Cercetarea duhovnicească a bolnavilor, după principiile din manualul de „Teologie Pastorală” al Episcopului Melchisedec Ştefănescu
Spiritual Assistance of the Sick, According to the Principles of the “Pastoral Theology” Manual of Bishop Melchisedec Ştefănescu

Author(s): Lucian Vasile PETROAIA
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Theology and Religion
Published by: Editura Doxologia
Keywords: pastoral care; sick; illness; care; healing; health; prayer; Church;
Summary/Abstract: The theme of theological reflection set by the Holy Synod for the year 2024 also provides an opportunity to take a careful look at the pastoral approach of the Christianity, by the priest, in one of the most difficult situations in life, illness. By the nature of his pastoral ministry, the priest is often in the situation of visiting sick Christians, at home or in hospital, reading them a prayer, listening to their confession, and doing the Holy Communion. The method of spiritual closeness and especially the pastoral method of approaching delicate aspects, which are related to the extreme situation that the illness creates in human life, are part of the art of pastoralism. Not much is said about these things in the classes of the Pastoral discipline during theological studies. And if we also take into account the lack of an official manual of "Pastoral Care" in Romanian theology, updated to the mentality of the sick and to their present demands, the problem becomes even more difficult. Using the text of the anastatic edition of this manual, edited by Fr. prof. dr. Viorel Sava and Deacon, Phd, Cezar Pelin (Iasi, 2011), the present study aims to identify these pastoral principles enunciated by the bishop-author at the end of the 19th century, to put them in mirror with the spiritual requirements of the Fathers of the Church who dealt with the problem of pastoring the sick, to observe their effectiveness for pastoring in the Novecento and to confront them with today's mentality and psycho-pastoral requirements, trying also some suggestions for "a step further".

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