[Pastoral care in palliative medicine]

The orientation of life before death towards a quality as high as possible leads to an understanding of palliative medicine not as a pure medical discipline but rather as an integral approach of different disciplines, professions and services, combining several sectors and not being restricted to professionals. Within this change of patterns the pastoral care contribution is developed from professional clinical pastoral care, at first the pastoral care attitude in palliative medicine, challenged by the irritating expectation which dying and death every time demands of all involved. Basics of general mourning research and tasks of bereavement counselling are explained for elaboration as well as theological basics of a Christian human dignity concept. Different competence areas of pastoral care are linked to the dimensions of myth, ethos and rite. Finally a couple of tasks and challenges concerning interreligious cooperation, the cooperating with relatives and volunteers as well as structural questions of pastoral care are mentioned.