Meeting Bishop Panteleimon with the chaplain of the Anglican Church Tony Kyriakidis (second from left) in the Marie Curie hospice in Hampstead
Ended on 5 July working visit of the Chairman of the Synodal Department for charity in the Sourozh diocese reports Diakoniai. The visit took place with the blessing of his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill and at the invitation of the Bishop of Sourozh Matthew. The Bishop of Orekhovo-Zuevo Panteleimon divine services in the churches of London and Oxford, met with the parents of students and teachers of the Sunday school at the Cathedral Church of London, and held a series of meetings with hospital chaplains working in different medical institutions of great Britain. The experience of chaplaincy Ministry in England will be taken into account in the Russian Orthodox Church: currently, the possibility of organizing a similar service in hospitals in Russia.
The official program of the visit of the vicar of his Holiness Patriarch began on 28 June with a visit to the Uspensky Cathedral Church of London, continuing a personal meeting with the Bishop of Sourozh Matthew. He spoke about the active liturgical life in England. ”At Easter you have to rent the area in front of the assumption Cathedral for the consecration of Easter cakes, – told the guest of the Bishop of Sourozh Matthew. – “Why is it that to acquire huge Cathedral of the assumption?” – asked once Metropolitan Anthony (bloom). He replied that there will come a time when the Cathedral will be full. These words were prophetic,” said Bishop Matthew.
During his visit to England, Chairman of the Synodal Department held a series of meetings with hospital chaplains working in different medical institutions – including the staff of the Royal hospital (Royal Free Hospital), about which in detail told her chaplain, Claire Carson. In this institution are treated patients of various nationalities. The hospital has its own school for children patients. In London, a large hospital, usually working at least two chaplains on full employment, it was noted during the meeting. In addition, occasionally patients visited by chaplains of other religions and faiths.
Medical chaplain can be a practicing or future priest: for student work in the hospital are included in the course “Practical theology”. Work in the state medical facilities can also be obtained, after finishing College. The training lasts 3 years, among the courses taught in colleges for chaplains disciplines are “basics of medicine”. Qualification level of the practitioner, the chaplain can enhance the training, also reported at the meeting.
In addition to referencing the chaplain, the patient can ask the health facility staff to call him parish priest of his denomination, including the Orthodox priest. However, the total number of calls to patients to commit sacraments are small – rarely comes to a dozen a week, even in a large hospital. However, there are precedents for the admission to the state of those clergymen, who are particularly often, including at night.
The English hospice focuses on the patient: usually, the person is in it from 24 hours to one month. About the specifics of chaplaincy Ministry in hospices Bishop Panteleimon told the Anglican chaplain, London Marie Curie hospice in Hampstead Tony Kyriakidis. He reported that the hospice staff can visit patients at home: for home visit responsibility for the patient’s hospice shared with other medical institutions responsible for the main course of treatment.
To work in medical institutions are actively involved volunteers – usually received confirmation from the religious community to which they belong. National standards for the training of volunteers in England no. They are often trained directly at the place of service according to the original program of the hospital or hospice. Special emphasis is placed on the development of volunteer skills of communicating with people, studying psychology.
This, in particular, was discussed at a meeting in Oxford Bishop Panteleimon with the Anglican chaplain Ian Graham. “For example, we teach our future volunteers to distinguish between the physical pain, the pain “financial” (meaning, for example, loss of the ability to pay the bills) and spiritual suffering,” he revealed the details of the chaplain, Ian Graham, specializing in work with dying. Study volunteers six months, 2 hours a week. Upon completion of training, volunteers receive certification interview, revealing that they have the capacity and required competence, they appointed a curator from among practicing chaplains.
Chaplains and volunteers are involved in meetings with medical staff about incoming patients. “The main responsible for the patient may designate not only the physician, shared experience chaplain Ian Graham. – I also was responsible for a particular patient. He experienced severe mental anguish, and I talked to him most of all: first of all, here you want to set a human relationship of trust. Such appointments do in cases where strong faith of the patient may have a decisive effect on the outcome of treatment,” said Ian Graham. He told me that the chaplain helps to solve the problem of professional “burnout” of physicians, and can also take on the task of communication with patient’s relatives. The latter is particularly necessary in those cases in which the hospice receives children: it is difficult to judge who suffers more – the parents or the child.
Work in the English hospice involves a number of responsibilities and restrictions. Together with nurses, a chaplain makes the rounds, a night nurse. He has no right to give advice of a medical nature, replacing the doctor, was also at the meeting.
Recall that chaplains in England are among health workers, receive a salary there. In 1948, the UK Department of health recommended the inclusion of chaplains in state medical institutions, to organize in hospitals, chapels and churches.
“We also plan to launch training of volunteers for service in the hospitals said at the meeting, the Chairman of the Synodal Department for charity, Bishop Panteleimon. – The example of England again confirms the need for hospital chaplains: doctors have neither the time nor the special training to work with patients who are experiencing spiritual distress”.
The Bishop of Orekhovo-Zuevo Panteleimon and Bishop of Sourozh Matthew in the Church of St. Nicholas in Oxford on 29 June, the vicar of his Holiness Patriarch Bishop Panteleimon and Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the divine Liturgy in St. Nicholas Church of Oxford. Bishop Panteleimon addressed the faithful with a pastoral word, conveyed to them the blessing and best wishes from his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill, who has blessed him to accept the invitation of Bishop Matthew to visit in the UK. Then Bishop Panteleimon visited the Oxford cemetery Headington, prays at the grave of Archimandrite Nicholas (Gibbs) – teachers of English of the Holy Martyr Tsarevich Alexis.
In the framework of his visit, the vicar of his Holiness Patriarch met with the Bishop of Edmonton Robert James Mr. Wickham (the Anglican Church), and also held a separate meeting with the Bishop of Dover Trevor Willmott (Anglican Church). During the meeting, Chairman of the Synodal Department stressed the importance of the living participation of his Holiness Patriarch Kirill in the organization of social service of the Russian Church, told about meetings of his Holiness Patriarch with the homeless, hospital patients, orphans, relatives of the victims during the tragedy in Kemerovo. The meeting participants also discussed current social issues, including migration challenges in Europe.
In London Bishop Panteleimon and Bishop Matthew of Sourozh celebrated the divine Liturgy in the assumption Cathedral. The archpastors were assisted by clerics of the Cathedral, sang at the divine service children’s choir Church-parish school of the Cathedral. After the service, Bishop Panteleimon met with teachers and parents of students of a parochial school.
He reminded them of the words of the Athonite elders, who claim that the child will get good education if parents will love each other. “The children need to pray earnestly, and to bring up children these days, parents need to seriously educate themselves”, – said Bishop Panteleimon, answering parents ‘ questions.
July 3, vicar of his Holiness Patriarch Bishop Panteleimon and Bishop of Sourozh Matthew met with the Ambassador of Russia to UK Alexander Yakovenko. Also during his visit Bishop Panteleimon officiated a memorial service for Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh (bloom) at his grave on Bromptons cemetery.