Death is an ever-present reality for us all; very few of us will not think about this subject. Often this can mean that when we are actually faced with the death of a loved one, the understanding of what to do, and how to do it, what to feel and how to express it, is limited. Added to this, the prospect of trying to decipher what rites and responsibilities one’s faith or belief may require of them can be both complicated and daunting. I hope this training will go someway to give a better understanding of the subject and attempts to deal with people’s beliefs on how the body of the deceased should be looked after, how internment procedures should take place, how grief might be dealt with and much more. We also looked at some of the debates around complex issues within belief/value systems, such as post mortems, organ transplants, brain death and suicide. I sincerely hope that this training, developed largely by death and bereavement charity MBCOL with whom I have spent over two decades, will assist the chaplains as they undertake their roles.
