The conference of the International Prison Chaplains Association began in Kyiv

First Plenary Session Photo of Pastor Vyacheslav Kohut (CEF)

On April 25, 2018, in Kyiv, led by Pastor Michael Philippi, the International Conference of the Association of Prison Chaplains of the IPCA-Europe "Faith in Justice: From Imprisonment to Society" was launched.

Head of the Pastoral Council on religious welfare in the penitentiary system of Ukraine on. Konstantin Panteley in a welcoming address to the participants of the conference presented the history of the revival of the prison chaplaincy in Ukraine and its main features. The inter-confessional palette of this ministry now consists of 13 religious organizations that joined the advisory body under the Ministry of Justice to provide the spiritual needs of both prisoners and penitentiary personnel. Official representatives of Churches and religious organizations belonging to the Pastoral Council spoke about chaplaincy in Ukraine.

With the theological introduction spoke on. Dr. Oleg Kindy, Deputy Dean for International Relations, Philosophical and Theological Faculty of the Ukrainian Catholic University, with the report "Restoring human dignity through the healing of the image of God: the theological perspective of penitentiary service." The crisis of the family and the father's face in public life, according to Fr. Oleg, is one of the causes of social pathologies related to crime.

The purpose of the conference is to look at the issue of the administration of justice and criminal penalties, the role of social institutions in achieving a lasting and just social peace and the integration of former prisoners.

During the plenary sessions, it is planned to consider issues: how pastoral care can contribute to the restoration of impaired human dignity and how to retransmit into society the consequences of the justice adopted in it.

The conference brought together about 50 participants from 16 countries of the world. Ahead of 3 days of rich work, exchange of experience and thoughts. The European Association of Prison Chaplains is an international organization with consultative status with the United Nations, which unites clergy of different religions.

Penitentiary pastoral care of the UGCC