Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - Pope Benedict XVI meets with sick people in St Peter’s Basilica on the occasion of the World Day for the Sick. At the end of a special Mass celebrated by Cardinal Camillo Ruini the Pope went downstairs to St Peter’s to meet and bless thousands of sick people and their helpers. The Pope said “we wished this year to consider especially people with mental infirmities. "Mental Health and Human Dignity " was the theme of a Conference held in Adelaide, on scientific, ethic and pastoral aspects- the Pope said recalling that Adelaide, Australia, was chosen to host this year’s main event for the World Day for the Sick -. We all know that Jesus looked at man as a whole, to cure him in the body, mind and spirit. The human person in fact is a whole with different dimensions which can be distinguished but never separated. This is why the Church too sees persons as a whole and this understanding is characteristic of Catholic health institutions and the manner in which Catholic health workers operate”.
Making a special mention of families who have a member suffering from some mental condition, the Pope said: “We are close to all these situations, with prayer and with countless initiatives on the part of the Catholic community all over the world, particularly where legislation is lacking, where public structures are insufficient and where people suffer psychic trauma because of natural calamities or unfortunately because of wars and armed conflict. These are forms of poverty which prompt the charity of Christ the Good Samaritan and of the Church inseparably united to Him in the service of suffering humanity”.
To the doctors, nurses and helpers in this field Pope Benedict XVI symbolically offered his first encyclical “God is Love” and he said he hoped God’s love would be ever stronger in their hearts, animate their daily activity, plans, initiatives and above all their relations with the sick. “Acting on behalf of charity and with charity you dear friends make your valuable contribution to evangelisation because the proclamation of the Gospel needs to be confirmed by consistent signs. And these signs speak the language of universal love, a language everyone understands.”
Lastly, before the lights were turned down and candles lit for the singing of traditional hymn to Our Lady of Lourdes, Pope Benedict XVI entrusted all the sick and those who care for them to the loving care of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes: “May Mary keep us strong in hope so that, faithful to the teaching of Christ, we may be ever more committed to relieving the suffering of our brothers and sisters who are infirm. May it please the Lord to see that people in need never feel alone or abandoned, on the contrary, may they be assisted and helped to live sickness with human dignity”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 13/2/2006 - righe 34, parole 475)
