Leo XIV laments that “we live immersed in the culture of the fast, of the immediate” as well as of discard and indifference”, which prevents us from seeing the suffering of others, in the message published this Tuesday for the World Day of the Sick, which will be held from February 9 to 11 in the former diocese of the Pope, in Chiclayo (Peru).
In the message, the Pope of American and Peruvian nationality warns that this way of life “prevents us from approaching and stopping on the road to look at the needs and sufferings around us”.
It also explains that they are necessary, “not mere gestures of philanthropy, but signs in which it can be perceived that personal participation in the sufferings of the other implies giving oneself, means going beyond covering needs”.
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From his experience as a missionary and bishop in Peru, he affirms that “family members, neighbors, health workers, pastoral health agents and so many others who stop, approach, heal, carry, accompany and offer of their own, give compassion a social dimension”.
“This experience, which takes place in a network of relationships, goes beyond mere individual commitment,” he added.
He also emphasized that these actions must be carried out “without personal interest or reward, but as a manifestation of a love that transcends ritual norms and translates into authentic worship: serving others is loving God in practice.
And he wished “that this fraternal, ‘Samaritan,’ inclusive, brave, committed, and supportive dimension, which has its most intimate root in our union with God, may never be lacking in our Christian lifestyle.”
At the end of the message, he imparted his “apostolic blessing” to all the sick, their families, and those who care for them, to healthcare workers, to health pastoral agents, and especially to those participating in this World Day of the Sick.
