How do chaplains "work", regarding the sacraments

[Episcopalian]

So hospitals and military are assigned chaplains, but can the services or “sacraments” offered by them fufill the Catholic lay person’s sacramental living or Sunday obligation?

Just thinking regarding secular hospitals or something where they may be run or served by non-Catholic religions

 

[LilyM]

So hospitals and military are assigned chaplains, but can the services or “sacraments” offered by them fufill the Catholic lay person’s sacramental living or Sunday obligation?

Just thinking regarding secular hospitals or something where they may be run or served by non-Catholic religions

Some of these chaplains are actually ordained priests, in which case all good.

Obviously a chaplain who is not a priest cannot celebrate Mass, cannot offer sacramental absolution of sins, and cannot offer anointing of the sick

The closest they can do is minister (pre-consecrated) Holy Communion.

Hospitals, even those that are run by secular or non-Catholic religious organisations, will ususlly have Catholic clergy on call to visit and hear the confessions of Catholic patients and provide Last Rites when requested.

Or the patient or their family or carers can similarly request local parishes to have clergy visit someone who is in hospital.

 

[Pitcairn17]

So hospitals and military are assigned chaplains, but can the services or “sacraments” offered by them fufill the Catholic lay person’s sacramental living or Sunday obligation?

Just thinking regarding secular hospitals or something where they may be run or served by non-Catholic religions

Of course, if one is confined to a hospital bed, the Sunday obligation is suspended.

 

[BartholomewB]

Obviously a chaplain who is not a priest cannot celebrate Mass, cannot offer sacramental absolution of sins, and cannot offer anointing of the sick

Are there hospital chaplains who aren’t priests? It was my impression that only a priest can be a (Catholic) chaplain.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Are there hospital chaplains who aren’t priests? It was my impression that only a priest can be a (Catholic) hospital chaplain.

There can be deacons or EMHCs who visit the sick in hospitals and nursing homes, pray with them and bring Holy Communion.
They can’t do Last Rites so there’s generally a priest on call for that.

 

[BartholomewB]

Yes, but would they be called “chaplains”?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Honestly, I don’t even recall the priest on call at hospitals/ nursing homes where my parents have been being called a “Chaplain”. He was generally just a priest from a nearby parish or monastery who was on call for last rites and might also come over sometimes to say Mass or visit.

 

[LilyM]

LilyM:

Obviously a chaplain who is not a priest cannot celebrate Mass, cannot offer sacramental absolution of sins, and cannot offer anointing of the sick

Are there hospital chaplains who aren’t priests? It was my impression that only a priest can be a (Catholic) hospital chaplain.

My Catholic mother used to be a hospital chaplain. Perhaps that designation was given by the (secular) hospital rather than the Catholic diocese? Not sure.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

So hospitals and military are assigned chaplains, but can the services or “sacraments” offered by them fufill the Catholic lay person’s sacramental living or Sunday obligation?

As far as military chaplains, at least in the US, the chaplain can be a cleric of any religion. Could be a Protestant minister, could be a Catholic priest, could be a Muslim imam. What faculties they have is determined by their church/organization. So no, a chaplains service would not fulfill the Sunday obligation for a Catholic soldier, unless, of course, the chaplain is a priest offering Mass.

Of course, if a Catholic serving in the military has no access to a Catholic chaplain and can’t get to Mass out in town, then his/her Sunday obligation is suspended anyway.

 

[SMHW]

The Catholic chaplains at the two Catholic hospitals near me are deacons. The priests at the nearby parishes usually take turns visiting when a patient is in need of sacraments that a deacon or EMHC can’t provide.

There are also chaplains of other faiths that visit people. In general, I think hospitals like having chaplains, whatever their their faith, because they are familiar with and know how to cooperate with the hospital protocols.

 

[graciew]

@BartholomewB, My understanding ( or better say misunderstanding )stemming from the Spanish “ Capellán” was that it meant Catholic, in charge, and a priest.

In the US I met Baptist , Episcopalian persons in charge of facilities ( hospital, jail…) who were “ Chaplains”.

Then I learnt that there are Chaplaincy studies and courses to help acquire knowledge and skills for Spiritual and pastoral care in religious and secular facilities.( organizations, communities…)

And to conclude I was sometimes addressed as “ Chaplain So and So” as a Visitation Minister by Christian non -Catholic persons deducing it might be related to the service and the connection with Chaplaincy and spiritual care. Not that it always meant in charge then either …

All very loving memories though it took time to understand. If I do… Perhaps there is more that I don’t know, but truly it went beyond a priest in charge as I had thought.

That was what I learnt about Chaplains and Chaplaincy.

And for the OP , the parishes I knew had already established friendly connections with the facilities in the area that might require Visitation or Sacraments ( hospital, nursing homes…)and to the best of my knowledge, there were no issues coordinating what was necessary from a Catholic perspective in the best interest of the people served.

 

[TomH1]

So hospitals and military are assigned chaplains, but can the services or “sacraments” offered by them fufill the Catholic lay person’s sacramental living or Sunday obligation?

First, although the role of ‘chaplain’ is often held by lay people it is properly only held by a priest. Another title should be given to laity providing spiritual care. Of course, a Catholic can only fulfil her/his obligation to go to Mass in a Catholic rite. However, if one is ill in hospital and cannot go to Mass there is no obligation. Similarly, if you are in the military and are serving where going to Mass is not possible you are under no obligation.

A priest can hear confessions if he has been granted jurisdiction, commonly called faculties, by his ordinary. Generally, chaplains cannot preside at a marriage, though.

Just thinking regarding secular hospitals or something where they may be run or served by non-Catholic religions

Where I live, UK, almost all hospitals are secular. Most are served by a Catholic chaplain. In some larger hospitals that is a full-time role. In other cases it is a role served by the parish priest of the local parish. Of course, there is nothing to prevent your own parish priest from visiting you.

I think to get to the core of your question: Catholics in hospitals and the military must receive sacraments off Catholic chaplains (who should be priests).

 

[OddBird]

Are there hospital chaplains who aren’t priests?

Where I live, the overwhelming majority Catholic chaplains (that’s what they’re called around here, no idea of this is an official designation or not) are lay pastoral assistants. I know of one single priest who works as a chaplain.

 

[BartholomewB]

Yes, I see I was wrong. In my very limited experience, the Catholic chaplain in a hospital is the priest who comes in to celebrate Mass in the chapel, among other duties.

 

[OddBird]

In practice, all Catholic chaplains I work with work with a priest themselves, who comes once in a while to say Mass and who can be reached for sacraments, including in an emergency. I guess they’re not the ones called chaplains because they are not the ones who visit and offer spiritual accompaniment to sick people or nursing home residents. In my (nursing homes) experience, they generally know very few residents personally, if any at all.

 

[Canvas]

So hospitals and military are assigned chaplains, but can the services or “sacraments” offered by them fufill the Catholic lay person’s sacramental living or Sunday obligation?

Just thinking regarding secular hospitals or something where they may be run or served by non-Catholic religions

In the military, any Minister of any religion can be considered a Chaplain, not just a Catholic Priest.

In hospitals, there are various systems. In my area (pre-covid), people in hospital or nursing homes are visited on Sundays by people with Communion in a pyx (very often these are EMHCs - laypeople). My Parish has a “Duty Priest” every day. Part of those duties involve making the rounds at the local hospital to hear confessions or perform Anointings, as well as provide Communion. I think it is probably rare that a Priest will say a whole Mass in a hospital room .

As far as Sunday Obligation, a person confined to a hospital doesn’t have one, even in non-COVID times. Being in a hospital or ill or infirm excuses one from obligation, full stop. The Church does not expect people to unhook their IV and sneak out of the hospital to attend Mass.

Note: currently, in most of the Dioceses in the US the faithful are currently not under the normal obligations due to COVID (there are some exceptions) and the number of people allowed in Church is restricted to partial capacity. Where I live there is an indefinite dispensation and Church capacity is restricted to 1/3 (plus in many Parishes one has to make Mass reservations).

 

[JButky]

My son is currently in Seminary and the Army to be a catholic (priest) chaplain. There is an agreement between the diocese and the Army for this. It is a bit complicated as to how it works.

His vocations director explained that the Diocese can recall him to service in the diocese after he becomes a priest (God willing) but that is unlikely since the Army needs chaplains more than our diocese needs him for a parish. The military has a need for these chaplains and as long as my son wants to continue beyond his commission, he can re up, until I think he’s in his 50’s (which is a good many years).

The diocese trains as usual for the priesthood, ordination, etc if he makes it through, and the Army trains him like the army does and then he is assigned duties as Chaplain (when he becomes a Catholic Priest)

So they are out there, but there is a greater shortage of Chaplains (as priests in the military) then there is a shortage of priests in any diocese.

So please pray for my son John as he begins this adventure for this purpose.

 

[Shasta-Rose]

Our parish recently got a chaplain assigned to it. We had lost one of our priests, along with some staff who had to be let go because of the virus and all. I was sad about that, because he was such a sweet man. So, now we have this chaplain, who is also a wonderful person. And he is full-fledged priest. But the fact that we got a “chaplain,” sort of has the connotation (at least to me) that he will be short term.

When I got a chance to talk to the new chaplain, I said I had thought that if I wanted to meet a chaplain I would have to join the military and go to Afghanistan. He laughed and explained that there are many chaplains in the US who never leave the country. He said he has served in hospitals and at prisons and a couple of other places. He just goes where they send him. Seems like such a nomadic existence. He says he loves our parish and is very happy here, so I hope he gets to stay for a while.

 

[commenter]

BartholomewB:

Are there hospital chaplains who aren’t priests?

Where I live, the overwhelming majority Catholic chaplains (that’s what they’re called around here, no idea of this is an official designation or not) are lay pastoral assistants. I know of one single priest who works as a chaplain.

According to Canon Law, #564 - 572, a Chaplain is a Catholic priest, with a specific relationship with the diocesan Ordinary. It’s spelled out what he can and can’t do, as chaplain.

But an institution could create any job and call it “chaplain”. A hospital could designate a Protestant minister as chaplain for everyone. If there are paid or volunteer staff doing anything remotely religious, people may refer to them as “chaplains”. I’m sure the person who brings Communion is referred to as chaplain, by some folks.

It’s a word that has gone generic in recent years, but within the Church it still has a specific meaning.

Code of Canon Law: Table of Contents

(You have to go to the next page to read the sections specific to chaplains).

 

[OddBird]

Thank you, @commenter, I didn’t know that!