Abstract:

In this article the author seeks answers to many questions about the past and the future of Healthcare Chaplaincy in Bulgaria. The Church has no official input into hospitals, but patients, their relatives, medical staff, and the whole of society needs pastoral care and spiritual support during times of suffering. Nowadays the treatment of patients in hospital is a complex and responsible process. It demands the combined efforts of the therapeutic team, and the valuing of human life and human dignity at the highest level. An empirical study, investigating the attitude of staff and patients to the necessity of Healthcare Chaplaincy, shows that the problem is important and its solution must be found as a top priority.

Author: Jordan Vuchkov