PORTUGAL, September 30, 2011 (RTP): A Handbook of Hospital Spiritual and Religious Care, a synopsis of “feasible and practical” aspects of each religious tradition’s requests regarding their faithful under hospital care, was presented on Tuesday in Lisbon.
The elaboration of this document was done by the Working Group for Inter-religious Spiritual and Religious Hospital Guidance and will be presented at a symposium held at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
“It’s a paperback book, with two dozen pages, which briefly discusses the aspects of each religious tradition to take into account that people of various religions can feel better, when admitted,” told AFP the leader of the group, Father Jose Nuno, chaplain of the Hospital of St. Joao in Porto city.
According to Jose Nuno, the document explains the position of each religious tradition in relation to birth, disease, death and ethical issues, as well as the issue or organ transplants of donated blood.
The Working Group that promotes the Symposium was established following the promulgation of a 2009 Portuguese law to this effect. The Portuguese government recognized the right of patients admitted to public health facilities to be spiritually and religiously attended by members of their religious communities, a right legally recognized only to the Catholic Church before the new law came into effect.
Following the enactment of new legislation, the coordination of Catholic Hospital Chaplain Services invited the many faiths present in Portugal to create a joint document.
Were represented the Portuguese Evangelical Alliance, the Hindu Community of Portugal, the Islamic Community of Lisbon, the Jewish Community of Lisbon, the Portuguese Council of Christian Churches, the Orthodox Patriarchate and several Portuguese Buddhist Union.
After this first step, new beliefs were integrated into the group, including the Baha`i Community of Portugal and the Union of Adventist churches. New members are underway.
At an upcoming Conference, a joint task-force group will be created by health or religious professionals, called the Spirituality and Health Workgroup.