Fulfilling religious needs in social welfare homes and healthcare facilities. Selected legal and axiological aspects

Abstract

The article addresses the issue of meeting the religious and spiritual needs of people staying in 24-hour care institutions, such as social welfare homes (DPS) and healthcare facilities (including hospitals). Its aim is to analyse the normative and axiological foundations of pastoral care and its importance for preserving the subjectivity and dignity of the individual in extreme situations such as old age, chronic illness, and institutional isolation. The study employs desk research and critical analysis of legal documents regulating the inclusion of the religious dimension of services. The analysis reveals that the contemporary social welfare and healthcare systems are evolving towards a more holistic paradigm, where spirituality protects against the biomedical and economic reduction of a person to a ‘disease unit,’ ‘social case,’ or ‘economic cost.’ The analysis demonstrates that spirituality is not only a private sphere of experience, but an integral part of the standard of services provided. The study proves that pastoral care takes into account not only the religious, Catholic aspect, but also the universal human aspect.