PALLIATIVE CARE

A THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION

Authors

  • George Beuken St. Andrew’s Hospice

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v4i2.17

Keywords:

Roman Catholic, palliative care, pastoral care, sacrament, church, suffering

Abstract

This article argues that a Roman Catholic theology of palliative care must be rooted in the sacramental ministry of the Church. If Jesus Christ is the Sacrament of God, then the Church is rightly understood as the Sacrament of Jesus Christ. The Church’s nature is realised most fully in and through the individual sacraments, since in this way she makes Christ present, and is his continuation. The Christ whom the Church makes present embodies an intensity of suffering and compassion which must lie at the heart of the palliative care offered by God’s people to the sick.

Author Biography

  • George Beuken, St. Andrew’s Hospice

    George Beuken is Pastoral Director at St. Andrew’s Hospice, Airdrie.

References

DULLES A.S.J. 1988 Models of Church, Gill & Macmillan, Dublin.

MACNEIL D.,Morrison D., Nouwen H. 1982 A reflection on the Christian life, Doubleday, New York

MCKENNA M. 1997 Rites of Justice, Maryknoll, New York.

SCHILLBEECKX E. 1960Christ the Sacrament of encounter with God, Sheed & Ward, New York

VORGRIMLER H.1992 Sacramental Theology, Liturgical Press, Minnesota, USA

Published

2013-06-05

How to Cite

Beuken, G. (2013). PALLIATIVE CARE: A THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 4(2), 17-21. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.v4i2.17