Last June 7, a tribute was paid to Dr. Francesc Abel at the Institut Borja de Bioètica inside the auditorium of the Edifici Docent Sant Joan de Deu. He is considered to be one of the fathers of bioethics in Europe; he was the founder and chairman of the Institut Borja de Bioètica (Universitat Ramon Llull), the first institution in Europe that carried out research and training in this field. Dr. Abel was one of the founders of the Societat Catalana de Bioètica, he was the driving force behind the creation of the Comitè de Bioètica de Catalunya and the first healthcare ethics committee in a hospital in Spain. He was also responsible for leading and establishing international entities such as Medicus Mundi and the European Association of Centres of Medical Ethics, among others.
The ceremony was organized by the Institut Borja de Bioètica in collaboration with the Víctor Grífols i Lucas Foundation, where Dr. Abel was a member of the board of trustees since the beginning. At the ceremony, everyone who knew Dr. Francesc Abel on a personal or spiritual level or through his work, everyone who had learned from him, gathered together to pay tribute, including Dr. Josep M. Garrell, Dr. Marc Antoni Broggi, Dr. Josep M. Laïlla, Brother Miguel Martín, Father Alfonso Llano and finally Dr. Xavier Abel in representation of the family.
The main speech was delivered by Dr. Carlos Alonso Bedate, a specialist in Molecular Biology and Genetics, and also vice-president of the Bioethics Committee of Spain.  He reflected upon the current situation of Bioethics in Spain and in Europe and related this to the figure of Dr. Abel. The final tribute was entrusted to Mrs. Núria Terribas.  The director of the IBB presented a book containing a collection of texts, written by Dr. Francesc Abel, titled : "Francesc Abel i la bioètica, un llegat per a la vida".  
The ceremony was brought to a conclusion by the Government of Catalonia Minister of Health Hon. Dr. Boi Ruiz. He paid tribute to Dr. Abel's pioneering role in the field of Bioethics in Catalonia, as an advisor to the Department of Health in drafting legislation that has proved  to be fundamental.