Spiritual care in the armed forces as a service of religious communities to the public. Theoretical introduction
Abstract
In the introductory part of his article, the author defines the concept of spiritual care provided by religious communities in public institutions. He also deals with spiritual care for other needy persons outside public institutions, provided in cooperation with public institutions, whether they are released from prison or hospital, or victims of crimes, fires and disasters.
He compares the concept of "spiritual care in public institutions and spiritual care provided in cooperation with public institutions" with the use of the almost synonymous term "categorical pastoral care". In doing so, he builds on previous Brno conferences within the cycle "Church and State" on Spiritual Care in Health Care (2017) and Prison Service (2018).
In the following chapter the author deals with the issue of spiritual care in the armed forces since 1990. The author deals with its development since the conclusion of the Agreement between the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic, the Czech Bishops' Conference and the Ecumenical Council of Churches in the Czech Republic in 1998, the subsequent order of the Minister of Defense and since the conclusion of the Amendment to the Agreement in 2012.
In the last chapter, the author deals with the participation of religious communities in post-traumatic intervention care of members of the Police of the Czech Republic and the Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic on the basis of similar agreements from 2002 and 2003. He draws attention to the new Order of the Police President on the provision of spiritual services dated 7 June 2019, which is intended to contribute not only to the renewal of the previously established aid network but also to its extension.