Pope Francis on Tuesday
called for "trust-based" care of the sick in a message ahead of
the 29th World Day of the Sick on February 11.
A society is all the more human to the degree that it cares
effectively for its most frail and suffering members, in a
spirit of fraternal love." Francis said, according to Vatican
News.
In order to fight hypocrisy and self-idolatry, the pope said,
Jesus asks us to "stop and listen, to establish a direct and
personal relationship with others, to feel empathy and
compassion, and to let their suffering become our own as we seek
to serve them."
The Catholic Church marks the annual day on 11 February, the
feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Instituted by Pope Saint John Paul
II on 13 May 1992, the first World Day of the Sick was marked
the following year.
The theme of this year's observance is, "You have but one
teacher and you are all brothers" (Mt 23:8), which calls for "a
trust-based relationship to guide care for the sick".
Pope Francis says that the annual day "is an opportunity to
devote special attention to the sick and to those who provide
them with assistance and care both in healthcare institutions
and within families and communities." He expresses his
spiritual closeness and the Church's loving concern for those
suffering the coronavirus pandemic, especially the poor and the
marginalized.
Drawing attention to the theme of this year's observance, the
Pope warns Christians about the danger of "self-idolatry" when
our "faith is reduced to empty words and we are unconcerned with
the lives and needs of others."
Noting that Jesus criticizes those who "preach but do not
practise", the Pope says "none of us is immune to the grave evil
of hypocrisy, which prevents us from flourishing as children of
the one Father, called to live universal fraternity."
Sickness, the Pope notes, makes us realize our own vulnerability
and our innate need of others. It raises the question of life's
meaning, which we bring before God in faith, in order to seek a
new and deeper direction in our lives.
In this regard, the Pope holds out the biblical figure of Job as
a model. Abandoned by his wife and friends in his misfortune, he
says, Job feels forlorn and misunderstood. Yet, he rejects
hypocrisy and chooses the path of honesty towards God and
others.
The Lord hears Job's cries and confirms that his suffering is
not a punishment or a state of separation from God, much less a
sign of God's indifference.
The Pope says that sickness has many faces. They are the sick,
as well as all those who are ignored, excluded and are a prey to
social injustices that deny their fundamental rights.
The current pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in our
healthcare systems and exposed inefficiencies in the care of the
sick, with the elderly, weak and vulnerable people not always
granted access to care, or in an equitable manner. The pandemic
has also highlighted the dedication and generosity of healthcare
personnel, volunteers, support staff, priests, men and women
religious.
The Holy Father pays them homage, saying they are "a silent
multitude of men and women" who "chose not to look the other way
but to share the suffering of patients, whom they saw as
neighbours and members of our one human family."
"Such closeness," the Pope remarks, "is a precious balm that
provides support and consolation to the sick in their
suffering." As Christians, he says, we experience that
closeness as a sign of the love of Jesus Christ, the Good
Samaritan, who draws near with compassion to every man and woman
wounded by sin.
He says that as a community, we too are called to be merciful
like the Father and to love in particular our frail, infirm and
suffering brothers and sisters, leaving no one behind,
especially those most in need.
Pope Francis then speaks about the importance of fraternal
solidarity towards our neighbours, which takes a variety of
forms. "Serving means caring for the vulnerable of our families,
our society, our people." We are called to set aside our own
wishes and desires, the pursuit of power, and look to the faces
of the most vulnerable, touching their flesh, sensing their
closeness and helping them.
For a therapy to be effective, the Pope points out, "it must be
relational, as it enables a holistic approach to the patient."
This path of healing grounded in a trusting interpersonal
relationship, he emphasizes, can help doctors, nurses,
professionals and volunteers in caring for the sick. This
relationship between the sick and carers, based on mutual trust
and respect, openness and availability, he says, will help to
overcome defensive attitudes, respect the dignity of the sick,
safeguard the professionalism of healthcare workers and foster a
good relationship with the families of patients.
Jesus, the Pope concludes, proves this by healing "not by magic
but as the result of an encounter, an interpersonal
relationship," Vatican News said.
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