| The
New Committee |
| The
Catholic Commission for Health Pastoral Care conducted its first
ordinary meeting of 2005 early this year at St. Louis hospital
with 20 participants. |
|
| Due to
health problem Archbishop Kind Saenphol-on, president of the
committee has resigned, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of
Thailand appoints Bishop George Phimphisarn to take over the
presidency. As the old committee members have served their full
term new members were selected with the following results: |
| 1. Rev. Phairat Sriprasert,
|
| 2. Rev. Chavin Sangieamkaew,
|
| 3. Sr. Marie-Carmel
Srivorakul. |
| New
members will be submitted to Bishop George for further official
nomination. Honorary members were also selected to be members
of the executive committee for the Catholic Commission for Health
Pastoral Care and the names will be forwarded to the president
for official nomination as well. The new members will serve
the commission from 23 March 2005 to 22 March 2008. |
|
| To be in line with
the 2000 Pastoral Planning the committee has the following suggestions: |
|
1.
|
Have Pope John Paul
II's encyclical (pertaining to health) printed to be a guideline
for pastoral care of the sick. |
|
2.
|
Organize seminars
for those who work in the pastoral care of the sick and the
elderly for the purpose of studying together relevant documents
on this matter. |
|
3.
|
Prepare educational
materials in the form of multi-media as it will be easier to
understand and reach the targeted groups. |
|
4.
|
Organize psychological
training for personnel working in the field of health. |
|
5.
|
An exchange of information
on personnel development both within the Church and from governmental
institutions for benefits of the Church personnel. |
|
6.
|
It is suggested that
to change the attitude of society the work must first start
at the family. |
|
7.
|
The Catholic Nurse
Guide should be revived and be renewed in the Church teaching
regarding their nursing profession. |
|
8.
|
Those who work in
the health pastoral care should educate the people on the matter
of basic rights especially to the HIV/AIDS patients, the disabled
and the elderly. |
|
9.
|
Every Catholic sector
should once again accelerate renewal of the spirit of the Gospel. |
|
| On this
occasion Rev. Phairat gives his opinion that "The present
social situations prompt us with more works while the Catholic
Bishops' Conference of Thailand has limited funds. This makes
various commissions encounter with financial problems. Each
commission has to be self dependent by writing up their own
projects for external financial support, but I would like to
make suggestion that money should not be the problem if all
the sectors of the Church cooperate together; all works will
be expedited." |
