PHENOMENOLOGICAL SYNTHESIS OF PASTORAL CARE AND COUNSELING AND ITS RELATION TO THE TERMINALLY ILLS AMONG NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS

Abstract

The task of pastoral care and counselling is crucial and indispensable for Nigerian Christians who are terminally ill, as well as their family and friends. It has been observed that the fear of death sometimes complicates the situation or hasten the death process of the terminally ill. This paper thus argues that an understanding and synthesis of the qualities and functions of a pastoral caregiver is vital to the death phenomenon associated with terminal illness and contributes to the sustenance or healing of the terminally ill. This paper employs a phenomenological approach to research. The findings include the imperative task of pastoral caregivers in addressing and managing the emotional trauma of the terminally ill, who often pass through five stages of shock, catharsis and depression, negotiation, drama of cognition and commitment. It was found out that the pastoral caregiver must have adequately worked on himself, his fear and feelings concerning the issue of death in order to help a terminally ill effectively. It is then that the qualities of a pastoral caregiver can be expressed through prayer, ministry of presence and reconciliation (as a ?broker?). This article thus recommends that a minister should be conversant with the basic psychological needs of a dying person, the existential reality of pain and death and the emotional process of grief. A pastoral caregiver should be sensitive to the theological and ethical questions of the dying client. Prayer should not be used as a ?magical wand? to remove the ?spell? of death. Admittedly, God can decide to heal a terminally ill, but the caregiver must be careful never to play God in the use of prayer for the patient.