Spirits before those  
who suffer

"The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Spiritism, however, raises this breadth and teaches that health is the state of complete biopsychosocial spiritual well-being, since it takes into account the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors that influence the human being in his journey through earthly experience; with this it makes the concept more humanized. (...) Health is therefore a collective value, a good of all, and each should enjoy it individually, without prejudice to others and jointly with all." (Victor Manuel Pereira de Passos, author of the Special Published in this issue.)

Physical, mental and social well-being!

Physical health is guaranteed by physiology; mental health is achieved by the manipulation of brain chemistry, either by psychological therapy or by psychiatric therapy; social health comes from healthy practices, healthy relationships and social inclusion.

"Every spirit assistant is a health bond and must demonstrate that we are not doctors, but a reinforcement and support of their therapies. Spiritual assistance is a public service that is born in the heart of the community of faith." (Victor Passos)

Many spirits despise medical treatment, especially psychiatric treatment, because they believe that everything can be treated with spiritual resources. It's a pitiful bias. We forget that God allows medical therapies just to obtain healing, when it is possible, or at least to ease the suffering of those who suffer.

Spirits should not be asked to deal with what can be a source of pain when there are therapies capable of fulfilling this same role in the medicine of men. It is a kind of idle petition that explores the goodwill of our protectors.

"The search for meaning becomes even more intense in a situation of fragility. Knowing that the Service of Spiritual and Religious Assistance (SAER) is made by the communion of various options of faith, even applying its scattered principles, it becomes very important, because more than ever with this we are showing that, united, we have more capacity for action because the greatest challenge in this field is to bring comfort to the patient while respecting the faith of each person by overcoming the barriers of religious proselytism and disrespect for the religious view of the other - the sick person and his family." (Victor Passos)

Why do we suffer? The answer to this question is very clear to spirits. But it cannot be given to any person, especially since it can only be understood by minds matured or enlightened by the power of acquired knowledge. Then the difficulty arises. How to ease the pain of one who comes from another religion? So we must be careful not to hurt the religious belief of the sufferer.

When the patient is adept at Christianity, this task becomes less thorny. But it is very difficult when we deal with an individual in a state of revolt or who does not accept the bitterness and difficulties that life in our world presents to us.

"It is also important to clarify that we are not in the Hospitals to heal or to make disobsessions, but rather to comfort, guide, clarify and lift the patient's mood." (Victor Passos)

Consoling, guiding, clarifying and uplifting the mood of the sick - this is the plan of action. The spirit is a comforter in the hospital environment. It is a care team partner, who should never interfere with the therapy or seek the healing of the sufferer, but rather be a facilitator in the care team.

"Spiritist Assistants are therefore required to hold regular meetings, exchanging suggestions, showing their concerns, in order to increasingly provide a supportive service to the patient, family members and health professionals, more solid and in line with Teachings of the Master." (Victor Passos)

The evaluation meetings should be held with the purpose of sharing experiences, establishing assistance goals, clarifying doubts and planning the approach according to the spirit goals. It is important to keep in mind that the assistants should always be object of respect, affection and clarification, as well as their relatives.

Spirit hospital chaplaincy constitutes, as we see, a great challenge because we deal with the need to adapt the knowledge of Spiritism to the goal of supporting and succoring those who suffer without any proselytizing purpose. Often we will find a hostile environment on the part of the medical team or the nursing team in this task, but even so, it is necessary to maintain safety and not to bend in the face of such obstacles, which are, as we know, very well explored by enemies of the good.