Parliament intends to allow priests to serve at hospitals

Bill #4987 on amending the law "Fundamentals of Health Legislation" on the introduction of pastoral care in health has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, as reported by UNIAN. 

The text of the bill is posted on the website of the Parliament. It has been worked out by 21 members of the "Petro Poroshenko Block ", "Narodny Front" (People’s Front), "Samopomich"(Self-assistance), the Radical Party, the "Opposition block", "Vidrodzhennia" (Renaissance) group, "Volya Naroda"(The Will of People) and independent MPs. 

The bill proposes to determine that pastoral care is an activity at health institutions carried out by priests (chaplains), authorized by religious organizations, whose statutes (regulations) are registered in accordance with the law, aimed at meeting the religious and spiritual needs of patients and their families, as well as employees of health care institutions. 

However, the draft law is proposed to provide the right of a patient hospitalized in a health institution to the admission of other health care workers, family members, a guardian, a custodian, a notary and a lawyer, persons engaged in charitable activities (volunteers, representatives of charitable, public, religious organizations), as well as a priest (chaplain) for pastoral care, including through the administration of worship and religious rites. 

To coordinate pastoral care activities at health institutions the central executive body that implements the state policy in the sphere of health care, creates an advisory body – the pastoral council, which includes representatives of relevant departments and religious centers, statutes (regulations) registered in accordance with the law. 

The bill states that the clergy (chaplains) can carry out their activities on a voluntary or public basis. Health care institutions have the right to employ for pastoral care priests (chaplains), who have been specially trained, selected and authorized by religious organizations.

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