It is worth recalling that Catholicism and Protestantism have each played an important role in the development of modern medicine. Before modern medicine become widely accepted, palliative care was addressed by Catholic abbes in Western Europe, as well as by Buddhist monks in Japan. Palliative medicine exceeds the capability of contemporary medicine in general, insofar as spirituality is an important dimension when doctors are caring for patients who may be facing death.
 Being aware of this problem, the author tries to elucidate the contributions of religion to medicine, with the intention of considering the future of palliative medicine in Japan.
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