Pastoral Work Research Articles

Institute of Church Music as a component of the structure of the Lviv Theological Academy and the Ukrainian Catholic University

The purpose of the article is to determine the place and significance of the Institute of Church Music in the structure of the Lviv Theological Academy and the Ukrainian Catholic University. The research methodology consists in applying the retrospective method – to outline the continuity of the principles and goals of the Institute of Church Music as a substructure of the Theological Academy and UCU, cultural and historical – to reveal the peculiarities of its functioning in different socio-political conditions; culturological – to identify aesthetic and stylistic, ideological, semantic, communicative features of the realization of the potential of ICM. The scientific novelty lies in the attempt to comprehensively study the activities of this institution, its structure, areas of performance and research, relationships with other substructures and disciplines of theological and secular music education, the personalities of the teaching staff. Conclusions. The Institute of Church Music has a long history of forming the institution, its structure, goals, and objectives in the system of professional training of the Greek Catholic clergy. Its functions include deepening the professional training of graduates of spiritual centers of education for their practical pastoral work, the prospect of improving the musical component of the church rite; the pedagogical and educational purpose of the clergy; preparation of bases for scientific research of Ukrainian sacred music of different epochs (through accumulation, collecting, copying (reprinting) of old prints and manuscripts, research, editing, publishing and performance of spiritual works).

The Priest in the Multilingual Church. Language as an Aspect of the Functioning of the Lower Clergy in Late Medieval Prussia

Late Medieval Prussia, an area ruled by the Teutonic Order, was a multilingual entity, with the Baltic and Slavic languages used by the local population alongside the German language. This linguistic diversity was a challenge to priests, and to their pastoral work. A command of the languages of their parishioners was crucial for them, as they not only had to teach and hear confession, but also to announce the instructions of the local bishop. So far, historians have discussed the linguistic skills of the clergy mainly in the context of the Christianisation of the native Prussian population. This article deals with the issue by focusing on Late Medieval Prussia and the lower clergy. It discusses the provisions of synodal statutes and papal documents regulating the clergy’s command of the languages of their parishioners. The author explores problems of linguistic skill relating to the origin and education of the local clergy, in addition to the impact of the right of patronage and the practical activities of Prussian and Polish chaplains. He also pays attention to the tradition of employing interpreters to support priests who did not know the local Baltic and Slavic languages; this was especially problematic during confession.

Hearing spiritually significant voices: A phenomenological survey and taxonomy

Whereas previous research in the medical humanities has tended to neglect theology and religious studies, these disciplines sometimes have a very important contribution to make. The hearing of spiritually significant...

Aperto per ferie: third spaces meet pastoral contexts

Abstract Media education is a cultural framework that can be applied in different contexts: schools, families, informal educational environments, along with pastoral work. With Pope Francis’ championing, there is an increasing need to bridge pastoral care and the media, which can become new important forms of proximity and open opportunities to connect and assume responsibility towards others. Our aim is to understand how parishes can think of themselves as third spaces. The paper tackles this question through the exploration of the initiative Aperto per ferie. The initiative was created to enable professionals to experience the summer camp activities despite the Covid-19 pandemic, finding new ways of aggregation in pastoral youth clubs and taking advantage of digital community meetings. It developed a digital space to promote a unifying experience. With digital technologies, the boundaries of the community are redrawn. The correspondence with the territory (of the parish and the diocese) is no longer pre-determined. A community with porous edges is making its way and is more open and permeable to contributions coming from outside, and perhaps more accessible, even by those who do not frequent parish environments.

The Ideological Discourse of Charlotte Brontë in 'Shirley'

This paper analyses the linguistic changes arising from the formation of workers’ culture during the Industrial Revolution, as well as the effects of the pastoral work of the Anglican church, and its reflection on the Victorian literature produced by Charlotte Brontë. Specifically, this analysis is based on the parallelism established by this novelist between the values ​​that lie behind the concepts of unionism and solidarity and her fight against the social conventions concerning marriage, as reflected in the novel Shirley. In fact, the human values ​​that derive from these concepts were an inspiration that Brontë uses to provide cohesion and coherence to the plot of the novel within a narrative framework in which she minimizes the class difference between two young women: Caroline and Shirley. Brontë thereby shows that this class difference is not an obstacle for both women to share and feel the positive effects of these values within a social context dominated by social conventions regarding marriage.
 Key Words: democracy, culture, Luddites, unionism and solidarity.

Implication of Belief in Witchcraft among Christians: A Case of Bukulula Parish, Masaka Diocese, Uganda

This study investigated implication of belief in witchcraft among Christian: A case of Bukulula Parish, Masaka Diocese, Uganda. The study targeted all Christians of Bukulula parish, and the sample size were 151. The respondents were sampled through purposive sampling and stratified sampling. The study used a mixed paradigm for data collection and analysis. The main instruments in the study included questionnaires and interviews. Field data was analyzed using both statistical and thematic analysis. The study established that the Church does not accept any other belief or worship of anything else apart from belief in the one true God as the Ten Commandments specifies. The study revealed that the major factors that contribute to belief in witchcraft include unclear prolonged illnesses, desire for prosperity, fear of death and extreme poverty. It was also discovered that among the impacts of belief in witchcraft among Christians include,a reduction in numbers of churchgoers, low levels of development due to poor working relationships, unhappiness among people and poor participation towards church-related activities as well as illnesses and poverty. Some strategies to overcome belief in witchcraft include, frequent Gospel sharing, fellowship, deeper Christian instruction, community and personal prayers, committed pastoral work and genuine love among members.

How Relationship-Enhancing Transcendent Religious Experiences during Adversity Can Encourage Relational Meaning, Depth, Healing, and Action

Research on the relationship between religion, spirituality, and health suggests that religious involvement can help people deal with various kinds of adversity. Although there has been a great deal of work on the influence of religious involvement and religious and spiritual practices on physical, mental, and relational health, there exists a gap in the theoretical and empirical literature about the potential benefits of transcendent religious experiences on marriage and family relationships. We report some findings from a study of in-depth interviews with 198 religious American exemplar families from diverse religious, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds. The religious-ethnic make-up of the sample included: African American Christian (13%), Asian Christian (12%), Catholic and Orthodox Christian (11%), White Evangelical Christian (12%), White Mainline Christian (10%), Latter-day Saint (LDS, Mormon), (14%), Jewish (16%), and Muslim (12%). Systematic group coding resulted in the findings that, during times of adversity, transcendent religious experiences reportedly (a) provided relational meaning, (b) increased relational depth, (c) healed relational hurt, and (d) encouraged relational action. We suggest implications for theory, research, clinical practice, and pastoral work.

Institution of Military Chaplaincy in Ukraine: Emphasis on Catholic Church Activities

The article deals with the problem of military chaplaincy service formation in the period of independence of Ukraine as one of the priority directions of relations between the state and religious organizations in Ukraine.
 The current state of military pastoral care is analyzed directly in the context of Catholic churches activities in Ukraine in this aspect. In particular, the institutional component of the Catholic churches is clarified, statistics demonstrating the quantitative and percentage composition of the Catholic churches in the religious network of Ukraine are provided.
 The results of sociological surveys of the religious situation in Ukraine and the identification of religiosity of the population in the context of Catholic churches are analyzed. The opinion of the population of Ukraine regarding the trust in religious organizations, religious leaders (including the leadership of the Catholic churches) and the military formations of Ukraine is examined. The opinion of the population on the expediency of establishing a military chaplaincy institute in Ukraine is also clarified (through the results of sociological surveys).
 The organizational division of the internal structure of the Catholic churches in Ukraine is presented, and it is also clarified which structural units are responsible for coordination with the Ukrainian power structures and organization of pastoral work. Attention is drawn to the review of the cooperation of the Catholic churches in Ukraine with the military formations of Ukraine in the aspect of pastoral activity. Special attention is paid to the coverage of the various areas of pastoral work directly by the military chaplains of the Catholic churches and the coordination of this work by the relevant structural units of the Catholic churches. In particular, conferences, meetings, trainings, pilgrimages on the organization and implementation of pastoral work in the field of military chaplaincy.
 Also, consideration is given to the activities of the advisory body on military chaplaincy at the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (which includes, in particular, the Catholic churches in Ukraine) and its contribution to the establishment of the Institute of Military Chaplaincy in Ukraine. The inter-denominational cooperation of the churches in Ukraine, including the Catholic ones, was considered in establishing a military chaplaincy institution in independent Ukraine through the activities of interfaith associations.
 It has been found that the issue of legislative securing of the Institute of Military Chaplaincy in the Armed Forces of Ukraine remains urgent. In this regard, the legislative work in this area and the involvement of Catholic churches in Ukraine are highlighted.

The Social Sciences, Pastoral Theology, and Pastoral Work: Understanding the Underutilization of Sociology in Catholic Pastoral Ministry

AbstractApplying sociological imagination and theological perspectives and using some secondary literature that focus on the American pastoral experience, this article explains why sociology and the social sciences are underutilized in the pastoral ministry of Catholic priests despite the Catholic Church’s openness to human sciences’ contributions to evangelization after the Second Vatican Council. In particular, it examines how the (i) uneasy alliance between Catholic theology and sociology, (ii) overemphasis on the invisible and theological dimension of the Church in current ecclesiologies, (iii) highly philosophical and theological clerical education which sidelines the empirical sciences in clerical pastoral work, and (iv) dominance of the individualist approaches of clinical psychology in pastoral theology have greatly contributed to the neglect of sociological inquiries and perspectives in clerical formation and pastoral ministry. It also argues that a genuine pastoral care must be based on a holistic and empirical assessment of the pastoral needs of parishioners by priests using sociology and the social sciences before it prescribes a plan of action for pastoral care to accurately inculturate the Christian message in today’s technological culture.

Pastoral response to unemployment

Pastoral work is about assisting people to live their lives to the full. A great deal of scholarship has accumulated around the employment challenges precipitated by a variety of socio-political and economic factors. The all-encompassing challenge with which we are presented is to create and sustain a community of care, promoting hope, personal agency and self-determination to earn a living, in a life-giving environment This paper rests on the concept of “Hope in Action” as the mission of the church and examines the hermeneutics of hope and work, as mandatory for a meaningful life. The paper suggests a structure for an intervention that could be useful for those who work with young people to awaken hope, as a unique foundation, and make plans to find work so that they can earn a sustainable livelihood and live life to the full.

A study on theological students’ perception of artificial intelligence and the Christian educational implications

Rapidly developing modern science &technology have a profound impact on Christians and pastoral work. Recently, the 4th Industrial Revolution has induced lots of discussions in the field of church and theology, and artificial intelligence (AI) has become an important issue in many ways. Nevertheless, there is a lack of empirical research on how the AI would affect church and pastoral work. This study examined and analyzed the theological students’ perception of AI. A survey was conducted on the perception of seven sub-areas of 220 male and female theological students at major seminaries in Korea. The seven subareas were including the degree of interest in AI, social influence, AI’s alternative influence, and AI’s church influence. The results showed that theological students generally agree with the academic relevance of AI or the need for education on AI. However, it presented alow perception of the impact of AI on the church. Such recognition may reflect the following belief. Students are aware that the AI is a necessary and important part of social and general education, but at the same time, they think the AI may not significantly threaten the church. Therefore, wes uggest that considering a response of Christian education to raise the perception of theological students of AI, courses related to science and technology should be organized in the curriculum of seminaries at various levels from the perspective of the Christian worldview.

Młodzież w świecie uprzedmiotowionej seksualności. Wyzwanie moralno-duszpasterskie dla Kościoła

Sfera seksualna jest ważną sferą życia, a czas młodości to czas odkrywania jej tajników, uczenia się jej, integrowania w kontekście całej osobowości. Seksualność człowieka, jako dar wpisany w naturę stworzenia, jest czymś dobrym i chcianym przez Stwórcę. Zadaniem Kościoła jest ukazywać piękno tego daru i przedstawiać światu chrześcijańską wizję seksualności, która człowieka nie ogranicza i nie zubaża, ale wydobywa z niego to, co najwartościowsze. Artykuł jest próbą podjęcia istotnego pytania o kontekst kulturowy, społeczny, cywilizacyjny, w którym odbywa się nauczanie Kościoła. Na podstawie najnowszych badań socjologicznych ukazano obraz współczesnego pokolenia polskiej młodzieży oraz jej świat wartości. Przedstawiono wybrane zjawiska we współczesnej kulturze, w których widoczne jest uprzedmiotowienie ludzkiej seksualności. Naszkicowano wyzwania, przed jakimi stoi Kościół, chcący wejść w świat młodych, wskazując, na co powinien zwrócić uwagę w swojej praktyce duszpastersko-moralnej.

La presencia de religión en la educación y escuelas chilenas

The presence of the Catholic Church in the history of Chilean education has been permanent since its origins, experiencing in recent years a complexization of the Church-Education relationship, by interpreting that the School is an extension of the Church in its pastoral work. To clarify this relationship, we will develop a study on religion, church and school, analyzing the generation of educational models from the history of Christianity, the way in which the agents of various churches in the official system develop education. Finally we offer a brief list of the main conflicts in the history of Chile in the relationship between churches within Education.

Developing pastoral therapy as a professional qualification in South Africa: Rationale and motivation

The professional training of pastoral therapists has been a topic of controversy for many years in South Africa. Up to date, the training of pastoral workers has been limited to the study of ministry and as such is limited by the primary aims and outcomes of this curriculum. In a post-apartheid, post-colonial South Africa, the need for pastoral workers is intensified by the needs of community- and faith-based organisations for trained and registered therapists to alleviate the counselling needs of their beneficiaries on all social levels. This article discusses the current state of affairs of the training and curriculum related to the profession of pastoral therapy in the context of South Africa, the various sociopolitical and religious needs that are still left unanswered in the field, and makes recommendations for the registration and accreditation of the profession with a specific curriculum focused on multicultural, multi-spiritual and post-modern nuances. The author argues that such a curriculum, accredited by a statutory body, can operate as a national health resource, will be more cost-effective than other related health services and may transform the social justice landscape related to both the providers and beneficiaries of this type of care.

Perception of Religious Brothers and Sisters and Lay Persons That Prayers Go Unanswered Is a Matter of Perceived Distance from God

Background: Sometimes prayer life can be difficult even for very religious persons, who may experience phases of “spiritual dryness”, which may have a negative effect on their well-being. Methods: To address this topic, we analyzed three contrasting groups of persons (religious brothers and sisters (RBS), n = 273; Catholic lay persons (CLP), n = 716; other lay persons (OLP), n = 351) with standardized measures and investigated how often indicators of spiritual dryness were perceived within these groups and how the perception that private prayers go unanswered could be a result of this. Results: Spiritual dryness was highest in RBS compared to RLP and OLP. For RBS, perception of being “spiritually empty” was the best predictor of prayers going unanswered, indicating emotional/spiritual exhaustion, while in OLP, the perception that God is “distant” was the best predictor, indicating that, particularly in this (younger) group, spiritual doubt is of particular relevance. For CLP, feeling that God is distant, feeling abandoned by God, and feeling “spiritually empty” were similarly relevant predictors of feelings that prayers go unanswered. Conclusions: This knowledge may help psychologists/psychotherapists, pastoral workers, and spiritual advisors to differentiate the underlying causes of spiritual dryness (in terms of “discernment”) and thus support persons struggling with God, their faith, and life.

Inculturation: An Ongoing Drama of Faith-Culture Dialogue

Inculturation: An Ongoing Drama of Faith-Culture Dialogue

Teacher care work in situations of severe deprivation

ABSTRACTThis study examines the care work of teachers employed at two schools in situations of severe deprivation. At the teachers’ places of employment, basic amenities and complementary support structures for sustaining students’ psychosocial, economic and emotional needs were absent. The focus of the article is twofold: firstly, to fathom the reasons why teachers voluntarily expressed care for impoverished students by way of providing them with food, money and counselling; and secondly, to determine the outcomes of caring on their (the teachers’) well-being. The data was generated through narrative inquiry. The narratives made visible four key influences that motivated the teachers to provide students with pastoral and academic care, namely teachers’ early life experiences, religious beliefs, students’ living conditions, and beliefs about the importance of education. The study revealed that the pastoral care and academic work of teachers in deprived schools is arduous, extensive and protracted and comes at financial and emotional cost to the teachers who chose to care. A Derridian reading of the findings suggests that pastoral care is a complex phenomenon, comprising a combination of hazards and benefits for carers that are paradoxical, ambivalent and inseparable in nature.

The role of religious beliefs for the acceptance of xenotransplantation. Exploring dimensions of xenotransplantation in the field of hospital chaplaincy

The Changsha Communiqué (2008) calls for a greater account to be taken of the ethical aspects of xenotransplantation as well as of public perception. This also applies to the field of hospital chaplaincy. So far, there has been no empirical exploration of the assessment and acceptance of xenotransplantation by pastoral workers in German-speaking countries. In view of the prospect of clinical trials, in-depth research is both sensible and necessary, since both xeno- and allotransplantation can have far-reaching consequences for patients, their relatives, and the social environment. In addition to the tasks of health monitoring, questions of the individual handling with and integration of a xenotransplant must also be considered. They can affect one's own identity and self-image and thus also affect religious dimensions. Hence, they make a comprehensive range of accompaniment necessary. This paper presents the first explorative results of a Dialogue Board with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim hospital chaplains. It explores pastoral challenges of xenotransplantation for the German-speaking countries, in particular (a) self-image and tasks of hospital pastoral care, (b) religious aspects of transplantation, and (c) religious aspects of xenotransplantation as anticipated by the hospital pastors. Depending on their religious background, hospital chaplains see different pastoral challenges when xenotransplantation reaches clinical stage. In particular, the effects on the identity and religious self-image of those affected must be taken into account. Three desiderata or recommendations for action emerged from the Dialogue Board: (a) initial, advanced and further training for hospital pastoral workers, (b) contact points for patients, and (c) interreligious cooperation and a joint statement. All participants of the Dialogue Board emphasized the chances of xenotransplantation and expressed their hope that xenogenic transplants could save patients or improve the quality of their life substantially. Xenotransplantation can affect the identity work of patients and relatives also in religious terms. In order to provide better pastoral and psychosocial support for these persons within the framework of the hospital, it is important to reflect on such challenges at an early stage and to develop concepts for pastoral further training and pastoral care in xenotransplantation.

HAM DAN HUKUMAN MATI MENURUT ATURAN GEREJA KATOLIK: IMPLIKASI PASTORALNYA DI INDONESIA

The enforcement of the death penalty in Indonesia has become a challenge for Indonesian Catholic Church in defending the dignity of human being and his right for life. Through a literature study, this article will highlight the rule of Catholic Church o death penalty and its implications for pastoral activities. The study argues that the dignity of human being is based on its nature as rational, free will and conscience creature. Moreover God has created human beings according to His own image and has redeemed them when destroyed by their own sins. Death penalty is essentially against the dignity of human being and human rights, especially the right to life. Therefore, its enforcement must consider the safety and protection of human rights. The death penalty is only allowed for extraordinary crimes against humanity and is carried out to protect the human rights of others as well as through fair, right and objective justice. The study concludes that in order to protect human rights and the dignity of human being in Indonesia, the Indonesian Catholic Church, through its pastoral works, must promote and defend the noble dignity of human beings and their right to life (pro life pastoral), carry out pastoral of forgiveness and of mercy to the setenced to death, criticize and oversee every trial which results in the death sentence to the defendant (critical prophetic pastoral).

El paso de una pastoral de “mantenimiento” a una del desarrollo integral de la persona

This paper is an academic reflection within the pastoral area, which involves a theological reflection inasmuch as it has to do with Christian practices and the way to announce the Good Word. Pandemic times provide a good opportunity to reinvent new strategies for pastoral work: ones that are nearer, more engaged in history, open to dialogue and with a better understanding of the person and its integrity. It is important to understand that times have changed and thus the way to announce the faith in Jesus Christ needs to change as well. We need to move from a pastoral focused on morality and the obedience of precepts and external norms, to one that truly fill the person with a deep experience of God. This lively encounter with him will determine the way to understand religion as a relation with God, oneself, and others.