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VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Praising those who help the sick and praying for those who are sick, Pope Francis called on Christians to practice what they preach, including by ensuring equal access to health care for all people.
“The current pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in our health care systems and exposed inefficiencies in the care of the sick,” the Pope wrote in his message for World Day of the Sick 2021, which the Catholic Church commemorates on the 11th February, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear to everyone that “the elderly, weak and vulnerable do not always have access to care,” at least not equitably, he said. “This is the result of political decisions, resource management and a greater or lesser commitment on the part of those who hold positions of responsibility.”
“Investing resources in the care and assistance of the sick is a priority linked to the fundamental principle that health is a primary common good,” Pope Francis wrote in his message, which was released by the Vatican on January 12.
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“Investing resources in the care and assistance of the sick is a priority linked to the fundamental principle that health is a primary common good,” wrote Pope Francis.
The papal message, using the denunciation of Jesus’ hypocrisy in Matthew 23: 1-12, insisted that real faith leads to real care for all who suffer from sickness, poverty, or injustice.
“When our faith is reduced to empty words, without caring for the lives and needs of others, the creed we profess becomes inconsistent with the life we lead,” the Pope wrote. “The danger is real.”
When another person is suffering, he 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 ours as we seek to serve them.” .
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Being sick makes one realize one’s “own vulnerability and innate need for others,” the Pope said. “It makes us feel more clearly that we are creatures who depend on God.”
“When we are sick,” he continued, “fear and even bewilderment can take over our minds and hearts; we are powerless, since our health does not depend on our abilities ”.
For many people, the Pope said, “illness raises the question of the meaning of life,” something that Christians must “present before God in faith. As we search for a new and deeper direction in our lives, we may not find an immediate answer. Nor can our family and friends always help us in this demanding search. “
“When our faith is reduced to empty words, without caring for the lives and needs of others, the creed we profess becomes incompatible with the life we lead.”
Like Job in the Bible, people should stick to their prayers, crying out to God for help, he said.
In the end, God “confirms that Job’s suffering is not a punishment or a state of separation from God, much less a sign of God’s indifference,” he said. Job, “wounded and healed,” confesses his faith in the Lord.
Pope Francis praised the “silent crowd of men and women” who, as the pandemic continues, do not look the other way, but help their patients or neighbors.
“That closeness is a precious balm that provides support and comfort to the sick in their suffering,” he said. “As Christians, we experience this closeness as a sign of the love of Jesus Christ, the Good Samaritan, who reaches out with compassion to every man and woman wounded by sin.”
Jesus’ command to love one another also applies to a Christian’s relationship with a person who is sick, the Pope said. “A society is all the more humane to the extent that it effectively cares for its most fragile and suffering members, in a spirit of fraternal love.”
“Let us strive to achieve this goal, so that no one feels alone, excluded or abandoned,” he said, praying that “Mary, Mother of Mercy and Health of the Sick”, watches over the sick, health workers and all that help others.
