Spirituality in palliative care: what language do we need? Learning from pastoral care

This article is a sequel to 'Spirituality in palliative care: what language do we need?' (Byrne, 2002). It looks at the language of pastoral care, its place in palliative settings and how it is regarded by patients and carers. Spirituality and spiritual need is multifaceted, and the various beliefs regarding the concept of spirituality and the spiritual needs of terminally ill patients are appraised, and the methods of spiritual assessment reviewed. The role of the chaplain in spiritual care is also assessed, and an ability to move beyond the boundaries of their own denominational position addressed. Several components of the language of pastoral care are identified.