What is a Chaplain?
A chaplain can be a male or a female, and can be a lay, religious or ordained minister. Chaplains are endorsed for their ministry by the officials of their faith practice, and have undergone clinical pastoral training and earned an advanced degree in theology.
Their studies can include traditional theology, pastoral theology and psychology, life span development, spirituality, ethics, and areas of specialization.
A hospital chaplain is trained and professionally certified specifically to help people who are sick. A lay Catholic chaplain can administer Holy Communion and Viaticum, give the Blessing of the Sick (different from the Sacrament of the Sick), and offer spiritual assessment and support.