Healthcare Chaplaincy in Italy

Health Care Chaplaincy in Ukraine

2002 Standards Document in Ukrainan

The Development of Healthcare Chaplaincy in Ukraine

After the fall of the USSR, the Ukraine Health Care System inherited all problems of the Soviet Health Care. A very serious problem was, and still remains medical chaplaincy that was forbidden in the time of the Soviet Union.

In November 2004 by special Decree of Lubomyr Huzar, the Head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (http://www.ugcc.org.ua/eng/ugcc_history/) there was established the Inter-diocesan Commission of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church for the Pastoral Health Care. The Commission was called to develop and provide the mission of the Church in the Health Care in Ukraine.

Tasks of the Commission

To establish cooperation with religious, state and public organizations which work in the Health Care;
To spread in Ukrainian society the Church teaching on life and health of man and the meaning of his suffering;
To affirm Christian values in medical social and educational institutions, and in the Ukrainian legislation;
To assist an education of the responsible and careful attitude towards every patient and the respect to his dignity;
To conduct monitoring of the Health Care problems, especially related to the quality and conditions of medical treatment.

Main fields of activity

1. Pastoral activity

Development of the pastoral programs, measures and actions in the Health Care;
Organization of the pastoral Health Care work in all UGCC’s dioceses in Ukraine.

2. Educational activity

Conducting of scientific-practical seminars, trainings and other educational measures;
Assistance to the specialized studies of clergy, medical workers, volunteers for the future work in the Pastoral Health Care.

3. Academic activity

Organization of conferences, round tables on present-day themes and questions;
Conducting of researches and monitoring of problems of the Health Care in Ukraine

4. Publishing activity

Translation and publication of research, practical handbooks, Church documents etc.

At the present time one of the main task of the Commission is to develop medical chaplaincy in the Church as well to bring an attention of the society to this issue. With this intension the Commission presented to the Bishop Conference of UGCC the project of the document “The Status of the Medical Chaplain”. At the same time the Commission makes research in order to present to the Bishop Conference possible initiatives for the legitimisation of medical chaplaincy in Ukraine.

Rev Volodymyr Lyupak

[May 2008]

top

ENHCC

Site menu: