meetings with Bishop Władysław Blin, doctors, who take part in life of Vitebsk parishes, paid attention to the necessity to organize more systematical pastoral work with health care workers of the diocese. During one of such meeting there appeared the idea to hold a medical conference. Organizers of the conference: on behalf of Bishop’s Curia there was F. D. Tomasz Czarnocki, official of the Bishop’s Court; on behalf of medics there were Ludmila Yarmolava and Siarhej Sipaila. Thanks to the benevolence of Rector of Vitebsk Medical University there was the possibility to hold the conference in one of the conference-halls of the University.

Besides lecturers there were about 70 persons at the conference: doctors, nurses and other health care workers, interested in the question. At the conference there was present also His Excellence Bishop Antoni Dziemianko, Secretary of the Conference of Catholic Bishops and Head of the Council for the Family of the Episcopate of Belarus.

Among reports there merits special attention the one made by F. D. Slawomir Klemiantovicz, professor of the University of Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski in Warsaw, pastor of service of health defense in the diocese of Siedlce (Poland). He presented the report The Hippocratic oath at the beginning of the 21st century.

At the conference there were also K. Shabashau, assistant professor of Vitebsk Medical University, and A. Bizunkou, candidate of medical science. The former presenter his report Factors that influence health and the results of curing, the second – Medicine of the 21st century: spirituality or materialism? Both of the lecturers belong to the Orthodox Medical Brotherhood of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow. Their participation imparted ecumenical character to the conference.

F.D. Tomasz Czarnocki spoke about the document of Papal Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers Statute of health care workers, which is very important for ethical-professional formation of medics.

F. Michal Yermashkievich accented the necessity of preparation for confession of Catholic medics. Siarhej Sipaila characterized the place of a doctor in the modern world; Ludmila Yarmolava described a concrete example from her medical practice.

His Excellence Bishop Antoni Dziemianko summed up the results of the conference. He expressed his hope that it was not the last conference of the kind, that there would be organized next ones, that within pastoral work more attention would be paid to formation of the intellectuals.

Modern man seeks for values, which would direct his conscience and his activity. It particularly concerns health care workers, as quick development of medicine cannot be detached from morality and ethical values. Thus there exists urgent necessity of moral-ethical formation of health care workers.

Organizers of the medical conference in Vitebsk made an attempt to unite medical workers of the diocese for them to get to know each other in order to make together further formative pastoral initiatives. As organizers we are sure that the aim of the conference is achieved and we hope it would bring good results. We entrust the matter to God’s Providence.