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Pastoral care refers to theemotional, physical, and spiritual duties that apastor supplies to their community.[1][2] This practice exists in many spiritual and religious faiths and is often considered inclusive of religious andnon-religious forms of support. It is found in both secular andreligious communities.[3][4][5]
Pastoral care as a contemporary term is no longer an exclusively religious term and is therefore distinct from its historical context of religious community orministry, which is historically tied toChristian beliefs. Modern institutional pastoral care departments in Europe are increasingly multi-faith or secular and can be inclusive of non-religious,humanist approaches that provide support and comfort. These include counseling, live coaching, meditation and psychological forms of therapy. In some cases, clients can request the form of care they prefer to access.
Just as the theory and philosophy behind modern pastoral care is not dependent on any one set of beliefs or traditions, pastoral care itself is guided by a broad framework. This involves personal support and outreach and is rooted in a practice of relating with the inner world of individuals from all walks of life.[6][7]
Pastoral care typically involves the practitioner and client sitting together, with the client sharing personal details. The practitioner listens attentively, keeps the information confidential, and offers guidance and counsel.[8] This is often closely aligned with the psychological practice of "holding space."
In many private schools in Australia, usually historically Christian schools,homeroom is referred to as "PCG" (pastoral care group), "pastoral period", or simply "pastoral", where the teacher is called a "PCA" (pastoral care advisor). In Romania, a 'PCA' also performs the role of a counsellor. Pastoral care can also be associated withpalliative care, depending on the provider.
Pastoral care is a Christian approach to improve mental distress and has been practiced since the formation of the Christian Church.[8][9] It is an easy and often preferred contact point for religious people seeking help with psychological problems or personal issues.[8][9] This model for pastoral care is based on the stories about how Jesus was healing people.[9]
In the early church the term 'Poimenic' was used to describe this task of soul-care.[10] In theNew Testament, the interactions that are described with the term "pastoral care" are also described withParaklesis (Greek: παράκλησιςparáklēsis) which broadly means "accompaniment", "encouragement", "admonition" and "consolation" (e.g.Romans 12:8;Philippians 2:1;1 Timothy 4:13;1 Thessalonians 5:14).
Pastoral care occurs in various contexts, including congregations, hospital chaplaincy, crisis intervention, prison chaplaincy, psychiatry, telephone helplines, counseling centers, senior care facilities, disability work, hospices, end-of-life care, grief support, and more.
The termpastoralministry relates toshepherds and their role caring for sheep. Christians were the first to adopt the term for metaphorical usage, although many religions and non-religious traditions place an emphasis on care and social responsibility.[11] In the West,pastoralministry has since expanded into pastoral care, embracing many different religions and non-religious beliefs.[12]
The Bible does not explicitly define the role of apastor but associates it with teaching.[13]Pastoralministry involvesshepherding the flock.
…Shepherding involvesprotection, tending to needs, strengthening the weak, encouragement, feeding the flock, making provision, shielding, refreshing, restoring, leading by example to move people on in their pursuit of holiness, comforting, guiding (Ps 78:52; 23).[14]
In the ancient church, pastoral care primarily revolved around the Christian's struggle against sin, which jeopardized their ultimate salvation. The theologiansClement of Alexandria,Origen andEusebius of Caesarea mainly understood this as the concern of individuals for their own souls.[15] Increasingly, the role of pastoral caregivers was seen as assisting individual Christians in this endeavor.[16] The first pastoral movement emerged among theDesert Fathers, who were often visited by Christians seeking advice; however, this was not yet referred to as pastoral care. Similarly, the early monastic-like communities served as such pastoral care centers. The letters ofBasil of Ancyra,Gregory of Nazianzus, andJohn Chrysostom contain numerous examples of pastoral counsel; the term "pastoral care" shifted towards a concern for the souls of others.[17]
At the transition to the Middle Ages,Gregory the Great composed the "Liber Regulae Pastoris", directed towards the Pope, one of the most influential books on pastoral care (cura) ever written.
During the Middle Ages, pastoral care was closely tied to the practice of the sacrament of penance, which included confession of sins, making amends, and absolution by the priest. Against the often mechanized routine, particularly from the monastic tradition, efforts were made to address this, such as byBernard of Clairvaux. The Latin term "cura animarum" (care of souls) emerged as the proper responsibility of the bishop as the pastor responsible for individual Christians, which he usually delegated to a priest, typically the parish priest. In this sense, "cura animarum" is also used in today's canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.[15]
Among the Reformers, the emphasis shifted from the focus on sin to the emphasis on God's forgiveness and comfort, particularly evident in the works ofMartin Luther andHeinrich Bullinger. In many cases, however, church discipline soon replaced pastoral care.
In the 19th century, the Protestant theologianFriedrich Schleiermacher establishedPractical Theology. He emphasized that pastoral care should strengthen the freedom and autonomy of individual members within a congregation. As early as 1777, the field of Pastoral Theology was introduced into the curriculum of the University of Vienna (Austria) under Franz Stephan Rautenstrauch, and was taught in the national language rather than Latin. In Germany, it was further developed and disseminated primarily byJohann Michael Sailer, and is considered a precursor to modern pastoral care.
In the United States,Anton Theophilus Boisen, one of the key figures in the American pastoral care movement, developed the concept of "Clinical Pastoral Training" in the 1920s. This concept integrated pastoral care, psychology, and education.
In the mid-1960s, the pastoral care movement spread to Germany through the Netherlands, leading to the development of Pastoral Psychology. In the theology of the regional churches (Landeskirchen), pastoral care with a focus on pastoral psychology remains a standard practice to this day.
The field of pastoral care is nowadays very specialized. Browning (1993) divided Christian care-giving practices into three different categories, which are pastoral care,pastoral counseling, and pastoral psychotherapy. This distinction can still be found nowadays, especially in written English papers. According to this definition, pastoral care describes the general work of the clergy of taking care of the people in their community. This comprises funerals, hospital visits, birthday visits or dialogues that do not focus only on a specific problem.
Nowadays, there exist many approaches to pastoral care which vary according to theirreligious denomination. Manyprotestant Christian approaches to pastoral care include contemporary psychological knowledge, which is reflected in the training of pastoral care practitioners. For example, in Germany, the distinctions and the curricula of the different pastoral care training approaches are provided by the German Society for Pastoral Psychology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Pastoralpsychologie – DGfP). The five approaches are clinical pastoral care (Klinische Seelsorge Ausbildung - KSA), the group-organisation-system approach (Gruppe-Organisation, System), the Gestalt and psychodrama approach (Gestalt und Psychodrama), the person-centric approach (Personenzentriert) and the depth psychology approach (Tiefenpsychologie).[18]
Humanist groups, which act on behalf of non-religious people, have developed pastoral care offerings in response to growing demand for the provision of like-minded support from populations undergoing rapidsecularisation, such as the UK.[3]Humanists UK, for example, manages theNon-Religious Pastoral Support Network, a network of trained and accredited volunteers and professionals who operate throughout prisons, hospitals, and universities in the UK.[19] The termspastoral care andpastoral support are preferred because these sound less religious than terms such aschaplaincy.[3] Surveys have shown that more than two thirds of patients support non-religious pastoral care being available in British institutions.[3] Similar offerings are available from humanist groups around Europe and North America.
InCatholic theology, pastoralministry for the sick and infirm is one of the most significant ways that members of the Body of Christ continue the ministry and mission of Jesus. Pastoralministry is considered to be the responsibility of all the baptized. Understood in the broad sense of "helping others", pastoral ministry is the responsibility of all Christians. Sacramental pastoralministry is the administration of thesacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, Matrimony) that is reserved to consecrated priests except for Baptism (in an emergency, anyone can baptize) and marriage, where the spouses are the ministers and the priest is the witness. Pastoralministry was understood differently at different times in history. A significant development occurred after theFourth Lateran Council in 1215 (more on this in the link to Father Boyle's lecture below). The Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) applied the word "pastoral" to a variety of situations involving care of souls; on this point, go to the link to Monsignor Gherardini's lecture).
Many Catholic parishes employlay ecclesial ministers as "pastoral associates" or "pastoral assistants", lay people who serve in ministerial or administrative roles, assisting the priest in his work, but who are not ordained clerics. They are responsible, among other things, for the spiritual care of the frail and housebound as well as for running a multitude of tasks associated with the sacramental life of the Church. If priests have the necessary qualifications in counseling or inpsychotherapy, they may offer professional psychological services when they givepastoral counseling as part of their pastoral ministry of souls. However, the church hierarchy underJohn Paul II andBenedict XVI has emphasized that the Sacrament of Penance, or Reconciliation, is for the forgiveness of sins and not counseling and as such should not be confused with or incorporated into the therapy given to a person by a priest, even if the therapist priest is also their confessor. The two processes, both of which are privileged and confidential under civil and canon law, are separate by nature.
Youth workers andyouth ministers are also finding a place within parishes,[citation needed], and this involves theirspirituality. It is common for Youth workers/ministers to be involved in pastoralministry and are required to qualify forcounseling before entering into this arm of ministry.
The priesthood obligations of Orthodox clergymen are outlined byJohn Chrysostom (347–407) in his treatiseOn the Priesthood. It is considered one of the first pastoral works ever written, though Chrysostom was only a deacon at the time. The work emphasizes the dignity of the priesthood, stating that the priest is greater than kings, angels, or even parents. However, this elevated status also makes priests particularly susceptible to pride and ambition. Therefore, they require clear and unshakable wisdom, patience to counter pride, and exceptional prudence in guiding souls.
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There are many assumptions about what apastor'sministry is. The core practices of a pastor's ministry in mainline Protestant churches include leading worship, preaching, pastoral care, outreach, and supporting the work of the congregation. Theological Seminaries provide a curriculum that supports these key facets of ministry. Pastors are often expected to also be involved in localministries, such as hospitalchaplaincy, visitation,funerals,weddings, and organizing religious activities. "Pastoral ministry" includes outreach, encouragement, support, counseling, and other care for members and friends of the congregation. In many churches, there are groups like deacons that provide outreach and support, often led and supported by the pastor.
For example, theEvangelical Wesleyan Church instructs clergy with the following words: "We should endeavor to assist those under ourministry, and to aid in the salvation of souls by instructing them in their homes. ... Family religion is waning in many branches. And what avails public preaching alone, though we could preach like angels? We must, yea, every traveling preacher must instruct the people from house to house."[20]The Presbyterian Church (USA) is structured so that there is parity between lay leaders and pastors. Deacons and elders are ordained, with specific duties.[21]
Act new guidance is provided for the care of patients and service users whatever their religion or belief.
Pastoral care is an ancient model of emotional and spiritual support that can be found in all cultures and traditions. [...] Historically Christian but is now a multi faith community.
