Press-Conference of Chairman of Synodal Department for Charity and Social Ministry of the UOC Held
Father Sergiy noted that at present the department is engaged with implementation of the socially directed projects and programs, in particular, with fulfillment of the prescriptions of the Agreement on cooperation with the Kyiv Oncology centre, activity of St. Barbara’s centre. Also the perspective of cooperation with the similar organisations in France was touched upon.
“Our purpose is that the assistance we render became complex. For example, in case of oncology patients, apart from the direct aid to a patient, the co-workers of our department should also deliver assistance to their families”, he noted in particular.
Archdeacon Sergiy, who is also vice-rector on pedagogical work of the Kyiv Theological Schools, brought to the journalists’ attention that the students together with their teachers often visit the elderly people’s homein the village of Vilshanka, Kyiv region.
“When one is seriously ill or incurable, one has no possibility or even desire to talk to anyone, even to a priest, therefore it is important for the future priests to elaborate an explicit program of activity for such situations”, father Sergiy believes.
The stance of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on euthanasia was outlined by Archdeacon Sergiy Kosovskyi in the following way: “The Orthodox Church definitely disapproves of this phenomena. The other thing is the application of medicines aimed to relieve sufferings of a patient. If they do not affect the state of man’s consciousness, their use is quite possible.”
Concerning the question of the possibility of application of morphine in cases of serious diseases, for example, in oncology, father Serhiy answered that “the Lord doesn’t send trials beyond one’s strength”.
In spite of that fact that often the means of achieving a goal are few, one should have a hope and a desire to help the neighbour, and then the undertaking will be a success”.
