Churches and religious organizations ready to contribute to the development of palliative care in Ukraine
The interfaith conference “The Role of Churches and Religious Organizations in the Development and Provision of Palliative Care in Ukraine” was held in Kyiv on Jan. 30 – Feb. 1. The event was organized by the Ukrainian League for Palliative and Hospice Care Development (ULPHC) with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation’s Public Health Program.
“Today we have a good example of all church organizations and communities sitting down at one table in the service of God and man, to support Ukraine in this difficult time and a field that we are only beginning to develop in our country – palliative and hospice care. We are all here today to work together and develop a uniform way of helping the terminally ill end their earthly path with dignity,” Vasyl Knyazevych, ULPHC Head of the Board, said in his welcome address.
“We are delighted that all churches – Greek Catholic, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant – are united in this service. The love there is in serving others brings us closer to one another,” said Patriarch Filaret, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyiv Patriarchate.
“I want to support Filaret’s words and say that I am very happy this conference is taking place, that there is palliative and hospice care in Ukraine, that it is gaining more civil rights in our society. We hear the words “palliative” and “hospice” more and more: this help is becoming part of our life. This is something very important for those who need it. This indicates spiritual growth, the maturity of our nation, that sees and understands every citizen, especially those standing on the threshold of eternal life,” said Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, the former head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
The participants heard a series of lectures about palliative care. Fr. Arnaldo Pangrazzi, a professor at the International Theology Institute of Pastoral Health Care (Camillianum) in Rome, Italy, gave a special presentation on global practices is caring for the terminally ill.
Ukrainian League for Palliative and Hospice Care Development
(+38 044) 239 72 43
info@ligalife.com.ua
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The mission of the Public Health program is to reform public health, to improve public health through support of new approaches to solution of urgent public health problems, in particular, by introduction of a complex model of protection of the rights of patients, palliative care, and support to people living with HIV/AIDS and non-medical drug use.
