ASIA/INDONESIA - The rediscovery of the value of assisting the sick

Friday, 10 April 2015

Maumere (Agenzia Fides) - In Indonesia, where Catholics are only 5%, Good Friday is still a holiday throughout the Country, in order to give the opportunity to Catholics to live the historical event of the passion and death of Christ and Muslims to respect the values of the Catholic faith. The Camillians, on the island of Flores for about six years, celebrated the Easter event among the sick in the government hospital in Maumere, where the religious are in charge of the hospital ministry.
Father Luigi Galvani, MI, told Agenzia Fides: "The various Easter rites saw the participation of the sick, doctors, nurses, staff and families of sick people. In particular, the rite of the washing of the feet of some sick Catholic and Muslims was a very emotional moment. Patients who were unable to participate in the hospital chapel, were given the opportunity to follow the various celebrations through the radio system installed in the various wards".
"Such a celebration, observed some doctors and nurses, made us feel, for the first time, how important the value of our profession is: to be close to those who suffer and make them understand that the Risen Lord can heal their pain", notes Fr. Luigi. "Thanks to the presence of our camillian missionaries, we feel more in love with the charism of charity of St. Camillus who saw in the sick the very presence of Jesus and said: we doctors and nurses, must be like Jesus in serving others", concludes the missionary. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 10/04/2015)


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