2002

Request for research articles

We have received an invitation from the National Assocation of Catholic Chaplains in the USA to share research information.

Dear Sister and Brother Chaplains
European Network of Healthcare Chaplaincy

Greetings:
We at the NACC are committed to sharing Chaplaincy-related research: to give each-other material for reflection and to report on interesting and useful developments in chaplaincy.
Research is not removed from a chaplain’s bedside work of listening and comforting. More work is emerging from the field of chaplaincy — work showing systematically what we all know anecdotally, that chaplains offer a real, tangible benefit to the patients and families they serve.
Chaplaincy research may be an original study by a working chaplain, being published for the first time; or it may be a summary of valuable work published in professional journals. It is an unfortunate fact that studies are not always presented in a particularly user-friendly format, but our goal is to provide an article that will be applicable on the hospital floor.
If you are interested in using Vision to present the results of your own work to your American peers, or if you have seen work printed elsewhere that would deserve a wider audience, please contact for more information to Chaplain Paul Buche:
Research Section Editor
Vision – The Newsletter of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains paul_buche@valleymed.org

[February 2008]

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Ensuring a caring, careful death for all

Bryan Nolan from Dublin has drawn our attention to an article about the importance of chaplains for dying people written by a colleague of his on the Hospice Friendly Hospitals Programme in Ireland.   Writing in the Irish Times on 23 October 2007 Paul Murray writes about care for the dying and how chaplains are there when we have more need of the divine than a physician

Read the Article

[November 2007]

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National Meeting of Association of Professional Chaplains

The national meeting of the Association of Professional Chaplains in the USA will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 8-12 March 2008.  More information on the APC website: www.professionalchaplains.org

[November 2007]

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International Council on Pastoral Care and Counselling.
8th World Congress of ICPCC 2007

Kathleen O'Connor from Ireland has written an article about the 8th World Congreress of the International Council on Pastoral Care and Counselling which was held in Poland in August.  This will give an overview of the congress for those who were not able to attend.

Read the article

ICPCC Website

[October 2007]

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Northern Ireland Healthcare Chaplains Association

The new Director of Training for the Northern Ireland Healthcare Chaplains Association, Derek Johnston has shared two PowerPoint presentations from a recent training event:

Mental Health Awareness

Suicide Awareness

[October 2007]

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Establishment and development of palliative care in Ukraine

Anne Miller-Lauprete from France visited Ukraine in May 2007 and has written about the establishment and development of palliative care, giving a glimpse of the health situation in Ukraine today.  Anne writes, "The exchanges between France and the Ukraine in the area of palliative care are definitely thanks to the Network and especially to the Web site."

Read Anne's paper

[August 2007]

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3rd Czech – Slovak Ecumenical Consultation for  Healthcare Chaplains and Pastoral Workers

Marie Opatrná who was a representative at the ENHCC Lisbon Consultation in 2006 gives information about the Czech – Slovak consultation for healthcare chaplains and pastoral workers which takes place at the end of September.  She writes, "The first meeting was two years ago, when we were 4 persons. Last year we were about 10 persons, this year we should be about 30.)
Another significant development in Prague is the agreement of both the Dean of the Charles University and the Director of the General Teaching Hospital in Prague to the establishment of a Clinical Pastoral Care Unit.

  Programme of the Czech – Slovak consultation

[August 2007]

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Coordinator sends greetings to Latvian Conference

August 16, 2007

To the Members of the Association of
Professional Healthcare Chaplaincy of Latvia

Dear Fellow Chaplains of Latvia,

As you begin your noteworthy conference of Latvian Chaplaincy, the second in your history, allow me to relay the best wishes of all the participants of the European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy (ENHCC), that your conference be most successful.

The Association of Professional Healthcare Chaplaincy of Latvia has proven to be a prime example of how chaplaincy can grow on all levels, developing a high professional standard of spiritual health care. It gives all of us hope that others will follow your example.

The theme of your conference is timely. At this moment, one of the main concerns of the European Union is how care can be offered to those who are struggling in illness and in the face of death. The ENHCC has been involved in discussions on a EU level which seem to be promising. The fact that your conference will deal with this issue on an inter-discipline level shows you realize the many facets of this area of concern.

What we very often forget, though, is that the struggle with life and death issues actually begins before illness and death become obvious. Each crisis of daily life poses us with the challenge to maintain our human dignity and place our lives in the perspective of God’s Eternal Kingdom. Truly, there cannot be real dignity if we cannot assort the meaning of life in relation to what is eternal. Facing illness and death through this perspective gives one great hope in God’s everlasting love and mercy.

I am sure that your conference will be successful in that your bond as chaplains will give you all the requirements needed to continue providing spiritual care to those that have been entrusted to you.

Sincerely,

Rev. Dr. Stavros Kofinas
Coordinator of the European Network of Healthcare Chaplaincy
(Representative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate)

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Conference in Latvia

Latvia Association of Professional Health Care Chaplaincy (LPVAKA) is holding it's 2nd international conference "The Quality of Life in Illness and Death - Interdisciplinary Approach" on 21-22 August, 2007. For detailed information, please, visit LPVAKA's web site http://www.lpvaka.lv/indexstarteng.html

[August 2007]

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Death of Ton Hanrath

Roel Hekking from the Netherlands has passed on news of the sudden death of Tom Hanrath in a car accident while on holiday in France.
Fr Stavros has written a letter of sympathy to the chaplaincy organisation in the Netherlands, VGVZ: 

Dear Fellow Chaplains of the Netherlands,

I was very saddened and grieved by the news that Ton Hanrath of the Netherlands died at the age of 49 in a fatal automobile accident while travelling with his family in France.

Ton was one of the founding members of the consultations for hospital chaplaincies that began in 1990. Together with Roel Hekking, he organized the 3rd Consultation in Oirschot, the Netherlands, in September 1994, which had as its theme: “The relationship between ministerial and professional competence regarding the quality standard of Hospital Chaplaincy”. Attending this Consultation were 24 participants from 15 countries. Ton continued playing a leading role in the consultations of Bath, England (1996) and Rome (1998). At the historic consultation that took place in Crete in 2000, Ton posed the need to form a network which would formally bring European Chaplaincies together.

Throughout his deep concern for the advancement of chaplaincy in Europe, Ton accentuated the need for professionalism and high standards of all spiritual care givers. His insistence on high quality care was a momentum in forming the Standards of Health Care Chaplaincy in Europe.

Within his own country, the Netherlands, he was instrumental in forming the multi-cultural aspect of spiritual health care.

On behalf of all the chaplains throughout Europe, I would like to ask that you relay my sincere sympathy to all the members of the VGVZ for the tragic loss of such a very energetic and significant colleague.

Rev. Dr. Stavros Kofinas
Coordinator of the European Network of Healthcare Chaplaincy

[August 2007]

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European Network of Homeless Health Workers

We have just received the first two issues of the newsletter of the new European Network of Homeless Health Workers.

• Issue 1: March 2007
• Issue 2: July 2007

[August 2007]

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Recommendations on State, Religion, Secularity and Blasphemy

During its June 2007 part-session, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted the following texts, emanating from the Committee on Culture, Science and Education,

• Recommendation 1804 (2007) on State, religion, secularity and human rights [English]
• Recommendation 1804 (2007) on State, religion, secularity and human rights [French]
• Recommendation 1805 (2007) on Blasphemy, religious insults and hate speech against persons on grounds of their religion [English]
• Recommendation 1805 (2007) on Blasphemy, religious insults and hate speech against persons on grounds of their religion [French]
   

[August 2007]

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Church and Society Commission Update on European Affairs June 2007

Topic covered:  Treaty reform, future perspectives: Portuguese EU Presidency – social issues – Commission key initiatives for 2008, CSC Plenary Meeting, intercultural dialogue, EU-CoE cooperation.

  Update Documents June 2007

  CSC Report on the Treaty Reform

  CSC/CCME response to the Council of Europe White Paper consultation on Intercultural Dialogue

[August 2007]

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Hospital Visiting Volunteers in Pécs, Hungary

Tünde Édes, who has worked as as the only hospital chaplain for the last 16 years in the hospitals of Pécs in Hungary writes about a new exciting scheme for volunteer hospital visitors in her city.  

  Text of the Presentation by Tünde Édes

[July 2007]

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ENHCC involvement in EU Palliative Care Meeting

In his July Coordinator's report, Fr Stavros writes about his involvement in a meeting held at the Office of the EU’s Commissioner for Public Health regarding “Palliative Care in Europe”. This meeting was initially suggested by the ENHCC when we presented our statement on Palliative Care to the Director of the Commissioner’s office, Mr. Margaritas Schinas, this past autumn.

[July 2007]

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Rev Naatan Hammer invites Representatives to the 10th Consultation of ENHCC in Tartu Estonia

The first invitation letter has now been sent out to invite representative to come to the 10th Consultation of the european Network of healthcare Chaplaincy will will take place in Tartu, Estonia 28 May-1 June 2008. [More]

[July 2008]

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Nordic Chaplains meet in Finalnd

The 18th Nordic Conference for Hospital Chaplains was held in Porvoo, Finland, 13 - 16 June 2007 with the theme The Landscape of the Soul. There were 80 participants from all Nordic countries.
The Conference was organised by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and led by the Rev. Kirsti Aalto.

[June 2007]

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Conference in Latvia August 21-22 2007

Network Committee member,Dana Kalniņa–Zaķe, who is Chair of the Board of LPVAKA and Head of the Spiritual Care Department of Paul Stradins Clinical University Hospital  has sent information a forthcoming conference in Latvia:  "The Quality of Life in Illness and Death - Interdisciplinary Approach"  www.lpvaka.lv

  Provisional Progamme

[June 2007]

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Visits to San Francisco and London

In his May report to the Network Fr Stavros writes about his experiences at the Association of Professional Chaplains' Conference in San Francisco and his visits organised in London by Fr Edward Lewis.  [More]

[May 2007]

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Updates from the Conference of European Churches

Below are 3 documents received from the Council of European Churches.

CSC Update on European Affairs (May 2007)

Talking with one of the founding father, Max Kohnstamm

  CSC Report on the Constitutional Debate

[May 2007]

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Network invited to participate in an EU meeting on Palliative Care in Europe

Fr Stavros writes:  During Holy Week, I received a call from the office of the Commissioner of Public Health of the European Union telling me that there will be a meeting on “Palliative Care in Europe” in June. This is a direct response to the request we as the ENHCC made to the Commissioner in October, when we presented him with the Statement on Palliative Care. I was informed that this meeting will take place on June 13th in Brussels. It will be a meeting, with representatives of major European organizations such as ours which deal with Palliative Care and representatives from the EU Commission and Parliament.
Since being informed by the Commissioner’s office, we have spoke several other times. He has stressed that this all is being done after the idea posed by us and is very thankful and hopeful for good progress.
This is a major break though for the ENHCC in its efforts in shaping health care in Europe in a way where the spiritual/religious needs of the sick are tended to and where chaplaincy is acknowledged.

List of participants
 

[June 2007]

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EUFAMI - 4th European Congress - Poland - September 2007

The 4th European Congress of EUFAMI (European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness) will hold their 4th European Congress "Touching the Stars, toward a better quality of life" in Torun, Poland 14-16 September 2007.  It is a congress for family members, people with experience of mental illness and health and social care professionals.

For more information and how to register visit www.eufami.org

[March 2007]

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Fr Stavros writes to the President of the European Association of Palliative Care

Fr Stavros has written to Marilene Filbet, President of the European Association of Palliative Care.  He draws attention to the Network and our statement on palliative care made in Lisbon in 2006.

This has now been published on the website of the European Association of Palliative Care.  www.eapcnet.org/latestnews/EuropeanNetworkHCCh.htm

Marilène Filbert replies: 

It is a great honour that you send to our association all this very important work. As you said we have a lot of things in common and we can share all the recommendation already done.  I  suggest that you publish your standards in our journal, and in our web site.

Letter to Marilene Filbert

[February 2007]

Community Action on Health Services

Fr Stavros has offered a response to the EU concerning community action on health services.

The response is published with the others on the EU website (Number R033) here:  EU Website

EU Commission consultation regarding communition action on health services

ENHCC Response

CEC Church and Society Commission and  Eurodiaconia joint response

[January 2007]

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December Debriefing Meeting after EU Summit

Brussels, 18-12-2006

Dr Michael Weninger hosted a debriefing meeting after the EU summit earlier this month. He gave report on four issues:

• the European constitution
• the enlargement of the EU
• Turkey
• Kosovo.

Two special guests introduced their work at the EU. Those chaplains that are working with young adults should check out the text of Lerais and those chaplains who are part of ethical committees should check out the work of the European Group on Ethics.

Belgian greetings from your reporter-on-the-spot
Anne Vandenhoeck  [More]

[December 2006]

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The Coordinator writes his thanks after Brussels Dialogue Seminar

Fr Stavros sent letters of thanks to officials in Brussels participating in the dialogue seminar on "Social Services and Healthcare Services: A Contribution of the Churches and Church Organizations to the European Social Model” held in October 2006.  [Read Fr Stavros' account of the seminar]

Letter to Stefan Lunte (Assistant to the Secretary General,
COMECE)

Letter to Dieter Heidtmann (Excecutive Secretary, Church and Society Commission, CEC)

Letter to Michael Weninger, European Policy Advisor on Dialogue with Religions, Churches and Humanism of the
European Union

Letter to Margaritas Schinas, Chef of Cabinet of the Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Markos Kyprianou, European Commission

[November 2006]

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Working Group on Bioethics

We have received a summary of the decisions taken at the latest meeting of the Working Group on Bioethics of the Church and Society Commission of CEC.

Read the summary

[October 2006]

Complementary Spiritual Practices

The Association of Professional Chaplains in USA has published a chart describing the variety of complementary spiritual practices and theraplies which are now in use.  They invite others to submit information on this topic.  [More Information]

[November 2006]

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ENHCC will feature in a forthcoming book about Chaplaincy

Fr Rudolf Albisser (Co-president of the Association of Catholic Health Care Chaplains in German Speaking Switzerland) will publish a translation in German of a shortened version of the Coordinator's report made at the Lisbon Consultation.  This will appear soon  in a book about new developments in hospital chaplaincy, Spitalseelsorge im Wandel.

  Text in German

[October 2006]

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Marlène Inauen has written a full report of the Lisbon Consultation which was published in October 2006 in German in the Schweizerische Kirchen-Zeitung (The official Journal of the Bishops' Conference of Switzerland) Page 662

ENHCC to attend Brussels Seminar on Health and Social Care

Fr Stavros writes:

This is a short note to inform you that our Network has been asked to participate in a “Dialogue Seminar: Social Services and Healthcare Services: A Contribution of the Churches and Church Organisations to the European Social Model” that will take place in Brussels, held by the European Union in conjunction with the Conference of European Churches (Commission of Church and Society). The meeting will be held on the 17th and 18th of October. Those invited to the meeting are the Churches that have liaison offices at the EU.

I have decided to go to Brussels and attend this meeting. It will give us, as a Network, the opportunity to make our presence and show that we play in decisive role in the area of health care. This meeting will also give me the opportunity to make direct contact with the General Secretary of the Commission of Church and Society of the CEC in Brusssels, Rev. R. Noll, and explore ways in which our organizations can work closer together.

Being that I will be in Brussels, I have arranged a meeting with Mr. Maragretas Schinas, Director of the office of the Commissioner of Public Health. At this meeting, I will present him with the statement on Palliative Care that we made in Lisbon and explore the possibilities to calling a meeting of all the chief agents involved in this area of care. Being that Dana Kalnina-Zake will also be in Brussels to attend the Dialogue Seminar, representing Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, I have asked her and Anne Vandenhoek, our EU representative, to join me at this meeting.

[11 October 2006]

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Let me greet you on behalf of the All-Ukrainian Council for Patients
Rights and Security.

The numerous addresses, briefs and asks of the Ukrainian citizens made us to begin the project of Palliative Care in Ukraine.

The Palliative Care care has not only medical and social aspects; it
has a strong spiritual aspect.

So, in the World day of the hospice and palliative care (07.October
2006) we plan to organise the Ecumenical Divine Service (or The
Ecumenical Prayer) where representatives of different Churches. Also,we addressed the First Persons of the Churches acting in Ukraine and proposed them to organise the prayers for those who are dying in Ukraine, is incurably ill or needs the palliative care. For
now, the ideas are officially supported by the Roman-Catholic Church, Evangelic-Lutheran Church and Ukrainian Lutheran Church. Other Ukrainian Churches (also Orthodox) supported us also.

If you have any materials, ideas, please send them to us. The contact person is Mr. Alexander Wolf, the Project Palliative Care Coordinator. His E-mail is alexander@tb.org.ua,
phone / fax + 38 (044) 235 65 87

With kindest regards,
Prof. MDr Yuri Gubski
President of the Council

Progress in Palliative Care in Ukraine July-September 2006

  Press Release

[September 2006]

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Fr Stavros send greetings to Finnish Chaplains' Conference

Dear Fellow Chaplains in Finland,

On behalf of all the participants of the European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy, I would like to greet you upon the embankment of your annual Conference which is to take place in Oulu (Northern Finland).

The chaplains of Finland have been an important part in the development of chaplaincy in Europe. This has been highlighted by Rev. Kirsti Aalto’s participation in all the European consultations that have taken place since 1990, her significant participation in forming the draft for the Standards of Chaplaincy for Europe and her election to the Network Committee since the Turku Consultation in 2002, which your National Chaplaincy graciously hosted.

Allow me to thank you for the Finnish participation in our recent Consultation that took place in Lisbon this past May. Here, firm steps were made in building bridges so that chaplaincy can grow in hope. One of the steps taken was in agreeing on a “Statement on Palliative Care”.

The theme of your Conference in Oulu, "As companions to the hope and grace", strikes a sensitive part of chaplaincy that will allow you to build your own bridge toward hope.

Very often we as chaplains fall into the trap of supposing that we are capable of healing the spiritual and psychological wounds of those we minister. In doing this, we lose sight of who we really are and what is really needed in order for healing to take place. This often leads us to reach the point of despondency because we soon realize our own inadequacies, weaknesses and inabilities. We then become like the apostles who turned to Christ and asked: “why can we not heal” (Mark 9:29) and we fail to hear His response – that this can only take place if one, through prayer and abstinence, allows the grace of God to govern one’s life. For, the power to heal is not ours, but Christ’s who lives in us. When Christ lives in us, we do not express love in our limited human form, but we are an expression of His loving grace and bearers of hope – a hope in the Eternal Kingdom, “where there is no pain, nor sorrow, nor suffering, but life everlasting”. Thus, if we remain masked behind our facade in our attempt to hide our inadequacies and sinfulness, we will continue creating impersonal and shallow communities based on committees, social activities, and self-justified philanthropy. If we persist in our narrow-minded zealousness, we will remain ignorant of God’s charismata (gifts of grace). Even worse, we will confuse our people and misguide them, not being able to diagnose their illnesses and determine their needed remedy.

With prayers that your annual conference will be successful, I assure you that all of the chaplains in Europe will benefit from your gathering, so that we can join together and be united in His service.

Sincerely,

Rev. Dr. Stavros Kofinas
Coordinator of the European Network of Healthcare Chaplaincy

[11 August 2006]

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The face of Yunus Dudhwala smiles out from the cover of the Summer 2006 edition of the magazine Amicus Health, published by the Amicus Trade Union in the United Kingdom.  Yunus (who was one of the UK College of Health Care Chaplains representatives at the ENHCC consultations in Dublin and Lisbon) was interviewed about the vital role of chaplaincy in today's NHS. Although spiritual care is vital for the health of many patients, it can sometimes be overlooked. 
  Read the Article Keeping the Faith [635KB]
(Kindly provided by the Editor of Amicus Health)

[10 July 2006]

The White Dove flies free...

At the end of the opening ceremony of the 9th Consultation of the European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy held in Lisbon, Portugal in May 2006 a white dove was released into the sky in the Convent garden.
At the beginning of July, Fr Nuno (who organised the Consultation) visited the Convent again.  He writes:
The white Dove is still there. She lives at the Convent. The sisters every day give food to her. And, they tell me, they every day pray for us, because the dove reminds them of our Consultation. Myself, I went there some days ago, and I could see the Dove... still flying, so free... as we have to be!

[6 July 2006]

Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury of the Church of England, preached a sermon at Westminster Abbey in London for the nursing profession attending the annual Commemoration of Florence Nightingale.

[Read the text of the Sermon]

10 May 2006

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Coordinator sends Greetings to Irish Chaplains

Fr Stavros sent Greetings to the Annual General Meeting and Silver Jubilee of the National Association of Hospital Chaplains in Ireland. The Theme of the meeting was "Celebrating Christ Joyfully" and about 200 chaplains attended. Fr Stavros' letter will appear in the Assocaition's Newsletter, "The Carer" [Read letter]

April 2006

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Hospital Chaplains meet in Strasbourg

The Protestant Commission for Hospital Chaplaincy is organizing a seminary in Strasbourg from April 3rd to April 7th 2006 for all French speaking hospital chaplains throughout Europe. The Commission organizes similar events every two years to facilitate contacts and exchanges between French speaking hospital chaplains. This year chaplains of all Christian Churches have been invited to attend as well as volunteers who visit the sick. The conferences given will treat current development of hospital chaplaincy and its practice throughout Europe. Thanks to contacts with the Network, colleagues from other European countries will give conferences during the seminary. We will have the honour to welcome Kirsti Aalto from Finland and Fr Angelo Brusco from Italy.

23 March 2006

Consent to the storage and use of embryos

Recently issued is a Chamber judgment at the European Court of Human Rights.  The case concerns consent to the storage and use of embryos. [Press Release]

20 March 2005

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Article about EU and ENHCC in PlainViews

Anne Vandenhoeck from Belgium has had an article published in PlainViews about the European Union and ENHCC.

Read the PlainViews article

18 November 2005

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Latvian Chaplaincy Conference

The November Newsletter of Peace Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Minnesota, USA has an article about the recent conference in Latvia of the Association of Professional Healthcare Chaplaincy of Latvia : "Spirituality and Health: the Integration of Professional Chaplaincy in Healthcare" .  The article has some positive things to say about ENHCC.
Peace Lutheran Church was the main sponsor of the conference and has been influential in allowing halthcare chalaincy to develop in Latvia.

Read the article

6 November 2005

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Network Committee meet in Istanbul

The members of the Network Committee of the ENHCC gathered between the 30th of September and the 2nd of October 2005 in Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey, for their annual meeting. The meeting took place at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, who hosted the event. [More]

3 November 2005

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Six faith groups in Britain warn against legalising assisted dying

We have received a press release from Ecumenical News International in Geneva about the assisted dying debate in the UK. 

Leaders of six British faith communities have expressed grave concern at possible steps to legalise assisted dying for the terminally ill, in advance of a debate on the issue in the House of Lords, the upper house of the British parliament. 
[More including the letter from the Faith Leaders to members of the UK parliament]

12 October 2005

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Professional Standards from the Netherlands

Read the English translation of the Professional Standard of the Netherlands Association of Spiritual Counsellors in Care Institutions (VGVZ).

[Document]

26 September 2005

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Patenting of Stem cells

ENHCC has received a note written by Katrin Hatzinger from the EKD office in Brussels on the report of the European Commission on patenting of Stem cells.
It is in German, but the report can also be found in other languages on the EC website.

10th European Conference for Pastoral Care and Counselling

The 10th European Conference for Pastoral Care and Counselling will be held in Sigtuna, Sweden, August 19 - 23, 2005.
Theme of the Conference is "The Secular and the sacred - exploring a spirituality for our time". Main lecturers are poet and writer Ylva Eggehorn from Sweden, professor, PhD Leif Gunnar Engedal from Norway and Dr. Psychoanalyst Matti Hyrck from Finland.
The Conference is organized by ECPCC, European Council for Pastoral Care and Counselling. The Conference has 70 participants from 20 countries.
The President of ECPCC is Rev. Kirsti Aalto from Finland, vice- president is Fr. Pádraig Coleman from Ireland.

[17 July 2005]

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ENHCC Constitution now translated into Finnish

Rev Kirsti Aato (ENHCC Committee member from Finnland) has translated the Constituiton into Finnish.   The Constituion is currently available in English, Italian and Finnish.

[17 July 2005]

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The Association of Professional Healthcare Chaplaincy of Latvia is organising a conference: "Spirituality and Health: the Integration of Professional Chaplaincy in Healthcare" which will take place in the Oncological Centre of Latvia, Riga from the 15 - 16 September 2005.

Full information about the conference in Latvian and English is published on this website: www.net.id.lv/konference/conference.html

[2 July 2005]

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At the conclusion of the meeting that took place between Dr Michael Weninger (Policy Advisor on Dialogue with Religions, Churches and Humanism in the EU) and the ENHCC (represented by Fr. Stavros Kofinas, Coordinator, and Chaplain Anne Vandenhoeck, Network Committee Member) the ENHCC was asked to become a "dialogue partner" of the Policy Advisor. Dr Weninger called a meeting of all his "partners" to inform then of the summit of EU leaders and the new developments within the EU, particularly after the issues raised in relation to the EU Constitution. Representing the ENHCC at this deliberation was Chaplain Anne Vandenhoeck. [Debriefing after the European Council in Brussels (June 16-17, 2005)]

[1 July 2005]

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INTEGRATED CARE PATHWAYS CONFERENCE

Fifty four senior clinicians and managers working in the UK, Europe and the USA share their experiences of implementing Integrated Care Pathways in their organisation.  The conference will be held at Church House, Westminster in London 28-29 June 2005.  [More]

[26 June 2005]

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At the end of June 2005, Fr Stavros and Anne Vandenhoeck went to Brussels to meet with officials of the European Union.  Very profitable meetings were held with: Dr Michael Weniger (Policy Advisor to the President of the EU, The Honourable Jose Manuel Barroso, and Chairman of the EU Group of Concerning Dialogue with Religion, Churches and Humanism);  with Margaritis Schinas (Director of the Office of the Commissioner of Public Health, Pavlos Kyrpianou); and Dr Antoios Trakatellis MD (Vice-President of the EU Parliament).
A full report of these meetings will follow.  
[Document presented to the EU Officials about the Network]

[24 June 2005]

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Working Group on Bioethics and Biotechnology (Council of European Churches)

ENHCC receives papers from the Working Group on Bioethics and Biotechnology of the Church and Society Commission of the Council of European Churches.  Rev Kirsti Aalto from Finland (one of the network committee members) is a member of the Working Group.   [Summary of the meeting held 15-16 April 2005]

[24 June 2005]

Spirituality and health Conference in Latvia

The Association of Professional Healthcare Chaplaincy of Latvia  is organising a Conference on  "Spirituality and Health: Integration of Professional Chaplaincy in Healthcare" which will be held in Riga, the capital of Latvia, 15-16 September 2005. [ More ]

[24 May 2005]

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ENHCC Commitee member Anne Vandenhoeck has joined the Advisory Board of PlainViews.

Plainviews ( www.plainviews.org ) is an electronic magazine for health care chaplains. It is published by the Health Care Chaplaincy
( www.healthcarechaplaincy.org ), a multi-faith center for pastoral care, education, and research in New York.

[15 May 2005]

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BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN CHAPLAINCIES

STREAMS IN THE DESERT
The annual conference for US - chaplains in Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 2005

Two of the major organisations for professional chaplains in the USA held their annual conference together in Albuquerque in April. The ACP (Association for Professional Chaplains,
( www.professionalchaplains.org/ ) and the NACC (National Association for Catholic Chaplains, ( www.nacc.org/ ) were the hosts for more then 1300 chaplains gathering in the desert of New Mexico. Participants could choose from a broad range of pre- conference workshops, plenary sessions and conference workshops. Anne Vandenhoeck, committee member of the European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy, attended the conference and represented the Network. She brought greetings from Fr. Stavros Kofinas, coordinator of the ENHCC, to the conference in Albuquerque. Anne met with representatives of APC and NACC. Both parties agreed that the North American and European Chaplaincies can learn from each other. The necessary first steps are taken to start building bridges of communication and cooperation. To be continued!! The ENHCC’s committee is grateful for welcoming its representative in New Mexico.

[11 May 2005]

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Letter of Sympathy to the Roman Catholic Church on the occasion of the death of Pope John Paul II

Fr Stavros Kofinas, Coordinator of the network announces the new ENHCC Library

On 1 April 2005 Fr Stavros wrote to all the participants announcing that a new section of the Network website has been launched:

"I would like to announce that a special page has been created on the ENHCC website entitled “The European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy Library”. Our new “Library” will include articles and abstracts of articles that are related to our work. You can find the Library pages here: www.eurochaplains.org/enhcc_library/ One can also click the “Library” Button on the left hand row of buttons on any page.

Editing the new “Library” will be Anne Vandenhoek of Belgium, who serves on the ENHCC Network Committee. She will be available to answer any further questions about the new “Library” and accept your contributions. All proposals (according to the instructions in the Library pages) to include articles should be sent to: library@eurochaplains.org "

[More]

[1 April 2005]

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Science in Society Forum

Read an account of the Science in Society Forum organised by the European Commission in Brussels, 9-11 March 2005 [Text]

[17 March 2005]

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DATE FIXED FOR 9TH CONSULTATION OF ENHCC

After consultation with participants in the Network the date for the 9th Consultation in Lisbon, Portugal has been fixed as 17-21 May 2006.  [Coordinator's Letter]  [Consultation page]

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Fr Angelo Brusco has translated the Constitution of ENHCC into Italian.  The text will appear in the next issue of the magazine "Insieme per servire" (n. 61, July-September 2004).
[Constitution in Italian]

[6 October 2004]

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Chaplains in Finland are preparing for their annual conference.  Rev Kirsti Aalto, the Director of Hospital Chaplaincy of the Lutheran Church in Finland writes: "We have 92 participants on the list. The theme of the meeting is ... "unto the third and fourth generations"... (Exodus 20: 5). The place is Riihimäki, a small town, one hour from Helsinki, the date August 24 - 26.
[31 July 2004]

[Photographs and Greetings to the Conference]

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Ethnicity online helps cultural awareness in healthcare

Dear Fr. Stavros Kofinas,

Thank you so much for your E-mails congratulating me on my election as Chairperson of the Association of ther Health Care Chaplains in the Church of Sweden. I apologize for not replying earlier.

I appreciate the detailed information you have given me about the European Network of Health Care Chaplaincy, which I read with great interest. Thank you for supplying addresses of the other members of the Network Committee. When I have had time to settle in my new role, I will feel more in a position to communicate with them on a regular basis.

Yours truly,

Gunilla Malmborg, deaconess

12 November 2003

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Network Comm