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The Romanian Patriarchate and the Ministry of Health signed, on Tuesday, a protocol on the implementation of Christian-Orthodox religious assistance activities in the health units subordinated to the Ministry of Health, the two institutions being represented by Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church and Minister of Health Alexandru Rafila, informs the Patriarchate in a press release sent to AGERPRES.
The protocol, which updates and completes those of 1995 and 2008 aims to regulate the activity of Christian-Orthodox religious assistance in the health units subordinated to the Ministry of Health, as well as the collaboration between the two institutions in the field of medical assistance integrated with the field of social and religious assistance.
The mission and duties of the hospital priest are stated starting from the experience of over 25 years of activity of the Romanian Orthodox Church within the health units, reaffirming his main duties:
* Performs religious services according to the program approved by the respective diocese, with the agreement of the management of the health unit in question;
* He regularly visits the sick in the unit where he works;
* Maintains spiritual conversations with the sick and with their family members;
* Provides religious services in emergency cases and administers the Holy Mysteries and liturgies in compliance with the provisions of the Romanian Orthodox Church;
* Cultivates and preserves a balanced religious atmosphere, avoiding proselytism of any kind and supporting, upon request, those of other confessions in the sense of receiving religious assistance from the cult to which they belong;
* Gives religious assistance to employees of health units, upon their request;
* Performs special services: the burial of the deceased abandoned or without family, the baptism of children in danger of death or at the request of the parents, etc.
The protocol was concluded for a period of 10 years, informs the Press Office of the Romanian Patriarchate.AGERPRES
