The author conceptualizes medical chaplaincy in Ukraine as a phenomenon of significance for society and its value sphere. It is emerging at the intersection of the secular healthcare system, the social functionality of religion, wartime trauma, and the growing need for spiritual and existential care. The study demonstrates that, in the context of full-scale war, the social relevance of medical chaplaincy is not merely a pragmatic response to psychological and moral challenges, but also a systemic manifestation of the post-secular transformation of the public sphere characteristic of both Ukraine and the contemporary world. The article further examines the legal and regulatory foundations of the institutionalization of medical chaplaincy in Ukraine. In particular, it analyzes the constitutional framework governing freedom of conscience, as well as sector-specific legislation in the field of healthcare. Special attention is given to the professional standard “Chaplain in Healthcare.” Existing regulatory acts establish the legal preconditions for the development of this practice; however, they do not fully eliminate certain institutional ambiguities related to the status of chaplains, funding, certification, the scope of competence, and interaction with medical personnel. Based on a comparison with American and British models, the need for the professionalization of chaplaincy, its ethical standardization, and the recognition of its anthropological inclusivity is substantiated. The empirical component of the study consists of a survey of current and prospective healthcare professionals in the Chernivtsi region. Its results indicate both a recognition of the need for spiritual care and a degree of caution regarding its institutional implementation. The conclusions emphasize that the primary challenge lies not in the presence of religion in the hospital setting itself, but in the absence of a clear, professionally and ethically regulated model for its integration into the secular medical space.
Iryna Horokholinska (Thu,) studied this question.