FOR THE WORLD DAY OF THE SICK
FOR THE YEAR 2001
- Enriched by the grace of the Great Jubilee and by contemplation of
the mystery of the incarnate Word, in which human pain finds "its
supreme and surest point of reference" (Salvifici doloris, n. 31), the
Christian community is preparing to celebrate the Ninth World Day of the Sick
on 11 February 2001. The place designated for the celebration of this
significant event is the cathedral of Sydney, Australia. The choice of
the Australian continent with its cultural and ethnic wealth highlights
the close bond of ecclesial communion: this bond transcends distances
and fosters the encounter of different cultural identities made fruitful
by the one liberating message of salvation.
The cathedral of Sydney is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother
of the Church. This fact emphasizes the Marian dimension of the World
Day of the Sick, which has now been observed for nine years on the
memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. As a loving Mother, Mary will once again
enable not only the sick on the Australian continent to feel her
protection, but also all who dedicate their professional skills and often their
whole lives to serving them.
As in the past, the Day will be an occasion of prayer and support for
the countless institutions devoted to the care of the suffering. It will
encourage the many priests, religious and lay believers who seek to
respond in the Church's name to the expectations of sick people, while
paying special attention to the weakest and those struggling the most, in
order to assure the victory of the culture of life over the culture of
death everywhere (cf. Evangelium vitae, n. 100). Since I too have
shared the experience of illness several times in recent years, I have come
to understand more and more clearly its value for my Petrine ministry
and for the Church's life itself. In expressing my affectionate
solidarity to those who are suffering, I invite them to contemplate with faith
the mystery of Christ crucified and risen, in order to discover God's
loving plan in their own experience of pain. Only by looking at Jesus,
"a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Is 53: 3), is it possible
to find serenity and trust.
- On this World Day of the Sick, whose theme is The New Evangelization
and the Dignity of the Suffering Person, the Church intends to stress
the need to evangelize in a new way this area of human experience, in
order to encourage its orientation to the overall well-being of the
person and the progress of all people in every part of the world.
The effective treatment of various pathologies, commitment to further
research and the investment of adequate resources are praiseworthy
objectives which have been successfully pursued in vast areas of the globe.
However, while applauding the efforts made, one cannot overlook the
fact that not everyone enjoys the same opportunities. I therefore make a
pressing appeal that everything be done to encourage the necessary
development of health services in the still numerous countries which are
unable to offer their inhabitants proper living conditions and appropriate
health care. I also hope that the vast potential of modern medicine
will be put at the effective service of human beings and applied with full
respect for their dignity.
In her 2,000-year history, the Church has always tried to support
therapeutic progress for the sake of ever improved assistance to the sick.
She has intervened in various situations with every means at her
disposal to see that the rights of the person are respected and his authentic
well-being always pursued (cf. Populorum progressio, n. 34). Today too,
faithful to the principles of the Gospel, the Magisterium never ceases
to offer moral criteria to guide medical personnel in studying those
aspects of research which have not yet been sufficiently clarified,
without violating the requirements of an authentic humanism.
- Every day I go on a spiritual pilgrimage to hospitals and treatment
centres, where people of every age and social background live. I would
particularly like to pause beside the patients, their relatives and the
health-care personnel. These places are like shrines where people
participate in Christ's paschal mystery. Even the most heedless person is
prompted there to wonder about his own life and its meaning, about the
reason for evil, suffering and death (cf. Gaudium et spes, n. 10). This
is why it is important that the skilled and significant presence of
believers should never be wanting in these structures.
Therefore how could I not make a pressing appeal to medical and nursing
professionals to learn from Christ, the physician of souls and bodies,
to be authentic "Good Samaritans" towards their brothers and sisters?
In particular, how could I not hope that everyone dedicated to research
will work tirelessly to identify suitable ways to promote the integral
health of the human being and fight the consequences of diseases? How
could I not, in addition, encourage those who are directly involved in
the care of the sick to be always attentive to the needs of the
suffering, combining skill and humanity in their professional life?
Hospitals, centres for the sick or the elderly and every institution
which cares for the suffering are privileged areas for the new
evangelization, which must be committed to making the Gospel message of hope
heard precisely in these places. Only Jesus the divine Samaritan is the
fully satisfying answer to the deepest expectations of every human being
in search of peace and salvation. Christ is the Saviour of every person
and of the whole person. For this reason the Church never tires of
proclaiming him, so that the world of illness and the search for health may
be enlivened by his light.
It is important, then, that at the beginning of the third Christian
millennium a new impetus be given to the evangelization of the world of
health as a place particularly suited to becoming a valuable laboratory
for the civilization of love.
- In recent years, there has been a growing interest in scientific
research in the medical field and in the modernization of health-care
structures. We can only look favourably at this trend, but at the same time
it must be stressed that there is a constant need for it to be guided
by the concern to offer the sick an effective service, supporting them
efficaciously in the fight against disease. In this perspective, there
is increasing discussion of "holistic" care, that is, care that pays
attention to the biological, psychological, social and spiritual needs of
the sick and of those around them. It is particularly necessary, with
regard to medicines, treatments and surgical operations, for clinical
experimentation to be conducted with absolute respect for the individual
and with a clear awareness of the risks and, consequently, of the
limits involved. In this area Christian professionals are called to bear
witness to their ethical convictions and to be constantly enlightened by
faith.
The Church appreciates the efforts of those who, by engaging in
research or treatment with dedication and professionalism, help to improve the
quality of the service offered to the sick.
- The equitable distribution of goods, desired by the Creator, is also
an urgent imperative in the area of health: the persistent injustice
that deprives a large part of the population of the treatment
indispensable to health, especially in poor countries, must cease once and for
all. This is a grave scandal which can only prompt national leaders to
make every effort to ensure that those who lack material means are
provided with access to at least basic health care. Promoting "health for all"
is a primary duty for every member of the international community; for
Christians it is a commitment closely connected with their witness of
faith. They know that they must proclaim the Gospel of life in a
practical way by promoting respect for it and rejecting every kind of attack
on it, from abortion to euthanasia. Reflection on the use of available
resources also belongs in this context: their limitedness calls for the
establishment of clear moral criteria to guide the decisions of
patients or their guardians regarding extraordinary procedures which are
expensive or risky. In any case, recourse to forms of aggressive medical
treatment should be avoided (cf. Evangelium vitae, n. 65).
Here I would like to praise the individuals and structures, and
especially religious institutions, which perform a generous service in this
sector by courageously responding to the urgent needs of persons and
peoples in regions or countries of great poverty. The Church expresses to
them a renewed appreciation of the contribution they continually make in
this vast and sensitive apostolate. I would like, in particular, to
urge the members of religious families involved in health-care ministry to
respond boldly to the challenges of the third millennium, following in
the footsteps of their founders. In view of the new tragedies and
diseases which have replaced the plagues of the past, there is a pressing
need for the work of "Good Samaritans" who can offer the sick the
treatment they need, but at the same time provide them with spiritual support
to endure their difficult situation with faith.
- I extend a particularly affectionate thought to the many men and
women religious who, with an ever increasing number of lay people, are
writing wonderful pages of Gospel charity in hospitals and health-care
centres. They often work in frightening war zones and daily risk their
lives to save those of their brethren. Unfortunately, many have died for
their service to the Gospel of Life.
I would also like to mention the many non-governmental organizations
which have recently arisen to help those disadvantaged in the area of
health. They can rely on the contribution of "on-site" volunteers, as well
as on the generosity of a large number of people who financially
support their activity. I encourage them all to continue this praiseworthy
work, which in many nations is sensitizing consciences in a significant
way.
Lastly I address you, dear sick people and generous health-care
professionals. This World Day of the Sick is taking place shortly after the
conclusion of the Jubilee Year. It is therefore a renewed invitation to
contemplate the face of Christ, who became Man 2,000 years ago to redeem
man. Dear brothers and sisters, proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel
of life and hope with generous dedication. Proclaim that Christ is the
comfort of all who are in distress or difficulty; he is the strength of
those experiencing moments of fatigue and vulnerability; he is the
support of those who work zealously to assure better living and health
conditions for everyone.
I entrust you to Mary, Mother of the Church, to whom, as I recalled at
the beginning, the cathedral of Sydney, the spiritual centre of the
Ninth World Day of the Sick, is dedicated. May Our Lady of Consolation
make her motherly protection felt by all her suffering children; may she
help you bear witness before the world to the tenderness of God and make
you living icons of her Son.
With these wishes I impart a special Apostolic Blessing to you and to
all your loved ones.
Pope John Paul II
From Castel Gandolfo, 22 August 2000.
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