Spiritual care of the sick^*

Abstract

In the Gospel we see how people bring the sick to Christ to be healed. As physicians, nurses, and chaplains we are God’s instruments bringing physical and spiritual healing to the sick. It is important for those of us who care for the sick to ask them about their religious affiliation and spiritual needs, and then following their cues and in a respectful way to encourage them to pray and, in the case of Catholics, to receive the sacraments. We should also pray for our patients, and when we think they would like it, to pray with them.

Summary: Physicians and nurses, not only chaplains, should ask patients about their religious beliefs, offer to find spiritual assistance for them, and when appropriate pray with them.

Keywords:

• Spiritual care
• Prayer
• Sacraments
• Suffering
• Compassion

Notes

^* Reflection adapted from an address to the Milwaukee Catholic Physicians Guild, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 8, 2016.

1. “Those oncology professionals who are familiar with their own spirituality will be better at recognizing, understanding and attending to their patients’ spiritual needs and concerns” (Surbone and Baider 2010).

2. Tolstoy tells us the thoughts of Bezuhov, “in his captivity, he had learned, not by words or reasoning, but by direct feeling what his nurse had told him long ago, that God is here and everywhere…. In the past he had been unable to see the great, the unfathomable, the infinite, in anything. He had only felt that it must exist somewhere, and had been seeking it” (Tolstoy 1968, 1320).

3. Attending the funeral of a former patient is a beautiful act of solidarity and compassion for the family. When this is not possible, as may often be the case, sending the family a Mass or a condolence card is greatly appreciated.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Fr. Juan R. Vélez

Fr. Juan R. Vélez, M.D., has a Ph.D. in dogmatic theology from the University of Navarre. He writes on medical ethics and is the author of Passion for Truth: The Life of John Henry Newman; and Holiness in a Secular Age: The Witness of Cardinal Newman (Scepter Publishers, 2017). He may be contacted at [email protected].