In the European legal tradition, a principle has been formed according to which the secular state not only does not hinder, but also promotes the fulfilment of people’s religious needs in hospitals and other public institutions.

In its Resolution 2249 “The provision of palliative care in Europe” adopted on 23 November 2018, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe affirmed that spiritual support is a component of the human right to health care in the context of assistance to terminally ill patients.

The purpose of the article is a theoretical and legal characteristic of a special object of human rights – spiritual care through the prism of European legal traditions and in the context of the introduction of the institute of chaplaincy in the field of healthcare in Ukraine.

It is argued that spiritual care is the subject of two constitutional rights: freedom of belief and religion, and the right to health, medical care, and medical insurance. It is determined that in the field of health care, spiritual care is a component of medical care and, accordingly, the subject of the right to medical care. It is noted that the dual nature of spiritual care is manifested precisely in the realization of the human right to freedom of worldview and religion in the field of health care.

The legislative framework in the segment under study and the draft amendment, in particular the Regulations on Chaplaincy in Health Care, have been analyzed, and regulatory shortcomings and conflicts have been identified.

The peculiarities of the national regulations governing the professional activities of chaplains in healthcare are highlighted. The European experience of the functioning of the chaplaincy institution is studied, in particular, models in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Poland are considered. It has been proven that the introduction of the chaplaincy institution in the healthcare sector in Ukraine is a consistent national step towards European integration and a manifestation of the implementation of the best European legal traditions, and the chaplain’s activity within the healthcare system is intended to enhance the effective realization of patients’ rights during inpatient treatment in medical institutions, and also opens new legislative opportunities for expanding the catalogue of human rights in the field of healthcare.

Bibliography

Authored books

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2. Yarmol L, Svoboda virospovidannia: yurydychne zabezpechennia v Ukraini (zahalnoteoretychne doslidzhennia) (Svit 2006) (in Ukrainian).

Journal articles

3. Horoshenyuk O, Docenko O, ‘Pravo na medychnu dopomogu: okremi aspekty pravovogo regulyuvannya’ [2022] 1 Nove ukrayins`ke pravo 71–75 (in Ukrainian).

4. Katyns`ka L, ‘Pravo na svoyechasnu medychnu dopomogu: mehanizm zabezpechennya’ [2023] I(31) Medychne pravo 43–51 (in Ukrainian).

5. Myronova G, ‘Pravo na medychnu dopomogu: cyvil`no-pravova harakterystyka’ [2014] 13 Pryvatne pravo i pidpryyemnyctvo 67–71 (in Ukrainian). Theses

6. Tsebenko S, ‘Prava lyudyny v suchasnyh doktrynah pravoslav’ya u svitli mizhnarodnyh standartiv (zagal`noteoretychne doslidzhennya)’ (Dys kand yuryd nauk 2013) (in Ukrainian). Websites

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10. Chaplaincy (Sociological and legal data on religions in Europe and beyond, 25 May 2025) (accessed 25.05.2025).

11. In Poland Patients have a Right to Pastoral Care (Polish Bishops Conference, 11 February 2017) (accessed 25.05.2025).

12. Krankenhausseelsorge (Wikipedia. Die freie Enzyklopädie, 25 May 2025) (accessed 25.05.2025).