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Chaplaincy

Hospital

Pastoral counselling in hospitals entails helping people mentally and spiritually in their time of need. It is carried out with respect to each patient’s conviction. Practical pastoral care in (...)

Pastoral counselling in hospitals entails helping people mentally and spiritually in their time of need. It is carried out with respect to each patient’s conviction. Practical pastoral care in hospitals is implemented by hospital chaplains with special training. They are there for the patients, the relatives and the personnel. The work of the hospital chaplains entails personal discussions, being present and listening. A characteristic feature of pastoral care in hospitals is that the work is part of two systems, the Church and public health care. However, the Church provides for the cost of hospital chaplains.

Updated by Tommi Heino

D 24 May 2017    AKimmo Kääriäinen

Prison chaplaincy

All inmates are entitled to pursue their faith or religion and to follow the dictates of that faith while they are in prison, regardless of which particular faith the inmate follows. Nearly all (...)

All inmates are entitled to pursue their faith or religion and to follow the dictates of that faith while they are in prison, regardless of which particular faith the inmate follows. Nearly all of the priests in Finnish prisons belong to the Lutheran Church but they are employees of the government, not of the Church. Most institutions have at least a part-time priest or deacon to hold personal discussions, small group gatherings and masses. Studies have shown that both the inmates and general public find the work of prison chaplains to be very important. Important part of Church´s work for prisoners is done outside prison when inmates are released. After-care, sheltered homes and support for ending drug and alcohol abuse are also part of Church´s prison chaplaincy programme.

D 3 July 2017    ATommi Heino

Military chaplaincy

Military chaplains in Finland are qualified priests but employees of the Defence Forces. Both Lutheran and Orthodox Churches have military chaplains. They provide spiritual and mental support (...)

Military chaplains in Finland are qualified priests but employees of the Defence Forces. Both Lutheran and Orthodox Churches have military chaplains. They provide spiritual and mental support both for conscripted soldiers and hired personnel irrespective of their convictions. Military chaplains are present also in Finnish peacekeeping forces of the UN, NATO or EU abroad. Finns take a relatively positive stand when questioned about military chaplains; in 2015 76% thought that the presence of military chaplains in Defence Forces was either very positive or fairly positive fact and only 9% saw it as either very or fairly negative matter.

D 3 July 2017    ATommi Heino

Pastoral work in colleges

Lutheran Church works also in vocational schools, polytechnics and universities. There are about 65 full-time priests, diaconia workers, youth workers and musicians, who support the well-being (...)

Lutheran Church works also in vocational schools, polytechnics and universities.
There are about 65 full-time priests, diaconia workers, youth workers and musicians, who support the well-being of both the staff and students.
The aims of Church´s pastoral work in colleges are to “further human dignity and love for one’s neighbour, strengthen the integrated well-being of a person and to deliberate upon religious and spiritual questions”. It is built upon the dialogue and trust between Church and the educational institution and its key element is to support both groups and individuals in different situations and in different conditions of life. Nowadays questions concerning multiculturalism and religiosity are becoming more and more central to the work of priests in colleges.

D 3 July 2017    ATommi Heino

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