Being There, Virtually Being There, Being Absent : Chaplaincy in Social Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The term “being” has featured frequently in publications about the role of  chaplains in health and social care. Generally, this has described the physical presence  of chaplains among people either during routine pastoral encounters or at critical  moments in their lives. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to differentiated practices for  chaplains in the UK’s largest charitable care provider for older people. Some chaplains  continued to be present in residential care facilities; some provided at-distance support;  and some were absent, both physically and virtually. This article begins by discussing  the significance of “being” in the context of chaplaincy. It goes on to offer examples of  analysis, drawing on chaplaincy experience during the pandemic based on six interviews  conducted in the final week of May 2020. From these interviews, an evaluation  is made of chaplaincy during the crisis as: being present; virtually being present; and  being absent. It is noted that questions about the chaplain’s location in a crisis are not  unprecedented. A discussion of pastoral care during the pandemic suggests that presence  and in-person encounter remain key aspects of being, and that recent experience  has clarified the importance of embodied support for those who are suffering. However,  it is also noted that under certain conditions a virtual pastoral encounter has value, can  convey impact, and is of consequence.