Hospital Care and the Conception of Death in the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God in Sixteenth‐ and Seventeenth‐Century Spain

TL;DR

This paper examines how a religious order in Spain provided compassionate end-of-life care in hospitals during the 1500s and 1600s.

Contribution

It presents a historical analysis of the Order's ethical and spiritual approach to death care, linking it to modern nursing and institutional ethics.

Findings

The Order's care model was rooted in Christian charity and respect for human dignity.

Detailed regulations governed accompaniment of the dying and post-mortem rituals.

The study suggests historical practices can inform modern ethical care frameworks.

Abstract

This article explores the hospital care provided by the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God in sixteenth‐ and seventeenth‐century Spain, with particular emphasis on its conception of end‐of‐life care. Rooted in a context deeply shaped by Christian spirituality, the Order developed a holistic model grounded in charity, justice, and profound respect for the dignity of the sick. Through a critical analysis of normative and doctrinal sources, the study reconstructs caregiving practices surrounding dying and post‐mortem care, highlighting their institutionalization and the Order's hopeful understanding of death as a transition to eternal life. These practices were codified in detailed regulations concerning the accompaniment of the dying, the administration of sacraments, care for the deceased body, and the offering of suffrages. Employing a hermeneutic lens, the article interprets these practices within their original theological and cultural horizon, consciously avoiding the imposition of contemporary frameworks. Simultaneously, it argues that this historical legacy of ethical and spiritual care can enrich current reflections on death, nursing practice, and the role of institutions in safeguarding human dignity at the end of life.