{"id":11542,"date":"2021-01-22T19:20:59","date_gmt":"2021-01-22T19:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/?p=11542"},"modified":"2021-01-22T19:20:59","modified_gmt":"2021-01-22T19:20:59","slug":"vatican-closeness-a-precious-balm-that-provides-support-and-consolation-says-pope-francis-ahead-of-world-day-for-the-sick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/2021\/01\/22\/vatican-closeness-a-precious-balm-that-provides-support-and-consolation-says-pope-francis-ahead-of-world-day-for-the-sick\/","title":{"rendered":"VATICAN: Closeness a Precious Balm that Provides Support and Consolation,\u00a0 Says Pope Francis Ahead of World Day for the Sick"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA<\/em><\/p>\n

Prior to the 29th<\/sup> World Day of the Sick\u00a0commemorated annually on February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Pope Francis has asked for fraternal solidarity with those afflicted with illnesses and also caregivers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a therapy is to be effective, it must have a relational aspect for this enables a holistic approach to the patient. Emphasizing this aspect can help doctors, nurses, professionals and volunteers to feel responsible for accompanying patients on a path of healing grounded in a trusting interpersonal relationship,\u201d reads an excerpt of the Pope\u2019s message<\/a> released on Tuesday, January 12.<\/p>\n

The Pontiff adds that fraternal relationship creates a bond between those in need of care and the caregivers which leads to \u201ca covenant based on mutual trust and respect, openness and availability.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s theme for World Day of the Sick\u00a0is \u201cYou have but one teacher and you are all brothers\u201d and is taken from the Gospel according to Mathew where Jesus criticizes those who fail to practice what they preach.<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus\u2019 criticism of those who \u201cpreach but do not practice\u201d is helpful always and everywhere,\u201d the Pope notes adding that \u201cnone of us is immune to the grave evil of hypocrisy, which prevents us from flourishing as children of the one Father.\u201d<\/p>\n

He adds, \u201cBefore the needs of our brothers and sisters, Jesus asks us to respond in a way completely contrary to such hypocrisy\u201d but rather \u201cto stop and listen, to establish a direct and personal relationship with others, to feel empathy and compassion, and to let their suffering become our own as we seek to serve them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The World Day for the Sick was instituted by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1992 as a way for believers to offer prayers for those suffering from illnesses and an opportunity to devote special attention to the sick and to those who provide them with assistance and care both in healthcare institutions and within families and communities.<\/p>\n

In his\u00a0message for the\u00a0occasion this year, the Pope reflects on the impact of the current global Covid19 pandemic which has revealed inefficiencies in caring for the sick.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe current pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in our healthcare systems and exposed inefficiencies in the care of the sick,\u201d the Pontiff has observed.<\/p>\n

He narrated further, \u201cInvesting resources in the care and assistance of the sick is a priority linked to the fundamental principle that health is a primary common good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pope Francis also acknowledged the commitment of caregivers during the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pandemic has highlighted the dedication and generosity of healthcare personnel, volunteers, support staff, priests, men and women Religious, all of whom have helped, treated, comforted and served so many of the sick and their families with professionalism, self-giving, responsibility and love of neighbour,\u201d the message reads and continues, \u201cA silent multitude of men and women, chose not to look the other way but to share the suffering of patients, whom they saw as neighbours and members of our one human family.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pontiff underscored that closeness is a precious balm that provides support and consolation to the sick in their suffering, noting that, \u201cfraternal love in Christ generates a community of healing, a community that leaves no one behind, a community that is inclusive and welcoming, especially to those most in need.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA Prior to the 29th World Day of the Sick\u00a0commemorated annually…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11530,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amecea-news","category-vatican"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11542"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11543,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11542\/revisions\/11543"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}