Роль духовних навчальних закладів у підготовці пастирів для служіння у сфері паліативної допомоги

Анотація

Стаття присвячена питанню пастирського піклування про хворих і тих, хто перебуває на межі життя й смерті, ролі духовних навчальних закладів у підготовці духовенства для нелегкої місії служіння у сфері паліативної допомоги. Розкрито пастирсько-богословський аспект допомоги хворим, його особливості та напрямки.

This article is discloses and motivates the role of spiritual learning institutions in shaping the priests who not only would serve the mass limiting their pastors’ activity to the limits of their church, but would also have all the necessary knowledge and experience to go beyond those limits being ready to serve in the sphere of palliative issues. The article explains that not only those who go to church need the ministerial care, but also people who are critically ill, balancing between life and death. This study also highlights the experience of the old time Church in taking care of critically ill people, specifying the role of Christian diaconicum that not always had a social character. Namely, one of the ministerial duties is not only providing a palliative ill person with care and socially necessary tools, but also in helping him being above the illness, by accepting it as a gift from God. The author gives practical advices regarding giving the ill person the Mystery of Confession, Holy Communion, Anointing, underlining that it is unacceptable to force those to the patient. The author believes that positive results can be achieved by adequate education of the minister (theological education, knowledge of basis of medical chaplaincy), where the leading role belongs to ecclesiastical school. The importance of the proper preparation of the minister is due to the fact that, just like an emergency doctor, who must be always ready to mobilize his efforts and knowledge to be able to provide with medical care, the minister also must be ready to provide active beneficial help to the ones who suffer. The article shows three main directions of the ministry of an Orthodox priest in conditions of the in-treatment of palliative patients: spiritual, practical religious and social.