Caring for the Sick and Needy in the Manner of St John of God
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Caring for the Sick and Needy in the Manner of St John of God 2 1. THE PRINCIPLES, CHARISM AND MISSION OF THE HOSPITALLER ORDER OF ST JOHN OF GOD 1.1 Planning the future in terms of our principles Humanity is moving towards the 21st century filled with both fear and hope. We have made outstanding progress in understanding and managing our world, which today looks more like a huge village – the ‘global village’. Yet individual and collective suffering still persists and is becoming more acute, as a result of war, class or group selfishness, and the limitations of human nature of which we are constantly reminded the abiding presence of pain, sickness and death. The Hospitaller Order of St John of God forms part and parcel of this ‘global village’. We number 1,500 Brothers, about 40,000 Co-workers counting our employees and volunteers together, and 300,000 Co-workers-benefactors. We are present in all five continents, in 46 countries and in 21 Religious Provinces, 1 Vice-province, 6 General Delegations and 5 Provincial Delegations. We perform our apostolate on behalf of the sick, the poor and the suffering in 293 Centres. Although we are all members of one and the same body, our Order, we nevertheless live in widely differing situations. Some of us are in highly technically advanced societies and Centres, while others are living in developing societies and Centres; some live in countries that enjoy peace, while others are suffering from violence and war, or the aftermath of violence belonging to a recent past; some enjoy the benefits of a free society, but others have their freedom and their fundamental rights severely curtailed; some of us are devoted specifically to hospitaller work, while others are more concerned with social issues and marginalization; some are trying to help people to live, while the mission of others is to help them to die with dignity. Although all of us are working with the aim of providing comprehensive, holistic care, some concentrate more on physical health, others on mental health, and others still are helping to create the conditions to enable people to enjoy decent living standards. Some live in the North, others in the South, some in the cultures of the East and others in the West. (1) As we embark upon the third millennium of our era, men and women throughout the world are wondering about the future of our society, our institutions, and indeed our own future. All of us who are making it possible for the Hospitaller Order of St John of God to continue working throughout the 3 world are also planning a future which will be capable of building in the coming millennium at the service of those who suffer or are in need, and are seeking help to rebuild their own personal life project. Sometimes, when planning the future we may fall into the error of ignoring the past, not intentionally but simply due to negligence, or because we fail to give it due consideration, or because we are anxious to keep up with the times. On other occasions, the need for radical renewal and to redress failures makes it necessary for us to set aside approaches that have served us in the past but are no longer relevant, because the times now demand new responses and the past must be shed like ballast, leaving us with greater freedom to build up the future. We have to plan our future here and now, drawing on everything that is positive from our past. We believe that this is the situation facing the Hospitaller Order today, intent as it is on planning its future based on an updated review of its principles and its values. There are probably some areas in the Order and certain ways of doing things which will have to be changed, and in some places this change may have to be much more radical than in others if we intend to be present in the next millennium, offering people a service and handing them a message that is still relevant. There can therefore be no doubt that the whole Hospitaller Order of St John of God must necessarily be underpinned by the same values that have always characterized our Institution. These values must be inculturated, updated in terms of the language in which they are expressed, and practised in accordance with the situations that exist in different parts of the world, for this is the only way in which all those who come into contact with our Centres can come to know and accept them. General Statute no. 43 lays down the following principles: (2) ‘As a consequence of their Catholic identity, the fundamental guiding principles which characterize the care given in our centres are as follows: the focus of the attention of all who live and work in our hospitals or other centres must be the person for whom we are caring; the rights of people who are sick or in need must be upheld and defended, taking into account their personal dignity; we are committed to the defence and improvement of human life; we acknowledge the right of the person in our care to be duly informed of his/her state of health; we fulfil the requirements of professional confidentiality, making sure that they are respected by all those who come in contact with the people in our care; 4 we uphold the right to die with dignity, respecting and giving attention to the rightful wishes and spiritual needs of the dying, in the awareness that human life is limited in time and is called to fullness in Christ; we respect the freedom of conscience of those for whom we care and those who work for us, while insisting that the identity of our hospitaller centres be accepted and respected; we enhance and promote the qualities and professionalism of our co- workers, encouraging them to participate actively in the apostolic mission of the Order; in keeping with their skills and areas of responsibility we include them in the decision making process in our apostolic works; we reject the pursuit of material gain; thus we observe just economic norms and demand that these be respected. We view our Co-Workers as the most important ‘assets’ that Order has to be able to carry through its mission effectively. This is why in all our relations with them, we strive to practise and promote the principles of social justice, out of a desire to share our charism with all those who are inspired by the spirit of St John of God. Provided that they respect our principles, we are willing and ready to cooperate with any agency or organizations, ecclesiastical and secular, in the performance and scope of our mission, concerning ourselves more particularly with areas that are most neglected. (3) These principles have their roots in our Founder, and they have taken shape over the years backed by the reflection and the good done by his successors. Bearing our tradition in mind, we must also reflect on the definition of the mission of the Hospitaller Order. In everything he did, St John of God’s one desire was ‘do good, and to do it well; not to provide lifeless assistance, neglecting its quality, but combining the sense of Christian charity and justice in order to offer the sick and the needy an efficient service of a high scientific and technical standard’. (4) 1.2 The Charism of the Order St John of God was a charismatic man: the way he acted attracted the attention of everyone who knew him, and his influence spread well beyond Granada into the villages and towns of Andalusia and Castile. His ‘charism’ and his ‘charisma’ transcended the man himself. And it was not just his humane attitudes and actions that expressed his love for the sick and needy which aroused everyone’s admiration and inspired them to cooperate in his work. Theologically speaking, a Charism is any form of presence of the Spirit which enriches believers and enables them to serve others. Brothers are consecrated to 5 practise a specific Charism which is a gift they have received from the Spirit, by cultivating the grace they receive, living their lives in a relationship with God, and reaching out to and serving Humanity. The Charism and hospitality with which St John of God was enriched by the Holy Spirit was embodied in him as a seed which was to remain alive in men and women throughout time, extending the merciful presence of Jesus of Nazareth and serving all those who suffer in the manner of St John of God. The Constitutions of our Order define the Charism in the following terms: ‘In virtue of this gift, we are consecrated by the action of the Holy Spirit, which makes us participate in a special way in the Father’s merciful love. This experience communicates to us attitudes of loving-kindness and self-giving, enables us to carry out the mission of proclaiming and bringing about the Kingdom among the poor and the sick, transforms our existence, and results in our lives manifesting the Father’s special love for the weakest, whom we try to save after the example of Jesus.’ (5) The Brother consecrates himself and lives in communion with others who have felt the same call to express the same charism. But love within this community (communion) has to be expressed outwards, because of the demands of a mission which sets out to provide liberating aid to other members of the Church and to needy people in general.