Catholics are being urged to reflect during this year’s World Day of the Sick on February 11.
In his message to mark the 34th World day of the sick on February 11, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the story of the Good Samaritan :The compassion of the Samaritan: loving by bearing another's pain."
“Love is not passive; it goes out to meet the other. Being a neighbour is not determined by physical or social proximity, but by the decision to love. This is why Christians become neighbours to those who suffer, following the example of Christ, the true divine Samaritan who drew near to a wounded humanity.”
The Catholic Church’s World Day of the Sick, established by St John Paul II, is held each February on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. It is an opportunity to devote special attention to the sick and to those who provide them with assistance and care.
Chair of Catholic Health Australia (CHA) Jenny Parker said the day serves as an important reminder of the humanity at the heart of the healthcare system. “This day invites us to pause and reflect on those in our society who live with illness, frailty, and the loneliness that can accompany many health challenges.”
Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green echoed the call for a healthcare approach that prioritises the person within the patient. “In each person who suffers, we encounter the suffering Christ. May we embody the Samaritan’s compassion - ministering not only through prayers, but through the tangible presence of our care and solidarity.”
