ENHCC
European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy
Health Care Chaplaincy in France
Catholic Health Care Chaplaincy
Protestant Health Care Chaplaincy
2002 ENHCC Standards Document in French
CATHOLIC HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY
I am Anne Humeau : National Chaplain of the
catholic church in France.
I am married and mother of five children.
I have been appointed to this lay ecclesial minister by the “Conférence
des Evèques de France” (Conference of catholic bishops in France).
Chaplaincy co-ordination at country level is my prime responsibility.
The chaplaincy in France is represented in most cities and directly reports to each local bishop who appoints local chaplains. About 20,000 people constitute the country catholic chaplaincy. Most of them are volunteers under the supervision of locally appointed chaplains. Chaplains are either volunteers or hired by hospitals or health structures. Chaplaincy team work and team spirit is given very high consideration at every level of activity : Country, province (or archdiocese), diocese and health establishment
If the chaplaincy team is the body which sends out to the elderly, the disabled and the sick, it is also the “return point” where everyone reports what happened, as did Jesus’ disciples returning from the mission he had assigned to them. Since Easter morning Christ resurrected is with us, “He is always already here”, present in each of our encounters.
Chaplaincy in France has to comply with restrictions directly associated with secularity constraints. The separation of Church and State, which took place in 1905, has defined a "French-style" secularity in which the chaplaincy has a peculiar status : it is the sole ecclesial reality present in government structures.
I will be accompanied by Pierre Bouisset who is the chaplain of a major hospital in Montpellier a city in southern France. He also belongs to the laity, is married, and father of two boys.
[September 2010]
PROTESTANT HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY
Recent evolution of hospital chaplaincy in France: recognition of minority faith groups
Hospital authorities in France are now recognizing the religious needs of patients belonging to minority groups. The Institution of the Hospitals of Paris, the biggest hospital institution in France and probably in Europe with more than 25,000 beds and 90,000 employees, is facilitating the organisation of minority faith group chaplaincies in their hospitals. This initiative is creating synergy beneficial to chaplaincies already implemented in these hospitals.
To understand the organisation of chaplaincies in France, it is necessary to underscore the importance of the secular French law (1905), known as the law of separation between State and Church. This law allows official recognition to only three faith groups: the Roman Catholic Church, the Protestant Federation (created in 1905) and the Jewish Consistory. Thanks to this law, chaplains from these faith groups can be present in hospitals and can also receive salaries. The French Council of Muslim Faith (an official body created in 2003) is now recognised by the government as the only official representation of Muslims in France. Consequently, representatives from this Council are given the same opportunities of representation in public institutions as the three historical faith groups. The size of the Orthodox church and other faith groups in France is too small to be included in this law. Priests or other religious representatives, not included in this law, can be called into the hospital on a private basis by the patient or his family, if assistance is wanted.
Last year the Jewish Consistory and The French Council of Muslim Faith appointed national hospital chaplains giving them the task of organising chaplaincies in the different hospitals of France. For the moment, important steps have been taken to hire chaplains of these religious minorities in the Hospitals of Paris. Thanks to these recent appointments, several hospitals now have multi-faith chaplaincies. The work has just begun. The new chaplains, imams and rabbis, lack experience but seem eager to learn and are turning towards the catholic and protestant chaplains for support.
The major challenge will now be the information given to patients about their rights and possibilities to call a chaplain from one of these minority faith groups. Working committees have already been created to analyse the existing material and make new suggestions. New protocols may be created in order to have more efficient information available for patients. It has become necessary to improve the quality of the information given: when, how and why this information should be delivered as well as who should give this information are the key questions.
Medical and administrative information has become a vast area. Patients and professionals are faced with overwhelming tasks and challenges. Hospital chaplaincy is finding itself faced with similar questions. We can no longer rely upon catchy brochures and posters. Information can only be properly received if given at an appropriate moment and in a comprehensible way.
In France, thanks to the secular law giving equal recognition to these four faith groups, regardless to their numbers, hospital committees work together with chaplains from each faith group on questions concerning information and patients’ rights in the area of religion. The hospital administrators facilitate dialogue with the health professionals when the four faith groups work together.
Anne Miller-Lauprete, Pastor of the reformed Church of France since 1986, hospital chaplain since 1999 and member of the Chaplaincy Commission, is author of the above statement. Presently involved in the work of the Commission, she is also interested in philosophical and ethical questions, which arise within the health sector.
[August 2010]